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.
Corporate Legal - Ask Me Anything FAQs
What is the Philanthropy Exchange?
The Philanthropy Exchange is a peer-to-peer platform that connects Council members around shared interests, topics, or resources. The Exchange is a member-only benefit open to Council members and invited guests. To help you get started on the Exchange, here is a…
Corporate Legal Ask Me Anything
As a corporate grantmaker, do you have questions about legal challenges impacting your work? From self-dealing considerations to legal rules around scholarships and employee assistance programs, all topics are up for discussion and support from the Council’s legal team during our Corporate Legal…
Leading Together 2021 - Working Group
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Leading Together 2021 - Sponsor Opportunities
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Leading Together 2021 - Experience
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Leading Together 2021 - Schedule
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Equitable COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution: Build It but Will They Come?
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Experts say that as much as 90 percent of the population must achieve immunity to eliminate COVID-19. Yet there is a concerning level of lack of confidence in the vaccines, particularly in communities of color. People…
State of Play: Local, National, and Intersectional Responses to Addressing Anti-Asian Violence and Building Durable AAPI Immigrant Power
While the significant and tragic rise of anti-Asian violence in recent weeks has caught the attention of the general public, coordinated and strategic efforts led by AAPI organizations, networks, and coalitions to respond to anti-Asian violence have been in place since before the pandemic began…
Policy Update: Connecting the Dots Between the Biden Administration's Policy Proposals and Philanthropy
Hear an overview of the recently passed $1.9 trillion relief legislation known as the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and the key pillars of the new infrastructure proposals, the American Jobs Plan, announced by President Biden on March 31. The jobs plan targets 40 percent of the benefits of…
Global Philanthropy Update - March 2021
Dear Friend,
It is difficult to capture the enormity of the challenges we have faced during the past year.
Global grantmakers were some of the first to recognize the looming danger of the novel coronavirus and urged the world to respond. As vaccines begin to ramp up in the US, funders…
Bringing a Racial Equity Lens to Foundation Strategy
Shifting Practices, Sharing Power:
Moving From Vision to Reality
Bringing a Racial Equity Lens to Foundation Strategy session co-led by Dalberg Advisors and Common Future, shares reflections and best practices from the field based on their work with different…
Exploring New Spaces: A Quick Guide to Evaluating Potential New Programmatic Areas
Shifting Practices, Sharing Power:
Moving From Vision to Reality
Many foundations are exploring potential new programs in response to the pandemic, racial reckoning, and threats to our democracy, among many other challenges. This workshop will introduce a structured, efficient process that…
Future-Proofing Your Portfolio: A Quick Guide to Scenario Planning for Foundations
Shifting Practices, Sharing Power:
Moving From Vision to Reality
As our world becomes more uncertain, planning for the future becomes more important, but also more difficult. This interactive workshop will introduce fundamental tools used in scenario analysis and risk management and show how…
Ask the Council: The Initiative to Accelerate Charitable Giving
Thank you for joining David Kass, the Council's Vice President of Government Affairs, for a members-only discussion on the Initiative to Accelerate Charitable Giving draft policy proposal. The discussion focused on what was included within the proposal and what we are hearing from the Hill. …
Granting to India: How to Best Support Indian Non-Profits - POSTPONED
This event has been postponed.
We will update this page with the new date and time soon.
With the recent FCRA amendments passed late in 2020, global foundations working in or granting to India continue to face challenges to their work. While Indian…