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.
The Future of Community - A Webinar on the Special Issue of the Foundation Review
The Council on Foundations partnered with the Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy on a special issue of The Foundation Review examining the Future of Community. The issue explores aspects of the relationship between foundations and communities, addressing topics such as the redefinition of…
Leadership Development Program Aimed at Making Philanthropy More Diverse, Equitable, and Inclusive Now Accepting Applications
The Council on Foundations is pleased to announce the application period for its flagship leadership development program, Career Pathways, is open now through October 31, 2016. Through Career Pathways, the Council seeks to increase the number of candidates from diverse backgrounds in the leadership…
LGBTQ History Month
In the United States, LGBTQ History Month is celebrated during the month of October. It is an annual observance of LGBTQ history, and the history of the gay rights and related civil rights movements. LGBTQ History Month was first celebrated in 1994. Among the early supporters and members of…
Responsible Investing and Foundations
This post originally appeared in the Philanthropy Journal on September 26, 2016.
There’s little doubt that impact investing has generated a lot of excitement, but has it translated into action? The Council on Foundations and Commonfund Institute conducted a recent survey to ask foundations about…
Washington Snapshot - September 29, 2016
In this week's Washington Snapshot:
Congress Passes Bill to Fund Government Through Early December;
Bill Introduced in House to Delay Implementation of the DOL Overtime Rules;
Policy Preview: Opportunities in Child Welfare;
Self-Dealing & Family Foundations: What If the Brady Bunch had a…
2016 Endowments and Finance Summit Opening Plenary
Hello, and welcome to New York City. I want to thank you for coming to our second annual Summit focused on finance and endowments.
For many years, the Council on Foundations has helped our foundation members understand important issues related to the management and practice of the great work you do…
Council on Foundations Convenes Top U.S. Foundation Investment and Finance Leaders
Today, the Council on Foundations welcomes more than 200 foundation chief executive officers, chief financial officers, chief investment officers, board members, and board investment committee leaders from across the country to its annual Endowments and Finance Summit.
The Council’s Endowments and…
2016 Grantmakers Salary and Benefits Report: Salary Tables
We are pleased to announce the release of the Council’s 2016 Salary Tables. This year’s tables include salary data from nearly 10,000 full-time positions in foundations and corporate giving programs (representing over $1 billion in total salaries). The 1,010 grantmakers that participated in this…
Philanthropy’s Role in Strengthening America’s Democracy
Philanthropy’s Role in Strengthening America’s Democracy
This event is a preconference session at the 2017 Annual Conference.
Join a timely, topical, and interactive afternoon that will provide both a forum for a conversation about the state of democratic practice in America, and a review of the…
Washington Snapshot - September 23, 2016
News from the Hill
Voter Perceptions of the Charitable Sector
This week, the Council joined partners Independent Sector and the Alliance for Charitable Reform/Philanthropy Roundtable for a breakfast in cooperation with the House Philanthropy Caucus. We were excited that Congresswoman Debbie…
17 Days, 17 Goals: Goal 17 - Partnerships
Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals
- Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development -
This post is part of our blog series: 17 Days, 17 Goals. The blog series features foundations working on all 17 Sustainable Development Goals leading…
17 Days, 17 Goals: Goal 16 - Peace & Justice
Goal 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions
- Promote just, peaceful, and inclusive societies -
This post is part of our blog series: 17 Days, 17 Goals. The blog series features foundations working on all 17 Sustainable Development Goals leading up to the first anniversary of the SDGs.…
Webinar Recording: Council Member Update: Finance & Endowment Focus
Recording
This member update focused principally on important issues related to foundation financial management and endowment performance.
17 Days, 17 Goals: Goal 15 - Biodiversity
Goal 15: Life on Land
- Protect, restore, and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degredation and halt biodiversity loss -
This post is part of our blog series: 17 Days, 17 Goals. The blog series…
United States First High-Income Pilot Country of SDG Philanthropy Platform
Today, the United States became the first high-income nation to join Kenya, Colombia, Indonesia, and Ghana as pilot countries in the SDG Philanthropy Platform. The global SDG Philanthropy Platform, managed by Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, the Foundation Center, and UNDP, brings together…