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.

PhilEx Live: Return to Office Vaccine Policies

Developed out of a trending conversation on the Philanthropy Exchange (PhilEx), the Council invites you to join a member-only peer-led discussion of how foundations are approaching COVID-19 vaccine policies in their return-to-office planning. Join peers from across the country in a discussion…

Washington Snapshot: Senate Approves Short-Term Debt Ceiling Fix

What You Need to Know About Public Policy This Week... News From the Council Senate Approves Short-Term Debt Ceiling Fix Welcoming Afghanistan Nationals: Resettlement Needs USDA Announces Intent to Establish an Equity Commission, Solicits Nominations for Membership White House Announces 2022…

2021 Grantmaker Salary and Benefits Report Shows Increased Diversity in Leadership Roles

The Council on Foundations (“the Council”) today announced the release of the 2021 Grantmaker Salary and Benefits Report (GSB), an annual analysis of key human resources trends that includes the most comprehensive data on the composition and compensation of U.S. foundations. Published for the first…

Leveraging Equity to Defund Hate: Values-Aligned Philanthropy in Practice

Many of us know that the philanthropic community has a critical role to play in addressing the increase in hate and hate crimes, but it’s not easy to figure out how to tackle this work. The Council on Foundations’ white paper, Values-Aligned Philanthropy: Foundations Resisting Hate and Extremism,…

2021 Grantmaker Salary and Benefits Report: Key Findings

Publication, Research

Drawing from data provided by 952 institutional responses, the 2021 GSB Key Findings highlights important human resource trends that are shaping the philanthropic sector. This year’s key findings feature the voices of human resources and operations leaders from community foundations,…

Career Pathways - 2024 Program

The key to Career Pathways’ effectiveness is its unique design. The program is rigorous, highly personal, and built exclusively for philanthropic professionals. The 2024 program will feature both in-person and virtual components. Every participant becomes part of a small group of grantmakers who…

Washington Snapshot: Government Shutdown Averted: Debt Ceiling Looms

What You Need to Know About Public Policy This Week... News From the Council Government Shutdown Averted: Debt Ceiling Looms IRS Release "Tax Tip" on Charitable Deduction Child Tax Credit Sign-Up Period Extended to November 15 Congress Discusses Economic Impacts of COVID-19 What’s Happening…

Wallace Global Fund and MacArthur Foundation Briefing on Climate Movement and Systemic Racism

Please join us for an important conversation about the climate movement and systemic racism in the United States. We often hear that “durable” US climate policy requires bipartisan buy-in and agreement, but durable policy also requires a movement that can maintain and enhance a functioning…

2021 Grantmaker Salary and Benefits Report

Publication, Research

The Grantmaker Salary and Benefits Report (GSB) provides salary, benefits, and diversity data for full-time staff at U.S. foundations to aid in budget planning and personnel practice benchmarking. Information is presented by grantmaker type, foundation type, asset size, and geographic location.…

Washington Snapshot: Congress Juggles Government Funding and Presidential Priorities

What You Need to Know About Public Policy This Week... News From the Council Congress Juggles Government Funding and Presidential Priorities Operation Allies Welcome: Assisting Afghanistan Nationals' Resettlement in the U.S. Child Tax Credit Sign-Up Deadline: October 15 Senate Confirms…

Washington Snapshot: Democrats Propose Tax Changes through Budget Reconciliation

What You Need to Know About Public Policy This Week... News From the Council Democrats Propose Tax Changes through Budget Reconciliation IRS Issues Update on Private Foundation Self-Dealing Secretary Yellen Warns about Debt Ceiling OMB Releases Federal Agency Racial Equity Assessment…

The Backstop: An Underused Tool for Overcoming the Chicken and Egg Challenge

Nonprofits and their funders know this challenge all too well—an organization has a great idea, so they begin to seek capital from funders or foundations. They hear the same answer regularly – “It sounds like a great idea. Come back to us after you’re further along.” This presents a chicken and egg…

Council on Foundations Launches Values-Aligned Philanthropy Initiative

In response to a rise in anti-democratic extremism and hate groups in the U.S., the Council on Foundations (Council) today released Values-Aligned Philanthropy: Foundations Resisting Hate and Extremism. The report and accompanying online resource hub are part of the Council’s efforts to prevent…

Sample Policies on Values-Aligned Philanthropy

Sample Document

Community Foundations Borrego Valley Endowment Fund Sample Policy with “Do No Harm” Approach Brooklyn Community Foundation DAF Anti-Hate Policy Community Foundation of the Ozarks Sample Full DAF Policy and Procedures East Bay Community Foundation Due Diligence Policy FAQ East Bay Community…

Information on Hate Groups — Values-Aligned Philanthropy

External Resource

United States Anti-Defamation League HEAT (Hate, Extremism, Anti-Semitism, Terrorism) Map Center for American Progress Infographic on Islamophobia Network Horizon Forum Media Matters for America Southern Poverty Law Center List of U.S. hate groups Southern Poverty Law Center…

Organizational Resources on Values-Aligned Philanthropy