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.
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…
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…