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.
Accelerating Charitable Efforts Act (ACE Act)
On June 9, 2021, Senators King (I-ME) and Grassley (R-IA) introduced the Accelerating Charitable Efforts (ACE) Act. The bill modifies existing rules relating to donor advised funds (“DAFs”), creates an excise tax on sponsoring organizations, and makes certain changes to the rules governing private…
2021 HR Retreat - Sponsors and Sponsorship Opportunities
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The HR Retreat fulfills a critical sector need. The Council and CHANGE Philanthropy have a successful model for providing HR leaders from…
2021 HR Retreat - Schedule
Schedule
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Wednesday, September 8
4:00-5:15 p.m.
Opening Reception: The Power of Connection
In Leslé Honoré’s TEDx Talk, The Power of Connection, she discusses…
2021 HR Retreat - Registration
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2021 HR Retreat - Working Group
Working Group
Kimberley Brown
Vice President of Human Resources
The Annie E. Casey Foundation
Rhonda Cox
Associate Vice President of Human Resources
Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation
Maria Hannon
Senior Director of Human Resources
The Colorado Health Foundation…
Council on Foundations' New Strategic Direction Sets a 20-Year Vision
Today, the Council on Foundations announced a new strategy that sets forth a 20-year direction heading for the organization. Motivated by a vision of philanthropy as a trusted partner in advancing the greater good, the Council’s new strategic direction challenges philanthropy to make progress on a…
Washington Snapshot: Department of Agriculture: Seeking Input on Racial Justice and Equity
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News From the Council
Department of Agriculture: Seeking Input on Racial Justice and Equity
CDC Rental Assistance Coronavirus Moratorium Ends July 31
White House and Economic Recovery Priorities
Infrastructure Package Update
Happening in…
HR Leaders Peer Exchange: Plans for Reopening Offices
As more organizations move to reopen physical offices, HR leaders in philanthropy are grappling with the challenges of reintegrating employees to in-person work after more than a year of isolation. Other organizations are also turning to hybrid or permanently remote models, which bring their own…
Washington Snapshot: Supreme Court Releases Decision on California Donor Disclosure Case
What You Need to Know About Public Policy This Week...
News From the Council
Supreme Court Releases Decision on California Donor Disclosure Case
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USDA Seeks…
Disaster Philanthropy and Native Americans: Practical Tips for Funding On and Off Reservations
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Native Americans are a richly diverse and growing population, but as an ethnicity, they are disproportionately affected by disasters. This reality is true for those who live on reservations and in urban areas. And yet, Native Americans are greatly underfunded by…
Philanthropy's Response to the National Evictions Crisis
Community foundations and place-based funders should be aware of the impending rental evictions crisis on the horizon. Money is available in every state to help renters who are behind on rent due to the pandemic’s impacts and are at risk of eviction when the federal pandemic eviction moratorium…
Council on Foundations Applauds Re-Introduction of the “Workforce Development through Post-Graduation Scholarships Act”
The Council on Foundations applauds the reintroduction of the Workforce Development Through Post-Graduation Scholarships Act (S.2191/ H.R4095) by Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), and Representatives Darin LaHood (R-IL) and Terri Sewell (D-AL). The bill would…
Unexpected Partners and Unlikely Allies: Seeking Common Ground at Leading Together 2021
When I formally entered the field of philanthropy, I was certain of my commitment to improving the overall quality of life for children and families. But to be frank, what I was not certain of was the full scope of the vast and unique role philanthropy could play in facilitating such change. As a…
Normal Wasn’t Working: Raising the Bar at Leading Together 2021
The idea of raising the bar in the philanthropic sector is a great one, but we need to acknowledge some potentially hard truths first: a) the bar is actually set pretty low, so the idea of raising it shouldn’t be the pinnacle of our aspirations; b) we haven’t reached the goals represented by the…
Storytelling as a Pathway to Equity: Leading Together 2021
Like many of us in the philanthropic sector, I have, over the past year, been to more than a few webinars and conferences on philanthropy’s role in advancing equity. It can often feel like we’re all following a standard script. We acknowledge that racism exists, and has in fact existed for a while…
Reinventing Our Battered World through Kindness and Curiosity at Leading Together 2021
I came away from the second day of the Council on Foundations’ Leading Together 2021 conference with an enormous amount of hope. Hope in humanity and in the kind and equitable future we will create together, if we challenge ourselves to do better and shift many of our sector practices.
The…