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.
International Terrorist Acts
Many Council members are working with nonprofit partners on the ground in countries and communities all over the world that are directly impacted by terrorist violence. Alongside partners like the Center for Disaster Philanthropy, the Council is tracking how and where philanthropy is…
West Virginia Flash Floods
A severe storm system on June 22, 2016, caused torrential rain, tornadoes, high winds, and large hail across West Virginia and Virginia, causing the most deadly flash flood event the U.S. has seen in recent years. At least 23 people died, and thousands were left without basic utilities when the…
The Sustainable Development Goals & Philanthropy
What are the Sustainable Development Goals?
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a 17-goal framework for global development. These global goals provide a framework for foundations to lead together with governments, civil society, and the private sector for the next 15 years…
Better Understanding Responsible Investing Practices
How can you do the most good, with limited resources, when facing enormous problems? That question lies at or near the heart of every decision at a foundation. This is true of the grant dollars which support community institutions and provide for social services, and it is true of the endowed…
It's Not a Wage Gap, It's Poverty - and It's Why The U.S. Needs a Development Agenda
This post originally appeared as an op-ed in The Guardian on July 16, 2016.
There is no doubt that the U.S. is suffering from what feels like the unravelling of social order.
Recent shootings in Louisiana, Minnesota, and Texas have heightened deep-seated tensions relating to race and criminal…
Washington Snapshot - July 15, 2016
News from the Hill
Delayed Release for Hatch Corporate Integration Proposal
Our readers will recall that Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-UT) of the Senate Finance Committee was expected to release his corporate integration proposal before the August Congressional recess.
As it turns out, the proposal was…
New Study of Foundation Responsible Investing Practices
The Council on Foundations-Commonfund Study of Responsible Investing was released jointly today by the two representative organizations. The study, believed to be the largest of its kind, provides foundations with invaluable insights into how the sector and individual portfolios are being shaped by…
A Call For a More Compassionate and Civil Society
Last week’s shootings in Baton Rouge, St. Paul, and Dallas have made more urgent our need for a national civil discussion about longstanding systemic challenges that deeply divide our communities. The Council on Foundations steadfastly denounces the killing of innocent people, no matter their skin…
Washington Snapshot - July 8, 2016
Last Chance to Register!
Don’t miss your last chance to register for our Washington Update LIVE!: Philanthropy’s Voice in the Policy Process, taking place next Tuesday, July 12 from 2:00-3:00 pm ET. This webinar will discuss the importance of advocacy and highlight opportunities to engage with…
The Ins and Outs of the Department of Labor's New Overtime Rule
Members View the Recording
This webinar provided members with a detailed understanding of the Overtime Rule directly from the Department of Labor. In addition, the Council’s attorneys explained how the Rule applies to foundations and answered some prevalent questions that have…
Advocacy Toolkit
Toolkit
Sometimes the hardest part of engaging in advocacy can be figuring out where to start.
Government is the mechanism for public policy process, and elected officials and their staff are driving and creating policies. As their constituents and important stakeholders in civil society, they need to…
Washington Snapshot - July 1, 2016
The Council on Foundations would like to wish all of our readers a safe and enjoyable 4th of July!
News from the Hill
Tax Blueprint Proposes Ideas that Could Impact Charitable Giving
Our readers will recall that last week Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) and his Task Force on Tax Reform released their…
Rules of Advocacy & Lobbying
Legal Compliance Guidance
It is easy to get hung up on what you think you cannot do in terms of engaging with your policymakers. The good news is, you can do more than you may think!
Though the law varies somewhat between what community and public foundations are allowed to do, versus what private foundations are allowed…
Foundation Law for Non-Lawyers
When my colleague and fellow attorney Lara Kalwinski, Senior Counsel for Policy and Compliance and Executive Director of National Standards, and I both came to the Council on Foundations in 2013, we each had extensive experience with the Council’s books, newsletters, and other legal publications.…
Council on Foundations Applauds Important Changes in Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Policy
The Council on Foundations, a member of the Global NPO Coalition on FATF, applauds the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) recent update to its counter-terrorism recommendation on NPOs, specifically grantmakers.
The Council hails the removal of the long-standing characterization of nonprofits as “…
How to Find Your Members of Congress
Fundamentals
Find your Representative(s)
Members of Congress are interested to learn about the work that you are doing in their communities. When identifying your representative(s), it is helpful to think—not only about the district in which your home office is located—but also the areas in which you fund. It…