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.

This Is What Philanthropy Is Built For

When change and uncertainty abound, it’s hard to know what to do. For many philanthropic organizations, and especially our nonprofit partners, so much is at stake right now. But times like these are precisely what philanthropy is built for. Philanthropy consistently steps up during difficult times…

Philanthropy's Response to the 2025 Myanmar and Thailand Earthquake

Overview A powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar and Thailand. The earthquake is the most powerful to strike Myanmar in over a century, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Entire buildings have collapsed in Bangkok and Mandalay, causing thousands of people to be…

Washington Snapshot: Executive Orders We're Tracking

In this edition of Washington Snapshot we share the President's the recent executive actions most relevant to the sector.

How Funders and Communities Can Advance a Multiracial Democracy in Education

In this interactive workshop, education funders will actively explore how to improve funder-grantee relationships to strengthen public education as a training ground for democracy and as a space for building more resilient and informed students and communities. Participants will also learn how…

Doubling Down on Racial Equity

Facing a so-called DEI backlash, some institutions have become fearful and risk averse. But many Association of Black Fundraising Executives (ABFE) members are instead doubling down on their commitment to racial equity during a critical moment in the movement’s history. This session will separate…

Grand Reception at Orchestra Hall

Our grand reception, sponsored by the Walton Family Foundation, will be held at Orchestra Hall, located right across the street from the conference hotel. This beautiful space will be filled with the sounds of strings, the smell of delicious s’mores brought to you by local business North Mallow,…