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.
Women's Foundations and Funds: A Pioneering Force in Philanthropy
Women’s foundations and funds have established themselves as a powerful force in philanthropy dedicated to women and girls. Giving from these organizations is substantial, but aside from a 2009 landscape report from the Foundation Center and Women’s Funding Network, our understanding of women’s…
Washington Snapshot: Preserve Charities and Houses of Worship Act Introduced; Request for Information on Opportunity Zones Regulations
In This Week's Edition of Snapshot...
Preserve Charities and Houses of Worship Act Introduced
Request for Information on Opportunity Zones Regulations
At-Risk Community Index for 2020 Census
States Continue Enacting Targeted Tax Credits
The Council Hosted Public Policy Preconference in…
No Time for Complacency: Preparing Foundations for a More Turbulent Future
Leaders in every sector are struggling to plan for a future in which social, digital, political and economic forces create unpredictable change quicker than ever – and the philanthropic field is no exception. To survive and thrive in this turbulent environment, philanthropic leaders must learn to…
Winners of the 2019 Secretary's Award for Public-Philanthropic Partnerships Announced
WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Council on Foundations announced the 2019 winners of the Secretary’s Award for Public-Philanthropic Partnerships. The awards recognize innovative partnerships between foundations and government that have been…
2019 HR Summit - Registration
Registration
Online Registration
Register Now
Registration Rates
Member Rate before June 15, 2019 = $499
Member Rate after June 15, 2019 = $549
Non-member Rate = $699
Questions?
Monday through Friday | 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. ET
Phone: 202-991-2225 | Email: registration@cof.org…
2019 HR Summit - Travel and Hotel Information
Travel Information
Summit Location
CDC Clifton Campus
1600 Clifton Road
Atlanta, Georgia 30329
Hotel Information
W Atlanta-Midtown
188 14th St NE.
Atlanta, Georgia 30361
You can make reservations online. The special group rate for the summit is $229 per night (price…
2019 Endowments & Finance Summit
The Endowments & Finance Summit, the leading forum at the nexus of philanthropy, finance, investment, and policy is where C-Suite foundation leaders go to explore the shifting forces in the investment landscape; gain invaluable insights on trends, strategies, and new regulations; and have…
Schedule-At-A-Glance
Thursday, September 19
8:30-9:15 a.m.
Networking Breakfast
9:15-10:30 a.m.
Opening Plenary — Meeting Obligations in a Time of Financial Volatility and Uncertainty
10:45 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Concurrent Sessions
Demographics, Urbanization and the Impact on Foundation…
Partners
The Council would like to thank all of our Partners for their generous support of the 2019 Endowments & Finance Summit.
Leadership & Networking Reception Partner
TIAA Institute
www.tiaa.org/public/land/endowmentsandfoundations
The TIAA Institute helps advance the ways…
Reimagining the Council: Focus Group Findings & Our Next Steps
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Our Divided Nation: Is There a Role for Philanthropy in Renewing Democracy?
Publication
American democracy faces challenges that raise difficult questions for philanthropy. Have funders done everything possible to shore up democratic values and aspirations, or pursued their own ideas of the public good and turned a blind eye to these challenges? To what extent can philanthropy’s…
Washington Snapshot: House Passes Bill to Redesign the IRS; Bill Related to Opportunity Zones Reintroduced
Please note, we will take a break from publishing Washington Snapshot while Congress is on recess from April 15-26, as well as during the week of the Leading Together 2019 Conference. Our next edition is scheduled for May 9. However, if any important executive or regulatory developments occur, we…
2019 Grantmaker Salary and Benefits Survey Demo
Interested in the Grantmaker Salary and Benefits Report? Join Council staff for a demonstration of the survey process and learn how you can participate in this important resource for the field.
CyberGrants presents "The Seven Deadly Sins of Grantmaking"
Grantmaking tends to be a pretty virtuous endeavor. However, given the complexity of the process and endless details and data, it’s easy to fall prey to one of the many “deadly sins of grantmaking”. In this interactive session, we’ll highlight some common “sins”…
The Value of Learning from the World
What do you do when you have a difficult and complex problem? If you’re like me, you start by trying to understand it. You think the problem through from all angles, looking at the data, talking to people in your community. You study the problem, inside out.
Now, what do you do when you're looking…
Reimagining the Council on Foundations: A Member Visioning Session with Kathleen Enright
What is the highest and best role for philanthropy? And how can the Council support our members and the field to reach our potential and address the most pressing issues of our time? Join Kathleen Enright, President and CEO of The Council on Foundations, for an interactive visioning session to…