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.
17 Days, 17 Goals: Goal 14 - Oceans
Goal 14: Life Below Water
- Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources -
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. …
17 Days, 17 Goals: Goal 13 - Climate
Goal 13: Climate Action
- Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts -
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. The Council…
17 Days, 17 Goals: Goal 12 - Consumption
Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
- Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns -
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…
17 Days, 17 Goals: Goal 11 - Cities
Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
- Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable -
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.…
Washington Snapshot - September 16, 2016
News from the Hill
Ways & Means Subcommittee Holds Hearing on University Endowments
As our readers will recall, we reported last week that the Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee was set to hold a hearing to scrutinize college and university endowments this week.
The hearing, featuring…
National Hispanic Heritage Month
National Hispanic Heritage Month is observed each year from September 15 to October 15. During this time, we celebrate the histories, cultures, and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, the Caribbean, and the Americas. The observation started in 1968 as Hispanic…
17 Days, 17 Goals: Goal 9 - Industry
Goal 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
- Build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization, and foster innovation -
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 8 - Economic Growth
Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
- Promote sustained, inclusive economic growth, full employment, and decent work for all -
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…
Global Update - September 2016
As we start September, I’m sure many of you are busy with year-end activities, whether it’s a final round of grantmaking, planning next year’s budget and program, or your annual engagement at side events for the U.N. General Assembly and other international events. It’s pretty lively here at the…
17 Days, 17 Goals: Goal 7 - Energy
Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
- Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all -
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…
17 Days, 17 Goals: Goal 6 - Water
Goal 6: Water and Sanitation
- Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all -
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…
17 Days, 17 Goals: Goal 5 - Gender Equality
Goal 5: Gender Equality
- Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls -
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. The Council on…
17 Days, 17 Goals: Goal 4 - Education
Goal 4: Quality Education
- Ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning -
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…
17 Days, 17 Goals: Goal 3 - Health
Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being
- Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages -
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.…
17 Days, 17 Goals: Goal 2 - Hunger
Goal 2: Zero Hunger
- End hunger, achieve food security, and promote sustainable agriculture -
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. The…
17 Days, 17 Goals: Goal 1 - Poverty
Goal 1: No Poverty
- End poverty in all its forms everywhere -
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. The Council on Foundations…