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.
Partnering to Create Success through Housing Grants in Alaska
Editor's Note: This is part of our series focusing on the winners of the 2018 Secretary’s Award for Public-Philanthropic Partnerships.
The Creekview Plaza housing development in Anchorage, Alaska
For a decade Rasmuson Foundation has worked alongside…
Creative Grantmaking Today: Redefining Risk in Philanthropy
In 2003, when I was a co-recipient of the Robert W. Scrivner Award for Creative Grantmaking, the theme of the Council on Foundations’ conference was collaboration. Instead of giving a speech, one of the co-recipients, Luz Vega-Marquis,* demonstrated the spirit of collaboration when she asked all…
Washington Snapshot: Council Works with Senators on Letter to Treasury Secretary, Tax Cuts 2.0 Update
In This Week's Edition of Snapshot…
Senators, Worried About a Decline in Charitable Giving, Request Information from Treasury
House to Vote on Appropriations “Minibus” with Johnson Amendment Rider
Treasury Rolls-Back Donor Disclosure Requirements, Wyden Disapproves
Tax Cuts 2.0 Update
2018…
Insights from the 2017 Investment of Endowments Study
Foundation endowment managers faced both challenges and opportunities in 2017 as they worked towards funding the grantmaking practices of their organizations, including a continued increase in scrutiny from policymakers and preparing for the enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, as…
Nonprofit, Foundation Leaders Oppose Ban of Amendments to Remove anti-Johnson Amendment Rider from Appropriations Bill
The House Rules Committee approved a rule for consideration of the Financial Services and Interior/Environment “mini-bus” appropriations bill (H.R. 6147) that refuses to allow debate or action to remove a disingenuous provision that elevates partisan politics over nonprofit missions and…
How Do US Foundations Support Global Programs and Partners?
New Data and Trends on International Giving
Did you know that grants by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation accounted for almost 50% of all international grants awarded by US foundations? Or that between 2011 and 2015, only 12% of funds went directly to local organizations without…
Post-Graduation Scholarships
A post-graduation scholarship is a type of charitable grant that foundations would make to attract individuals with career skills needed in a particular region to make their homes and build their careers in that community. A post-graduation scholarship would be awarded to an individual who has…
Washington Snapshot: Council Sends Letter to the Hill Outlining UBIT Concerns, President Trump Taps Supreme Court Nominee
In This Week's Edition of Snapshot…
Council Sends Letter to the Hill on UBIT Concerns
Rettig Comments on Johnson Amendment, SALT Workarounds in Senate Finance Hearing
President Trump Nominates Judge Kavanaugh to Replace Justice Kennedy
Council and FEMA Announce New Partnership to Assist in…
Sponsors
The Council would like to thank all of the sponsors for their support of the 2018 HR Summit.
Wellness Partner
The Colorado Health Foundation
www.coloradohealth.org
Summit Partners
California Health Care Foundation
www.chcf.org
The Annie E. Casey…
Reception with the Philanthropy Caucus
Philanthropic leaders from across the country, national charitable organizations, lawmakers, and Congressional staff joined the Philanthropy Caucus for this reception to recognize the role of philanthropy as a unique stakeholder in collective efforts to address some of today's toughest challenges.
Philanthropy Caucuses Reception
The House and Senate Philanthropy Caucuses came together for a social reception as a part of Philanthropy Week in Washington 2016. Representatives from a variety of national charitable organizations, lawmakers, and Congressional staff joined this event to recongize the role of philanthropy as a…
Reception with the Philanthropy Caucus
This reception brought together philanthropic leaders from across the country, philanthropic and nonprofit leaders, Members of Congress, and Congressional staff to celebrate the role of philanthropy as a unique stakeholder in collective efforts to address some of today's toughest challenges.
Congressional Briefing: Transitioning Vets - Philanthropy's Role in Veterans' Health and Mental Health
Part of the Council on Foundations Veterans Philanthropy Series
Leaders from the charitable sector discussed the lessons philanthropy has learned while working to improve veterans' health and mental health.
Congressional Briefing: Impact of Tax Reform on Charitable Giving
Leaders from the charitable sector discussed how changes to the tax code could impact charitable giving and the nonprofit sector.
The briefing explored new research conducted by the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University on the unintended effects of such changes on the scope and…
Change from the Bottom Up
Members, View the Recording
This is a challenge that resonates with many communities across the country:
Lancaster County, PA was suffering from many of the same problems that smaller communities throughout the U.S. have encountered throughout the past few decades -- stagnating job growth and…
Congressional Briefing: Voter Perceptions of the Charitable Sector
The Independent Sector, the Council on Foundations, and the Alliance for Charitable Reform/Philanthropy Roundtable, in cooperation with the House Philanthropy Caucus, came together for a briefing on voter perceptions of the charitable sector from 8:00-9:30 am on Thursday, September 22, 2016 in Room…