Led by Council on Foundations staff and philanthropic leaders, this training will address policy advocacy strategies that support racial equity and effective practices. Participants will gain helpful tools and resources while networking with peers who are developing and implementing their foundation’s advocacy strategy.

Training Hours

• Tuesday, September 15: 1:00-5:00 p.m. ET
• Thursday, September 17: 1:00-5:00 pm ET

Participants will explore the following during the course:

The Big Picture

• Why engaging in policy advocacy is essential for foundations to achieve their goals
• A refresher on legal rules governing grantmaker funding and actions
• Inside the Foundation: Understanding staff roles and how to build internal support

Building understanding and support across the foundation for policy advocacy engagement

• How different staff roles across the foundation can support advocacy
• Characteristics of grantmaking that support effective policy advocacy
• Outside the Foundation: Working with others to advance policy 

Using all a foundation’s assets to advance policy

• Funding vehicles that support effective policy advocacy
• Building an effective relationship with nonprofit partners and grantees to advance advocacy
• Appropriate evaluations of partner contributions
• Real-life Challenges and Action Planning

Who Should Attend

• Private foundation staff with a basic understanding of policy work.
• Foundation staff of all experience levels that incorporate policy advocacy into their work - such as those in leadership, communications, grants management or strategic planning.

Please note, this course is limited to foundation staff and Board members only.

Group Rate

Trainings are designed to be taken individually at a personal workstation, not in a group setting. Registration rates are per person. Group rates are for Council Members that send 5-7 people from one organization, each person must be registered individually to attend. Email educate@cof.org to register a group. 

Cancellation Policy 

All registration cancellations must be submitted in writing to educate@cof.org. All cancellation refunds before August 15, 2026 will incur a 25% administrative fee per registration. No refunds will be provided after August 15, 2026.

Led by Council on Foundations staff and philanthropic leaders, this training will address policy advocacy strategies that support racial equity and effective practices. Participants will gain helpful tools and resources while networking with peers who are developing and implementing their foundation’s advocacy strategy.

Training Hours

• Tuesday, April 21: 1:00-5:00 p.m. ET
• Thursday, April 23: 1:00-5:00 pm ET

Participants will explore the following during the course:

The Big Picture

• Why engaging in policy advocacy is essential for foundations to achieve their goals
• A refresher on legal rules governing grantmaker funding and actions
• Inside the Foundation: Understanding staff roles and how to build internal support

Building understanding and support across the foundation for policy advocacy engagement

• How different staff roles across the foundation can support advocacy
• Characteristics of grantmaking that support effective policy advocacy
• Outside the Foundation: Working with others to advance policy 

Using all a foundation’s assets to advance policy

• Funding vehicles that support effective policy advocacy
• Building an effective relationship with nonprofit partners and grantees to advance advocacy
• Appropriate evaluations of partner contributions
• Real-life Challenges and Action Planning

Who Should Attend

• Private foundation staff with a basic understanding of policy work.
• Foundation staff of all experience levels that incorporate policy advocacy into their work - such as those in leadership, communications, grants management or strategic planning.

Please note, this course is limited to foundation staff and Board members only.

Group Rate

Trainings are designed to be taken individually at a personal workstation, not in a group setting. Registration rates are per person. Group rates are for Council Members that send 5-7 people from one organization, each person must be registered individually to attend. Email educate@cof.org to register a group. 

Cancellation Policy 

All registration cancellations must be submitted in writing to educate@cof.org. All cancellation refunds before March 21, 2026 will incur a 25% administrative fee per registration. No refunds will be provided after March 21, 2026

Training Hours

• Tuesday, September 29: 1:00-4:30 p.m. ET
• Thursday, October 1: 1:00-4:30 p.m. ET

Throughout the training, sessions will include:

• Insight from Council's top-notch legal team that interacts with nearly 2,000 foundation leaders each year
• Trends spotted by our broader team, including National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations
• Timely, relevant take on the basics that informs day-to-day business decisions and operations
• Expertise to advance your knowledge of the organization's inner workings--from admin to governance, donor stewardship to grantmaking.

With each session, there will be time for questions and a deep exploration of the answers. This workshop is open to any board or staff member from any community foundation that is eager to dive into the legalities of our business model and unlock the truth to effective management and leadership of a community foundation.

Topics

Specific topics will be defined in advance of the workshop as attendees begin to submit ideas, pressing issues, and assist with the defining of sessions. This event is designed to be time sensitive and relevant to current issues. The format will be discussion-oriented, question and answer-based learning alongside peer sharing.

• General Overview of new rules, regulations, and developments for CFs – Discuss latest new rules and regulations affecting community foundations.
  • Topics will vary based on current events and attendee requests, but often cover topics such H.R. 3988 (universal deductions), CARES Act, Updated Charity Act, Tax Deductibility, UPMIFA and related public policy trends.
• Small Group Discussions & Deep Dives with Attorneys: Most common legal complexities facing community foundations – Assessing the most common inquiries from the field nationally, Council attorneys will delve into pressing subjects and issues such as DAFs and permissible grantees, current laws and basic rules regulating DAFs, Notice 2017-73 regarding DAFs, variance power, expenditure responsibility, agency funds, and geographic affiliates.
• Trends and Challenges from the Field – Council experts will share the trending narratives shaping conversations in board rooms as well as the most common challenges shared among community foundations.
• Small Group & Deep Dive with Attorneys: Most common legal complexities facing community foundations – Assessing the most common inquiries from the field nationally, Council attorney Ben McDearmon will delve into pressing subjects and issues such as scholarships, hardship and disaster relief funds, and new rules, regulations and developments in the sector.

Who Should Attend

This workshop is open to any board or staff member from any community foundation that is eager to dive into the legalities of a foundation’s business model and unlock effective management and leadership. Attendees ideally should have been with their current organization for more than a few months and attended CFE Fundamentals before this training. 

Group Rate

Trainings are designed to be taken individually at a personal workstation, not in a group setting. Registration rates are per person. Group rates are for Council Members that send 5-7 people from one organization, each person must be registered individually to attend. Email educate@cof.org to register a group. 

Cancellation Policy 

All registration cancellations must be submitted in writing to educate@cof.org. All cancellation refunds before August 29, 2026 will incur a 25% administrative fee per registration. No refunds will be provided after August 29, 2026.

Taught by a variety of seasoned and experienced community foundation leaders and Council experts, this course helps community foundation staff and board members master the unique aspects of the community foundation field. You'll learn about effective practices, get helpful tools and information, and network with peers in the field. Both comprehensive and engaging, this course is an efficient and affordable way to increase your knowledge of the field.  

Created and led by experienced community foundation leaders and Council attorneys this course includes:

• Basic information on governance, resource development and donor relations;
• Updates on key legal and legislative issues;
• Information on grantmaking; and
• Review of community leadership and fiduciary responsibilities.

Course Hours

• Tuesday, November 10: 1:00-5:00 p.m. ET
• Thursday, November 12: 1:00-5:00 p.m. ET
• Tuesday, November 17: 1:00-5:00 p.m. ET
• Thursday, November 19: 1:00-5:00 p.m. ET

This virtual training will be conducted live on Zoom and is designed around your participation, creating space for you to directly engage with peers and content. We ask that you plan to be fully present during the hours of the training, minimizing distractions to the best of your ability. We do not offer a recording of the course due to platform and privacy issues.  Please plan to actively participate during all four days. Each of the four sessions is 4 hours and includes two breaks. 

Who Should Attend

This course is designed for community foundation staff and board members only and is recommended for individuals that have been in their positions for at least three months but less than five years.   

Course Topics

• Review community foundation's history, emerging goals, unique characteristics and future trends
• Discuss governance and board responsibilities respective to their roles and goals
• Engage in a discussion on why and how donors give to community foundations
• Learn of various gift types, developing gift agreements and planned givings 
• Understand resource development procedures in attracting gifts
• Listen and learn from the Council legal team to comprehend all legalities from nonprofits to donor control 
• Ascertain key tips and tools about stewardship, accountability and fiduciary responsibilities within your community foundations
• Discover ways to set grantmaking priorities and understand roles in community leadership

Group Rate

Trainings are designed to be taken individually at a personal workstation, not in a group setting. Registration rates are per person. Group rates are for Council Members that send 5-7 people from one organization, each person must be registered individually to attend. Email educate@cof.org to register a group. 

Cancellation Policy 

All registration cancellations must be submitted in writing to educate@cof.org. All cancellation refunds before October 10, 2026 will incur a 25% administrative fee per registration. No refunds will be provided after October 10, 2026

Taught by a variety of seasoned and experienced community foundation leaders and Council experts, this course helps community foundation staff and board members master the unique aspects of the community foundation field. You'll learn about effective practices, get helpful tools and information, and network with peers in the field. Both comprehensive and engaging, this course is an efficient and affordable way to increase your knowledge of the field.  

Created and led by experienced community foundation leaders and Council attorneys this course includes:

• Basic information on governance, resource development and donor relations;
• Updates on key legal and legislative issues;
• Information on grantmaking; and
• Review of community leadership and fiduciary responsibilities.

Course Hours

• Tuesday, August 11: 1:00-5:00 p.m. ET
• Thursday, August 13: 1:00-5:00 p.m. ET
• Tuesday, August 18: 1:00-5:00 p.m. ET
• Thursday, August 20: 1:00-5:00 p.m. ET

This virtual training will be conducted live on Zoom and is designed around your participation, creating space for you to directly engage with peers and content. We ask that you plan to be fully present during the hours of the training, minimizing distractions to the best of your ability. We do not offer a recording of the course due to platform and privacy issues. Please plan to actively participate during all four days. Each of the four sessions is 4 hours and includes two breaks. 

Who Should Attend

This course is designed for community foundation staff and board members only and is recommended for individuals that have been in their positions for at least three months but less than five years.   

Course Topics

• Review community foundation's history, emerging goals, unique characteristics and future trends
• Discuss governance and board responsibilities respective to their roles and goals
• Engage in a discussion on why and how donors give to community foundations
• Learn of various gift types, developing gift agreements and planned givings 
• Understand resource development procedures in attracting gifts
• Listen and learn from the Council legal team to comprehend all legalities from nonprofits to donor control 
• Ascertain key tips and tools about stewardship, accountability and fiduciary responsibilities within your community foundations
• Discover ways to set grantmaking priorities and understand roles in community leadership

Group Rate

Trainings are designed to be taken individually at a personal workstation, not in a group setting. Registration rates are per person. Group rates are for Council Members that send 5-7 people from one organization, each person must be registered individually to attend. Email educate@cof.org to register a group. 

Cancellation Policy 

All registration cancellations must be submitted in writing to educate@cof.org. All cancellation refunds before July 11, 2026 will incur a 25% administrative fee per registration. No refunds will be provided after July 11, 2026.

Taught by a variety of seasoned and experienced community foundation leaders and Council experts, this course helps community foundation staff and board members master the unique aspects of the community foundation field. You'll learn about effective practices, get helpful tools and information, and network with peers in the field. Both comprehensive and engaging, this course is an efficient and affordable way to increase your knowledge of the field.  

Created and led by experienced community foundation leaders and Council attorneys this course includes:

• Basic information on governance, resource development and donor relations;
• Updates on key legal and legislative issues;
• Information on grantmaking; and
• Review of community leadership and fiduciary responsibilities.

Course Hours

• Tuesday, May 12: 1:00-5:00 p.m. ET
• Wednesday, May 13: 1:00-5:00 p.m. ET
• Tuesday, May 19: 1:00-5:00 p.m. ET
• Wednesday, May 20: 1:00-5:00 p.m. ET

This virtual training will be conducted live on Zoom and is designed around your participation, creating space for you to directly engage with peers and content. We ask that you plan to be fully present during the hours of the training, minimizing distractions to the best of your ability. We do not offer a recording of the course due to platform and privacy issues.  Please plan to actively participate during all four days. Each of the four sessions is 4 hours and includes two breaks. 

Who Should Attend

This course is designed for community foundation staff and board members only and is recommended for individuals that have been in their positions for at least three months but less than five years.

Course Topics

• Review community foundation's history, emerging goals, unique characteristics and future trends
• Discuss governance and board responsibilities respective to their roles and goals
• Engage in a discussion on why and how donors give to community foundations
• Learn of various gift types, developing gift agreements and planned givings 
• Understand resource development procedures in attracting gifts
• Listen and learn from the Council legal team to comprehend all legalities from nonprofits to donor control 
• Ascertain key tips and tools about stewardship, accountability and fiduciary responsibilities within your community foundations
• Discover ways to set grantmaking priorities and understand roles in community leadership

Group Rate

Trainings are designed to be taken individually at a personal workstation, not in a group setting. Registration rates are per person. Group rates are for Council Members that send 5-7 people from one organization, each person must be registered individually to attend. Email educate@cof.org to register a group. 

Cancellation Policy 

All registration cancellations must be submitted in writing to educate@cof.org. All cancellation refunds before April 12, 2026 will incur a 25% administrative fee per registration. No refunds will be provided after April 12, 2026.

Led by Council on Foundations staff with collectively decades of experience with global philanthropy, the Global Grantmaking Essentials will also feature guest speakers with deep knowledge on specific issues or countries. 

Course Hours

• Tuesday, October 20: 1-5 p.m. ET
• Thursday, October 22: 1-5 p.m. ET
• Wednesday, October 28: 1-5 p.m. ET

This training will be conducted live on Zoom and is designed for meaningful participation. Each session offers opportunities to engage directly with peers and content, so we ask that you plan to be fully present and minimize distractions where possible  

To protect privacy, sessions will not be recorded. The course consists of three four-hour sessions, each with two scheduled breaks. Please plan to join all three sessions and take part actively throughout.

About Global Grantmaking Essentials 

The Global Grantmaking Essentials course is built on the Council’s more than 40 years of experience in supporting foundations who work and grant internationally.   

This three-day training will provide attendees with a thorough understanding of the regulatory frameworks governing global grantmaking, offer tools and resources to help navigate these complex systems, and suggest better ways of operating internationally based on trends, data, and research. 

Global Grantmaking Essentials also includes time for networking and discussion based on the type of grantmakers in attendance, providing unique space for dialogue and reflection among peers. 

Who Should Attend

This training is designed for grantmaking, program, or legal staff at U.S.-based foundations who are new to global grantmaking or seeking additional tools. It is open to staff and Board members from independent, family, corporate, community, and public charity foundations, including global intermediaries.  

Please note: the course is limited to foundation staff and Board members. While open to participants from outside the U.S., the content is focused on U.S. law and its impact on global grantmaking.

Participants will explore the following during the course:

• Introduction to global grantmaking 
• Legal basics: equivalency determination and expenditure responsibility
• The alphabet soup of global regulations
• Navigating country laws
• Working with intermediaries
• The current policy landscape: foreign aid, investigations, and what’s next

Group Rate

Trainings are designed to be taken individually at a personal workstation, not in a group setting. Registration rates are per person. Group rates are for Council Members that send 5-7 people from one organization, each person must be registered individually to attend. Email educate@cof.org to register a group. 

Cancellation Policy

All registration cancellations must be submitted in writing to educate@cof.org. All cancellation refunds before September 20, 2026 will incur a 25% administrative fee per registration. No refunds will be provided after September 20, 2026.

Career Pathways is a leadership development cohort program designed to accelerate the careers of diverse professionals in the philanthropic sector. Graduates of the program will deepen their expertise, expand their networks, and hone their leadership skills to advance the field.

Career Pathways empowers individuals to become the best candidates they can be by cultivating philanthropic acumen, confidence, and networks. Participation in this program will build an individual's capacity to become even more effective in their current roles and more deliberate in their contributions to the field of philanthropy.

Learn more about Career Pathways

If you’re a mid- to senior-level philanthropic professional committed to equity and looking for support to advance it, Career Pathways is for you.​

This informational webinar covers:

• If Career Pathways is right for you or someone at your organization
• About the 2026-27 program schedule and curriculum
• What to prepare for in the Application Process
• Waldman Scholarship 
• the answers to your questions about benefits, outcomes, and much more! 

Applications for the Career Pathways 2026-27 Cohort are due March 2, 2026.

Training Hours

• Tuesday, February 3: 1:00-4:30 p.m. ET
• Thursday, February 5: 1:00-4:30 p.m. ET

Throughout the training, sessions will include:

• Insight from Council's top-notch legal team that interacts with nearly 2,000 foundation leaders each year
• Trends spotted by our broader team, including National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations
• Timely, relevant take on the basics that informs day-to-day business decisions and operations
• Expertise to advance your knowledge of the organization's inner workings--from admin to governance, donor stewardship to grantmaking.

With each session, there will be time for questions and a deep exploration of the answers. This workshop is open to any board or staff member from any community foundation that is eager to dive into the legalities of our business model and unlock the truth to effective management and leadership of a community foundation.

Topics

Specific topics will be defined in advance of the workshop as attendees begin to submit ideas, pressing issues, and assist with the defining of sessions. This event is designed to be time sensitive and relevant to current issues. The format will be discussion-oriented, question and answer-based learning alongside peer sharing.

• General Overview of new rules, regulations, and developments for CFs – Discuss latest new rules and regulations affecting community foundations.
  • Topics will vary based on current events and attendee requests, but often cover topics such H.R. 3988 (universal deductions), CARES Act, Updated Charity Act, Tax Deductibility, UPMIFA and related public policy trends.
• Small Group Discussions & Deep Dives with Attorneys: Most common legal complexities facing community foundations – Assessing the most common inquiries from the field nationally, Council attorneys will delve into pressing subjects and issues such as DAFs and permissible grantees, current laws and basic rules regulating DAFs, Notice 2017-73 regarding DAFs, variance power, expenditure responsibility, agency funds, and geographic affiliates.
• Trends and Challenges from the Field – Council experts will share the trending narratives shaping conversations in board rooms as well as the most common challenges shared among community foundations.
• Small Group & Deep Dive with Attorneys: Most common legal complexities facing community foundations – Assessing the most common inquiries from the field nationally, Council attorney Ben McDearmon will delve into pressing subjects and issues such as scholarships, hardship and disaster relief funds, and new rules, regulations and developments in the sector.

Who Should Attend

This workshop is open to any board or staff member from any community foundation that is eager to dive into the legalities of a foundation’s business model and unlock effective management and leadership. Attendees ideally should have been with their current organization for more than a few months and attended CFE Fundamentals before this training. 

Group Rate

Trainings are designed to be taken individually at a personal workstation, not in a group setting. Registration rates are per person. Group rates are for Council Members that send 5-7 people from one organization, each person must be registered individually to attend. Email educate@cof.org to register a group. 

Cancellation Policy 

All registration cancellations must be submitted in writing to educate@cof.org. All cancellation refunds before January 3, 2026 will incur a 25% administrative fee per registration. No refunds will be provided after January 3, 2026