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 - January 15, 2016
News from the Hill
POTUS Delivers his Final State of the Union Address
In his final State of the Union address, President Obama spoke of his hope and vision for the future of the nation. Rather than listing specific policy plans, President Obama emphasized themes that harken back to the early…
Washington Update: The Rules of Policy Engagement
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As foundation leaders, we know that philanthropy is a pillar of American society. While we may assume this is widely understood, that is often not the case. In light of the upcoming 2016 election and the impending changes in government leadership, it is…
2016 Endowment Investing Outlook
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Investors are facing one of the worst starts to a calendar year on record. Volatility in China, rising interest rates in the US, and falling oil prices have all contributed to the markets’ unease. The ongoing correction has seen stock prices…
Washington Snapshot - January 8, 2016
Executive & Regulatory News
Treasury, IRS Withdraw Proposed Rule for Gift Substantiation
Yesterday, the Treasury Department and the IRS announced it has withdrawn the proposed rule that would have created an alternative way for charitable organizations to acknowledge and substantiate gifts…
Philanthropy Week in Washington 2016
April 11 - 15, 2016
Philanthropy Week in Washington provides the opportunity to highlight the role and power of philanthropy in our country and across the globe. During Philanthropy Week in Washington, we shine a spotlight on American philanthropy’s critical role as a unique stakeholder in…
Super Bowl Tailgate (Overtime): Legal Lunch Series with Legal Affairs
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We know it can be difficult navigating the X’s and O’s of exempt organization compliance. Our play callers, Suzanne Friday and Bryan Del Rosario, are here to help. In this Legal Lunch Series, Suzanne and Bryan will draw up plays and pass along…
Governance Basics- Board Structure, Committees and Delegation and Policies and Procedures
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In partnership with Guidestar, this webinar reviews some of the fundamental issues associated with board governance. Topics include:
board structure (size and composition);
the role of committees and the board’s ability to delegate; and
the…
The IRA Rollover is Permanent - What that Means for Your Community Foundation
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Since the passage of the PATH Act on December 18, 2015, the Council has received a number of good questions about year-end giving. In response, we updated our IRA Rollover toolkit to help you communicate the importance of this change to your donors and…
A Historic Victory for Philanthropy
Today we celebrate a major victory for community foundations and your donors.
The charitable “tax extenders” are no longer “extenders” that must be reinstated each year, but have become a permanent part of our tax code. In a historic vote, Congress passed the IRA Charitable Rollover into…
President Signs IRA Rollover into Law
Today we celebrate a major victory for community foundations and your donors.
The charitable “tax extenders” are no longer “extenders” that must be reinstated each year, but have become a permanent part of our tax code. In a historic vote, Congress passed the IRA Charitable Rollover into…
Washington Snapshot - December 18, 2015
Washington Snapshot will be taking a break for the next few weeks during the holidays. Our offices will be closed from December 25th—January 1st, but we wish all of our readers a happy and peaceful holiday with family and friends! Snapshot will return on Friday, January 8th.
News from the Hill
One…
Senate Makes IRA Rollover Permanent
Just before noon on December 18, the Senate voted to pass the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act making the IRA Charitable Rollover permanent law.
The bill, which passed the House on December 17, also makes permanent the enhanced deductions for conservation easement and food inventory…
2015 Year in Review
Friends and Colleagues,
Last December, I spoke of 2014 as a Year of Action, and it was! We began putting into place the programs, services, and staff we knew would provide value to our members. In 2015, we’ve begun to see these foundational investments pay off, and I hope you’ve begun to see how…
The House Passes Permanent Charitable Extenders
Moments ago the House of Representatives passed the PATH Act making the IRA Charitable Rollover and two other charitable giving incentives permanent law. Members of the House showed strong bipartisan support for these important measures with a vote of 318 - 109.
“This is a major victory for…
Washington Snapshot - December 11, 2015
News from the Hill
Extender Negotiations Coming Down to the Wire
Make Your Voice Heard! Despite efforts to pass a “tax extenders” package with a federal spending bill by today’s deadline, negotiations between Congressional Democrats and Republicans reached a stalemate—forcing the passage of…
Addressing inequality amid plenty – the SDGs and the United States
This article appears in the December 2015 edition of Alliance Magazine.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide an opportunity to not only address challenges in developing countries, but also to make progress on many of the same challenges that persist in ‘developed’ countries.
Each of the…