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.
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Supporting Children and Families Across Oklahoma
Kristen shares how the Oklahoma Office of Family Representation is supporting families as they navigate the child welfare system across the state.
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Preserving the Heartbeat of Albina: Billy Webb Elks Lodge
By investing in the Lodge, we joined local efforts to combat the erasure of what was once considered the Soul of Portland.Peering through the newly restored windows of the Billy Webb Elks Lodge, you would never know a fire devastated the building just three years ago. The ballroom chandeliers still…
How Funders Can Mitigate Political Violence
As a workshop partner for Building Together 2026, Over Zero has created this blog post to share additional insights. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Council.Political Violence and its ImpactYou may have felt it recently: a slight…
Philanthropy's Response to the 2026 Floods in Nepal
OverviewCatastrophic flash floods have swept through Nepal and communities along the Bhote Koshi river system, taking over 900 lives and leaving over 4,700 people missing. Homes and critical infrastructure have been destroyed, while floodwaters have devastated remote communities across the…
2026 Changes to Mexico’s Anti-Money Laundering Law
This page will be updated as new information becomes available. Please bookmark it for future reference. Last updated August 26, 2026.Mexico’s Federal Law for the Prevention and Identification of Transactions with Illicitly Sourced Funds (LFPIORPI) is the country’s primary anti-money laundering law…
2026 Amendments to India's Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA)
This page will be updated as new information becomes available. Please bookmark it for future reference. Last updated August 26, 2026.India’s Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) is the cornerstone law regulating how nonprofits in India receive foreign funding, including from U.S.-based…
How 20 Chicagoans Came Together to Make $1.6 Million in Grants
Of the 20 Chicago residents deciding the grant awards, none was a grantmaker. One owned a coffee-roasting business; another a dessert and sweets company. A student intern deliberated alongside veterans of community development and organizing. A few had Ivy League degrees. One had spent time in…
Washington Snapshot: Update on Public Policy Doctrine Regulations
The White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs has finished its review of proposed regulations applying the public policy doctrine to tax-exempt organizations. It is unclear which activities and which types of exempt organizations the regulations will cover. Plus, the Federal Tax…
Multilateral Institutions - Center for Global Grantmaking
While a U.S. foundation’s primary concern should be following U.S. law and policies, there are a variety of multilateral institutions that may be relevant to global grantmakers. These organizations can play an enabling role, such as a co-funding partner or grantee partner, or they can be…
Sanctions and Counterterrorism - Center for Global Grantmaking
A vital part of any U.S. foundation’s global grantmaking process includes a set of steps to ensure the foundation’s compliance with non-tax laws. In the international grantmaking context, this often means:Ensuring your foundation is not supporting a sanctioned country, organization, or…
Equivalency Determination (ED) and Expenditure Responsibility (ER) - Center for Global Grantmaking
There are two mechanisms for U.S.-based foundations to make grants abroad: equivalency determination (ED) and expenditure responsibility (ER).These procedures must be followed by private foundations and grants from donor-advised funds (DAFs). Other types of funders often utilize aspects of ER or ED…
Preserving Black History in Indiana
Halle Heather shares how the Stan Cox fund through Central Indiana Community Foundation is preserving historic African American sites across the region.
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Publication, Research
The CCSF Study is the field’s most comprehensive and authoritative study on investment and governance policies and practices, and the 2025 CCSF studies 285 private and community foundations representing $126.9 billion in assets. Topics covered include:Returns and Investment ObjectivesAsset…
Philanthropy's Response to the 2026 Earthquake in Colombia
OverviewA powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia on August 10, 2026 causing widespread destruction across critical infrastructure. The earthquake killed over 200 people, with 4,000 missing and nearly 2,000 injured. Recovery efforts from complex humanitarian emergencies will be…
Supporting Workers in Western North Carolina
Megan Nichols shares the impact of The Industrial Commons, a nonprofit in Morganton, North Carolina.
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