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.
Washington Snapshot - June 3, 2016
News from the Hill
International Tax Reform Blueprint Forthcoming
Despite the condensed Congressional session due to the upcoming elections, Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) asserts that his Task Force on Tax Reform will release a substantive blueprint for tax reform before the end of this month.
Though…
2016 HR Summit: Investing in the Talent Pipeline
The 2016 HR Summit: Investing in the Talent Pipeline, co-hosted by the Council on Foundations and CHANGE Philanthropy (formerly JAG), is your unique opportunity to learn how to make your foundation — and philanthropy as a whole — more diverse, equitable, and inclusive.
During this…
Ask the Expert: What Will the New DOL Overtime Rule Mean for You?
On May 18, President Obama and Secretary Perez of the Department of Labor (DOL) announced the publication of a final rule updating the overtime regulations. The Final Rule increases the salary threshold for eligibility of overtime compensation from $455 to $913 per week ($47,476 annually for a full…
World Humanitarian Summit: Philanthropy's Presence and Potential
This post originally appeared on the Alliance Magazine blog.
At the World Humanitarian Summit (WHS) in Istanbul, more than 6000 attendees discussed how the global community delivers aid for the world’s most vulnerable people, especially given commitments to leave no one behind within the…
Washington Snapshot - May 27, 2016
News from the Hill
This Week in Tax Reform
The discussion around tax reform is still alive and well, as demonstrated by hearings this week in both the House and the Senate.
On Tuesday, Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-UT) of the Senate Finance Committee held a second hearing on corporate tax integration:…
2015 Full Grantmakers Salary and Benefits Report
I’m pleased to share with you that the 2015 Full Grantmakers Salary and Benefits (GSB) Report is now available for immediate download.
What is the GSB Report?
Published since 1980, the GSB Report is an essential foundation operations tool. The research includes responses from 951 foundations…
Sample Board Resolution Authorizing a Program Related Investment
Sample Document
This template community foundation board resolution authorizes the foundation to make a loan as a program-related investment (PRI). These types of activities are generally permitted by state and federal law when they serve to advance the charitable purposes of the foundation.
The term "program-…
Washington Snapshot - May 20, 2016
Executive & Regulatory News
Department of Labor Publishes New Rule on Overtime Regulations
On Wednesday, President Obama and Secretary Perez announced the publication of the Department of Labor’s final rule updating the overtime regulations. The Council has been closely tracking this issue…
Finding and Equipping Future Leaders for Social Good
Although the non-profit sector in America is well developed, I’ve often heard foundation and non-profit executives discuss the challenge of attracting and keeping high-performing staff and volunteers. So imagine how that problem is magnified in the developing world, where NGOs make a critical…
What Will the New DoL Overtime Rule Mean for You?
On May 18, 2016, President Obama and Secretary Perez announced the publication of the Department of Labor’s final rule updating the overtime regulations.
The Council has been following this issue closely and is here to help you understand how the changes could impact you and your organization.…
Department of Labor Announces Final Rule on Overtime
On May 18, 2016, President Obama and Secretary Perez announced the publication of the Department of Labor’s final rule updating the overtime regulations.
Key Provisions
The Final Rule focuses primarily on updating the salary and compensation levels needed for Executive, Administrative and…
Council Comments on Treasury/IRS Priorities 2016-2017
The Council on Foundations wrote to the Department of Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to urge them to prioritize several regulations and guidance documents that impact our members. Each year, the Priority Guidance Plan identifies and prioritizes those tax issues that…
Pledge for Success: Engaging Diverse Asset Managers
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Interested in taking an important step towards foundation financial management excellence? Is your foundation committed to diversity, equity and inclusion? During this webinar, panelists discuss how foundations can demonstrate their commitment to…
Washington Snapshot - May 13, 2016
News from the Hill
Corporate Tax Integration and Philanthropy: What Does it Mean?
There has been a lot of buzz recently around the topic of corporate integration—prompted primarily by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch’s (R-UT) intent to release a corporate integration proposal by the…
Optimizing Technology-Based Learning for Increased Organizational Effectiveness
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Sharing knowledge with stakeholders is an important part of many nonprofit programs, but what does this look like? To answer this question, the Cornerstone OnDemand Foundation and NTEN: The Nonprofit Technology Network surveyed nonprofits and…
Call Recording: New Chinese Laws Regulating Domestic Charities and International NGOs: What do you need to know?
Recording
Download the Recording
In 2015, the Council and ICNL convened foundations to discuss how a draft Foreign NGO law in China might impact their work. The Council also submitted formal comments about concerns with this law to the Chinese government.
In mid-March 2016, China approved the long-awaited…