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.
Members, Send Us Your Conference Ideas!
Registration is open for our 2017 Annual Conference — Leading Together — in Dallas, Texas, next April 23-26, and we are asking our members to help us build the conference you want to attend. We have a call for sessions open until November 4, and we hope you will take this opportunity to share your…
Washington Snapshot - October 27, 2016
News from the Hill
Update on Republican Blueprint for Tax Reform
In June 2016, House Republicans unveiled a blueprint for tax reform. This week, they released a new video to promote and explain the plan. Barbara Angus, chief tax counsel for the majority on the House Ways and Means Committee,…
Trending in Legal Affairs - Halloween Edition: Exorcising Expenditure Responsibility
An inexperienced grants manager was nervous, dreadfully nervous.
One dark evening, a spirited major donor appeared at the community foundation. The donor, wanting to assist with local community improvements, recommended a grant from his donor advised fund (DAF) to the chamber of commerce, a 501(c)(…
Does Your Grantmaking to Conflict Zones Make It There?
From Whitehall Road to Chancery Lane, government officials and charity leaders from numerous countries navigated London’s fashion week chaos last month in their most orthopedic shoes and ill-fighting business attire to discuss barriers to international grantmaking. Specifically, they discussed…
Philanthropy's Impact in Florida
Linking Local Investment to Global Goals
Event Overview
There are significant challenges facing American communities today, including growing domestic inequality, increased poverty and harmful impacts from climate change. In Florida, members of the philanthropic community work in a variety…
Washington Snapshot - October 20, 2016
News from the Hill
Dynamic Scoring Released for Clinton, Trump Tax Plans
This week, the Tax Policy Center released updated analyses of the Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump plans—factoring in new dynamic scoring calculations that account for the macroeconomic effects of both plans.
According to the…
CGC Urges Clinton, Trump to Preserve Charitable Giving Incentives
The Charitable Giving Coalition (CGC) urged Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, the major party nominees for President of the United States, to support the full preservation of the charitable deduction in a letter the coalition sent to the candidates this week. Along with preserving the charitable…
Registration Open for 2017 Annual Conference in Dallas, Texas
Registration is now open for the Council on Foundations’ 2017 Annual Conference — Leading Together — in Dallas, Texas, April 23-26, 2017. The Council’s annual conference is the premier event for the philanthropic sector, and Leading Together promises to be an immersive, thought-provoking experience…
Washington Update LIVE! Post-Election Analysis
Council CEO Vikki Spruill and special guest speakers analyzed the results of the 2016 election and discussed what it all means for the philanthropic sector.
Connie Schultz, a Pulitzer Prize winning columnist, shared her thoughts on the election and its impact on our nation. What does the…
Working Group Co-Chair Reflects on 2016 Endowments and Finance Summit
The Council on Foundations’ 2016 Endowments and Finance Summit has come and gone, and based on the exceptional turnout and post-event buzz it appears to have been an enormous success. Over 200 foundation leaders, including chief executive officers, chief financial officers, chief investment…
Global Update - October 2016
This week, those affected by Hurricane Matthew are very much on our minds here at the Council. On Tuesday, the Council co-hosted a special webinar with the Center for Disaster Philanthropy to inform funders about recovery needs, and we have additional disaster philanthropy resources on our…
Washington Snapshot - October 13, 2016
Executive & Regulatory News
President Obama Highlights First Department of Education Pay-for-Success Projects
Speaking at a national town hall on improving outcomes for at-risk youth, President Obama highlighted the announcement of two new pay-for-success awards from the Department of Education…
Grantmaking into Latin America: Regulatory Challenges, Strategic Partnerships, and Emerging Opportunities
Grantmaking into Latin America: Regulatory Challenges, Strategic Partnerships, and Emerging Opportunities
This event is a preconference session at the 2017 Annual Conference.
Join the Council on Foundations and our partners to spend an interactive day discussing grantmaking into Latin…
The Future of Immigration and the Role of Philanthropy
The Future of Immigration and the Role of Philanthropy
This event is a preconference session at the 2017 Annual Conference.
Against the backdrop of the Trump administration’s push to reform key policies, immigration has emerged as a critical issue prompting national-level discussion and debate.…
Washington Snapshot - October 7, 2016
News from the Hill
Bill to Delay Overtime Regulations Passes the House
Last week, we reported that the Regulatory Relief for Small Businesses, Schools, and Nonprofits Act (HR. 6094) was introduced to delay the Department of Labor (DOL) overtime rules from taking effect until June 1, 2017. Late…
Hurricane Matthew Webinar: How Donors Can Help
One of the largest Atlantic tropical storms in nearly a decade, Hurricane Matthew roared across the Caribbean leaving a path of destruction across Haiti on its slow march north through Cuba, the Bahamas, and eventually, the southeast U.S. Hundreds of thousands have already been displaced by the…