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.
A Leadership Conversation: Philanthropy’s Post-Election Assessment
This past Friday a diverse group of philanthropic leaders gathered in New York City to discuss the unexpected election results, what those results mean for our nation and what they mean for our work, both individually and as a sector. The meeting, convened by the Council on Foundations and hosted…
Five Trends in Philanthropy
2017 will be a year of change, as orthodoxies in the field get tested and philanthropy steps up and into a more prominent national role.
This post is part of our inaugural Trendspotting Series profiling important ideas that will be shaping some major fields of interest in 2017. Each…
Final Chinese Overseas NGO Law Guidelines Released
In early December 2016, the Chinese government released the official and final version of their new Guidelines on Organizational Registration and Temporary Activities Reporting. These guidelines provide needed information for compliance with the 2016 Law of the People’s Republic of China on…
Five Trends in U.S. Politics
House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) shows President-elect Donald Trump and his wife, Melania Trump, the Speaker's Balcony at the U.S. Capitol on November 10, 2016.
(Photo credit - Zach Gibson/Getty Images)
This post is part of our inaugural Trendspotting Series profiling important ideas that…
Washington Snapshot - December 15, 2016
We will be taking a break from sending Washington Snapshot through the end of this year, and will resume on January 5, 2017. We wish all of our readers a safe and enjoyable holiday season!
News from the Hill
Update on Tax Reform Progression in the Senate
This week, Senate Majority Leader Mitch…
Five Trends in Public Opinion
The American public is divided in its attitudes toward important national issues, and historic allegiances have shifted.
This post is part of our inaugural Trendspotting Series profiling important ideas that will be shaping some major fields of interest in 2017. Each piece represents the…
Five Trends in Communications
"In this country, public sentiment is everything. With it, nothing can fail; against it, nothing can succeed." ~ Abraham Lincoln
This post is part of our inaugural Trendspotting Series profiling important ideas that will be shaping some major fields of interest in 2017. Each piece…
Five Trends in Arts and Culture
The Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra performs at the Nancy Hanks Lecture on Arts and Public Policy along with the Voices of Inspiration Chorus and three young vocalists from the Duke Ellington School of the Arts on March 23, 2015.
This post is part of our inaugural Trendspotting Series…
Five Trends in Finance
Banksy's Elephant in a Room. Ignore it at your peril.
This post is part of our inaugural Trendspotting Series profiling important ideas that will be shaping some major fields of interest in 2017. Each piece represents the views of its author(s) and not the views of the Council.
1.…
Philanthropy Responds to Another National Tragedy: Oakland Warehouse Fire
The East Bay Community Foundation has kept the Council abreast of the latest in regards to the recent tragedy in Oakland. Included in their response is a strategic move to address the safety and affordability of spaces for the artist community in Oakland.
The City of Oakland and surrounding…
Five Trends in Talent
In 2017, HR is expected to adapt to keep up with the changing business environment and evolving employee expectations.
This post is part of our inaugural Trendspotting Series profiling important ideas that will be shaping some major fields of interest in 2017. Each piece represents the…
Finding New Narratives In Rural America: A Concert of Ideas
Finding New Narratives for Rural America: A Concert of Ideas
This event is a preconference session at the 2017 Annual Conference.
Achieving shared prosperity for all Americans is the signal challenge of our time.
The Council on Foundations is staging an immersive, pre-conference experience…
Five Trends in Technology
Pepper is a robot companion from the Japanese company SoftBank.
This post is part of our inaugural Trendspotting Series profiling important ideas that will be shaping some major fields of interest in 2017. Each piece represents the views of its author(s) and not the views of the Council…
Washington Snapshot - December 8, 2016
News from the Hill
Ways & Means Republicans to Discuss Tax Reform Details
Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee Kevin Brady (R-TX) announced that he will hold a two-day meeting next week (likely December 14 – 15) with committee Republicans to discuss some specific “decision points on tax…
Quick Review of FATF's Evaluation of the U.S.
On December 1, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG) released their fourth mutual evaluation of the United States anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing framework.* The report analyzes the United States’ level of compliance with…
Five Trends in Social Enterprise
Social enterprises help ensure the economy works for everyone because they have a proven benefit to include people who have the toughest time getting jobs due to their histories of homelessness, incarceration, mental health challenges, drug and alcohol abuse, as well as limited education…