Public Foundations
Public foundations are grantmaking public charities that gain their funds from a variety of sources, which may include foundations, individuals, corporations, or public entities. Public foundations may engage in fundraising, and may seek broad public financial support. They may or may not have endowments. There is no legal definition of a public foundation, but most dedicate a significant portion of their annual budgets to grantmaking. Most community foundations are also grantmaking public charities.
Since public foundations may be defined in different ways, and there is no official IRS or legal definition of public foundations, it is difficult to arrive at statistics that are fully representative of the field.
Below is everything on our site for public foundations. We strongly recommend that you use the navigation or our search feature to find what you're looking for on our site. Please also visit cof.org/programs-services/public-grantmaking-charities for curated public foundation content.
Essentials of Policy Advocacy for Grantmakers
Registration now open!
The Essentials of Policy Advocacy for Grantmakers course will help foundation staff use their resources effectively to advance public policies that support the greater good. Rather than focusing on what policies foundations should address, this training will focus on how to…
Rules of Advocacy and Lobbying for Grantmakers
It is easy to get hung up on what you think you cannot do when engaging with policymakers. The good news is, you can do more than you may think!
Though the law varies among different types of foundations, all foundation types can engage in advocacy! The Council on Foundations Legal Team explained…
ARPA Funds Peer Discussion
Peer Discussion Leads
Laura Simmelink, Senior Director of Programs, Community Foundation of Collier County
Marian Clowes, Associate Director for Community Leadership, Parkersburg Area Community Foundation
Philanthropy Exchange is a peer-to-peer platform that connects Council members through…
Philanthropy and COVID-19: Examining Two Years of Giving and What’s Next
Presentation Slides
Candid and the Center for Disaster Philanthropy (CDP) recently released a report "Philanthropy and COVID-19: Examining two years of giving" to see how philanthropy has responded to the pandemic. In partnership with the Council on Foundations, CDP and Candid presented…
Global Philanthropy Update - June 2022
It has been an eventful year for new laws targeting nonprofits and philanthropy across the world. We know you have many questions and concerns about the rapidly changing state of global giving; join us at a Legal Office Hours event for international grantmakers on June 16 (see the News and…
Rebuilding Trust in Nonprofits and Philanthropy
Recent data and research from sources such as the Edelman Trust Barometer suggest declining trust in nonprofits and philanthropy in the United States. Fraying trust in institutions, perceptions that nonprofits and philanthropy are politicized, intensifying critiques of…
2022 Member Week
Member Week is a time to celebrate and connect our 850 members within the philanthropic sector. We believe that when we come together as a membership community to connect through shared purpose, we can speak with a collective voice and achieve greater impact than we could alone. There are many…
Presentation Slides - Philanthropy and COVID-19: Examining Two Years of Giving and What's Next
Candid and the Center for Disaster Philanthropy (CDP) recently released a report "Philanthropy and COVID-19: Examining two years of giving" to see how philanthropy has responded to the pandemic. In partnership with the Council on Foundations, CDP and Candid presented a webinar that…
Washington Snapshot: Federal Plan to Close Housing Supply Gap
What's Happening This Week...
Getting Started with Values-Aligned Philanthropy
Council Member Week: Federal Roundtables and More!
Congressional Update
IRS Releases Guidance on Employer-Leave-Based Donations to Ukraine…
Washington Snapshot: Register for AmeriCorps CEO Meet and Greet with Philanthropy
What's Happening This Week...
Uniting Americans Through Service: Philanthropy and AmeriCorps "Meet and Greet"
Congressional Update
Small Business Administration Expands Rural HUBZones
Federal Health Benefits Extended to…
Philanthropy's Response to New Mexico Wildfires
OVERVIEW
The Calf Canyon Fire and Hermits Peak Fire merged into what has become the largest active wildfire in the U.S. and the second-largest wildfire in New Mexico's history- the fires have burned more than 250,000 acres. On May 4, President Biden approved a major disaster declaration for…
Policy Update - June 2022
Reach out to educate@cof.org for access to the recording.
Thank you to those who joined the Council’s Capitol Hill consultants Ken Kies, Managing Director, Federal Policy Group and Arshi Siddiqui, Partner, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP. In the conversation moderated by Stephanie Powers,…
Washington Snapshot: Public-Philanthropic Partnerships Boost Support for Students
What's Happening This Week...
Uniting Americans Through Service: Philanthropy and AmeriCorps "Meet and Greet"
Senate Holds Hearing on Tax-Exempt Organizations' Political Activity
White House Proclaims National Mental Health…
Roundtable Conversations with Federal Agencies
Reach out to educate@cof.org for access to the recording.
Council members were invited to join informal roundtable discussions with several federal agencies to learn more about their implementation of the American Rescue Plan and other priorities, including the cross-government equity action plans…
2022 Membership Week
This year the Council will host a series of virtual events that will offer members the opportunity to hear directly from Council leaders and peers on some of philanthropy’s most important challenges and opportunities. We hope these free events will provide connection, insight, and inspiration for…
2022 Public Policy Summit
Join us for the Council on Foundations’ 2022 Public Policy Summit – where we will come together as a virtual community to explore philanthropy’s role as a bridge-builder. Gain an insider’s view of how the midterm elections reshape the political landscape for philanthropy and learn how foundations…