Washington Snapshot
Friday, May 20, 2022 - 1:29 pm
Washington Snapshot
Friday, May 13, 2022 - 1:24 pm
Washington Snapshot
Friday, May 6, 2022 - 1:18 pm
Washington Snapshot
Friday, April 29, 2022 - 1:12 pm
Washington Snapshot
Friday, April 8, 2022 - 12:58 pm
Washington Snapshot
Friday, April 1, 2022 - 12:51 pm
Washington Snapshot
Friday, March 25, 2022 - 12:47 pm
Washington Snapshot
Friday, March 18, 2022 - 12:44 pm
Washington Snapshot
Friday, March 11, 2022 - 12:38 pm
Washington Snapshot
Friday, February 4, 2022 - 12:00 pm
Washington Snapshot
Friday, January 28, 2022 - 1:30 pm
Washington Snapshot
Friday, January 21, 2022 - 9:30 am
Pagination
Wednesday, June 8, 2022 - 12:15 am
Thursday, May 19, 2022 - 3:00 pm
Thursday, April 21, 2022 - 2:30 pm
Thursday, March 24, 2022 - 12:30 pm
Wednesday, March 2, 2022 - 12:00 pm
Thursday, February 17, 2022 - 4:00 pm
Thursday, January 20, 2022 - 3:00 pm
Friday, December 10, 2021 - 4:30 pm
Thursday, November 18, 2021 - 1:00 pm
Thursday, October 28, 2021 - 3:00 pm
Friday, September 24, 2021 - 11:30 am
Thursday, September 2, 2021 - 3:00 pm
Pagination
News
Friday, April 29, 2022 - 9:51 am
News
Monday, April 4, 2022 - 10:30 am
News
Thursday, June 24, 2021 - 1:37 pm
Pagination
Blog
Tuesday, March 29, 2022 - 4:00 pm
Blog
Wednesday, February 2, 2022 - 10:00 am
Blog
Wednesday, February 2, 2022 - 10:00 am
Blog
Monday, December 13, 2021 - 2:30 pm
Blog
Sunday, December 5, 2021 - 3:00 pm
Pagination
Research
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 results
2021 Grantmaker Salary and Benefits Report: Key Findings
Publication, Research
Drawing from data provided by 952 institutional responses, the 2021 GSB Key Findings highlights important human resource trends that are shaping the philanthropic sector. This year’s key findings feature the voices of human resources and operations leaders from community foundations, corporate…
2021 Grantmaker Salary and Benefits Report
Publication, Research
The Grantmaker Salary and Benefits Report (GSB) provides salary, benefits, and diversity data for full-time staff at U.S. foundations to aid in budget planning and personnel practice benchmarking. Information is presented by grantmaker type, foundation type, asset size, and geographic location.…
2020 Council on Foundations - Commonfund Study of Investment of Endowments for Private and Community Foundations (CCSF) Report
Publication, Research
The CCSF report is the field’s most comprehensive and authoritative study on investment and governance policies and practices. The 2020 CCSF studies 260 private and community foundations that represent $115.4 billion in assets. Topics covered include:
Returns and Investment Objectives
Asset…
2020 Grantmaker Salary and Benefits Report: Key Findings
Publication, Research
For 40 years the Council has provided the most comprehensive analysis of salary and benefits for full-time staff at U.S. foundations through the Grantmaker Salary and Benefits (GSB) Report. This year, in addition to providing an analysis of salary and benefits data from 8,794 full-time paid…
2020 Grantmaker Salary and Benefits Report
Publication, Research
The Grantmaker Salary and Benefits Report (GSB) provides salary, benefits, and diversity data for full-time staff at U.S. foundations to aid in budget planning and personnel practice benchmarking. Information is presented by grantmaker type, foundation type, asset size, and geographic location.…
2019 Council on Foundations - Commonfund Study of Investment of Endowments for Private and Community Foundations (CCSF) Report
Publication, Research
The CCSF report is the field’s most comprehensive and authoritative study on investment and governance policies and practices. The 2019 CCSF studies 265 private and community foundations that represent $104.7 billion in assets. Topics covered include:
Returns and Investment Objectives
Asset…
2019 Grantmaker Salary and Benefits Report: Board Compensation Tables
Publication, Research
The 2019 Board Compensation Tables provide foundation board and staff with the tools they need to benchmark their board compensation policies and practices against peers in the field. This report contains data collected through the Council’s 2019 Grantmaker Salary and Benefits Survey and presented…
The State of Global Giving by U.S. Foundations: 2011-2015
Publication, Research
The Council on Foundations and Candid (formerly Foundation Center) analyzed how U.S. foundations supported international communities, nonprofits, and programs between 2011 and 2015 for our report, The State of Global Giving by U.S. Foundations: 2011-2015.
In addition to a detailed analysis of…
The State of Change: An Analysis of Women and People of Color in the Philanthropic Sector
Publication, Research
The Council’s report, The State of Change: An Analysis of Women and People of Color in the Philanthropic Sector, examines the demographics of the philanthropic sector, looking back over the last five and ten years, with a specific focus on the representation of women and people of color. The data…
2014 Urban Institute Survey of Community Foundations
Research
On May 30, 2014, the Urban Institute’s Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy conducted a survey of donor advised funds (DAFs) operated by community foundations. All community foundations with total assets of $5 million or more were invited to take the survey. When the survey closed on June 20, we…
2009 Survey on Donor Advised Funds: Donor Advised Funds Provide the Majority of Grant Funds Awarded by Community Foundations
Research
Donor-advised funds are increasing in number and importance in the U.S. as more individuals, families, and organizations adopt this vehicle of philanthropic giving. A donor-advised fund enables a third party, usually a community foundation or other institution, to manage and distribute funds to…
Publications
Displaying 1 - 16 of 58 results
Values-Aligned Philanthropy for Community Foundations
Publication, Toolkit
Through our Values-Aligned Philanthropy project, the Council on Foundations is encouraging foundations to take steps to ensure that they are not funding hate. Our white paper created a landscape scan of the issue and the work being done in the philanthropic sector to combat hate funding. We also…
How to Calculate the Public Support Test
Legal Compliance Guidance, Publication
A Chapter in Mastering Foundation Law:
The Council on Foundations Compendium of Legal Resources
In the United States, organizations that qualify to receive charitable tax-deductible contributions are described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Tax Code. These organizations are divided into two main…
2021 Grantmaker Salary and Benefits Report: Key Findings
Publication, Research
Drawing from data provided by 952 institutional responses, the 2021 GSB Key Findings highlights important human resource trends that are shaping the philanthropic sector. This year’s key findings feature the voices of human resources and operations leaders from community foundations, corporate…
2021 Grantmaker Salary and Benefits Report
Publication, Research
The Grantmaker Salary and Benefits Report (GSB) provides salary, benefits, and diversity data for full-time staff at U.S. foundations to aid in budget planning and personnel practice benchmarking. Information is presented by grantmaker type, foundation type, asset size, and geographic location.…
Values-Aligned Philanthropy: Foundations Resisting Hate and Extremism
Publication
In late 2020, the Council on Foundations (the Council) launched the Values-Aligned Philanthropy project to continue to build on their previous efforts within the philanthropic sector to respond to growing concern about the issue of funding hate and extremism. The Council took this step recognizing…
Public Policy and Advocacy for Grantmakers
Publication
Government policy decisions impact communities and can drive or impede solutions to some of the most pressing issues facing the nation. Engagement in public policy advocacy is therefore crucial to the philanthropic sector's ability to achieve its greatest impact.
Public Policy and Advocacy for…
2020 Council on Foundations - Commonfund Study of Investment of Endowments for Private and Community Foundations (CCSF) Report
Publication, Research
The CCSF report is the field’s most comprehensive and authoritative study on investment and governance policies and practices. The 2020 CCSF studies 260 private and community foundations that represent $115.4 billion in assets. Topics covered include:
Returns and Investment Objectives
Asset…
2020 Grantmaker Salary and Benefits Report: Key Findings
Publication, Research
For 40 years the Council has provided the most comprehensive analysis of salary and benefits for full-time staff at U.S. foundations through the Grantmaker Salary and Benefits (GSB) Report. This year, in addition to providing an analysis of salary and benefits data from 8,794 full-time paid…
2020 Grantmaker Salary and Benefits Report
Publication, Research
The Grantmaker Salary and Benefits Report (GSB) provides salary, benefits, and diversity data for full-time staff at U.S. foundations to aid in budget planning and personnel practice benchmarking. Information is presented by grantmaker type, foundation type, asset size, and geographic location.…
2019 Council on Foundations - Commonfund Study of Investment of Endowments for Private and Community Foundations (CCSF) Report
Publication, Research
The CCSF report is the field’s most comprehensive and authoritative study on investment and governance policies and practices. The 2019 CCSF studies 265 private and community foundations that represent $104.7 billion in assets. Topics covered include:
Returns and Investment Objectives
Asset…
Shifting Practices, Sharing Power? How U.S. Philanthropy is Responding to the 2020 Crises
Publication
The public health, racial justice, and economic crises of 2020 have affected millions of Americans and laid bare the glaring inequities in our systems and institutions.
A new report from Council on Foundations, Philanthropy California, and Dalberg Advisors outlines how the US philanthropic…
Balancing Purpose, Payout, and Permanence: Strategy Guide
Publication
This Strategy Guide, developed in partnership with the National Center for Family Philanthropy, invites you to reflect more deeply on how your foundation chooses to balance the four factors of Purpose, Conditions and Trends, Time Horizon, and Assets for Mission, especially in times of greater…
Disaster Assistance and Emergency Hardship Funds: Charitable Assistance for Individuals and Communities
Legal Compliance Guidance, Publication
A Chapter in Mastering Foundation Law:
The Council on Foundations Compendium of Legal Resources
The Council on Foundations has long been involved in helping foundations and funders navigate grantmaking in times of disaster and hardship. We have published various materials over the years related to…
Navigating Mergers and Acquisitions: Guidance for Corporate Philanthropy Leaders
Publication
The Council on Foundations' Navigating Mergers and Acquisitions report is a roadmap for corporate philanthropy leaders facing critical questions and considerations about combining philanthropies during times of a business merger or acquisition. This resource, informed by substantive dialogue with…
Charitable Solicitation Regulation and Other State Fundraising Regulations
Legal Compliance Guidance, Publication
A Chapter in Mastering Foundation Law:
The Council on Foundations Compendium of Legal Resources
This chapter of Mastering Foundation Law reviews what foundation managers need to know about state-level regulations of fundraising: why and how states regulate fundraising; the basic requirements for…
Global Family Philanthropy: Exploring Key Considerations for Giving Across Borders
Publication
This paper by the Council, BNY Mellon, and Give2Asia explores the opportunities and challenges that face global families as they seek to conduct cross-border philanthropy. From coordinating family strategy to navigating complex tax regimes, global family philanthropy is not a simple feat. However,…
Pagination
Training
Essentials of Policy Advocacy for Grantmakers
The Essentials of Policy Advocacy for Grantmakers course will help foundation staff use their resources effectively to advance public policies that support the greater good. This training is designed for private foundations staff with a basic understanding of policy, but it is also applicable for staff at all experience levels whose work touches policy advocacy.
Date & Time
Location
Virtual
Cost
Council Members = $349
Nonmembers = $499
Early registration discount! Members that register by August 26 receive a 20% discount. Please contact us at educate@cof.org for the discount code prior to registering.
Registration now open!
The Essentials of Policy Advocacy for Grantmakers course will help foundation staff use their resources effectively to advance public policies that support the greater good. Rather than focusing on what policies foundations should address, this training will focus on how to engage in policy advocacy to advance your goals. This training is designed for private foundations staff with a basic understanding of policy, but it is also applicable for staff at all experience levels whose work touches policy advocacy.
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, network with peers developing and implementing their foundation’s advocacy strategy and create a summary action plan to guide their next steps.
Workshop Hours
- Thursday, October 6: 1:00-5:00 p.m. ET
- Friday, October 7: 1:00-5:00 p.m. 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
Explore current challenges with fellow participants in peer breakout groups
-
Discussion of initial action planning and next steps
-
Additional support available from the Council on Foundation
Who should take this training?
-
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.
Training
Practice & Purpose of Policy: A Training for Community Foundation Leaders
As organizations committed to strengthening community foundations, CFLeads and the Council on Foundations are partnering to offer a new public policy and advocacy training course for community foundations. This updated training will provide community foundation leaders and staff with the knowledge and resources needed to excel in advocating for the nonprofits and communities doing the hard work of social change.
Date & Time
Location
Zoom Meeting
Cost
Interested in attending?
Fill out the Interest Form to receive more information when it is available.
Save the date!
As organizations committed to strengthening community foundations, CFLeads and the Council on Foundations are partnering to offer a new public policy and advocacy training course for community foundations. This updated training will provide community foundation leaders and staff with the knowledge and resources needed to excel in advocating for the nonprofits and communities doing the hard work of social change.
Workshop Hours
- Wednesday, February 1: 1:00-5:30 p.m. ET
- Thursday, February 2: 1:00-5:30 p.m. ET
Government policies and programs affect almost every aspect of our lives, from housing, healthcare and the environment to education, transportation, and safety. For foundations striving to create equitable, inclusive, and widely prosperous communities, it is necessary to focus on strengthening and reimagining policies and systems.
Participation in advocacy is an essential strategy to advance the mission of community foundations. Yet a lack of understanding of the rules of advocacy and lobbying, confusion about the appropriate governance and risk management, as well as a dearth of tools and internal capacity needed to be successful prevents many community foundations from engaging in public policy.
This learning opportunity is intended for CEOs and senior leadership staff from community foundations of all sizes that are committed to getting more involved in policy and advocacy work.
This training will provide community foundations across geographies and of all sizes with:
-
Increased understanding of the importance of public policy to improve outcomes
-
Improved policy practice
-
Increased advocacy action
In this training, participants will:
-
Understand a comprehensive picture of possible community foundation strategies to engage in effective public policy advocacy that advances the greater good
-
Understand the complex dynamics around foundation staff’s relationships with policy advocacy organizations and explore the optimal relationship for your foundation
-
Learn how to build support for advocacy among your foundation’s staff and board
-
Learn how to improve your foundation’s grantmaking to more effectively participate in policy advocacy
Fill out the Save the Date Interest Form
Offered in partnership with:
Webinar
Rules of Advocacy and Lobbying for Grantmakers
Join the Council on Foundations Legal Team to learn more about all the ways foundations can engage in public policy and advocacy. We will also explore tips on how grantmakers can support civil engagement and what foundations need to know about election year politics.
Date & Time
Location
Zoom Webinar
Cost
Free for Members; $99 for Nonmembers
It is easy to get hung up on what you think you cannot do when engaging with policymakers. The good news is, you can do more than you may think!
Though the law varies among different types of foundations, all foundation types can engage in advocacy! Join the Council on Foundations Legal Team to learn more about all the ways foundations can engage in public policy and advocacy.
Participants will learn what constitutes permissible, non-partisan advocacy. We will explore regulations versus legislation, learning the difference and why it matters. Attendees will find out about exceptions to the limitation on lobbying. We will also discuss how grantmakers can support civic engagement, including what foundations can do to educate voters during election year politics and what it means to support or oppose a candidate.
Purchase of this webinar guarantees access to the webinar recording.
In this webinar, we'll explore:
-
What constitutes permissible, non-partisan advocacy and whether bi-partisan action is as good as non-partisan action
-
The difference between regulation and legislation and why it matters
-
Exceptions to the limitation on lobbying
-
What foundations can do to educate voters and support civic engagement
-
What qualifies as support or opposition for a particular candidate
Featuring the Council on Foundations Legal Team:
Remy Barnwell
Staff Counsel
Ben McDearmon
Staff Counsel