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Community Philanthropy Update — March 2017

Wednesday, March 15, 2017 - 2:28 pm

Brad Ward

In my humble opinion, this month ushers in some of the greatest occasions: March Madness, St. Patrick’s Day, and the first day of spring. What more could you ask for?

How about renewing your membership with the Council before the April 30 deadline?

To take advantage of all the Council has to offer and to avoid a lapse in benefits, please join the Council for the 2017 year. Thank you to all of the community foundations (CFs) who have renewed their membership and continued their investment in a united voice for philanthropy.

Council Serves as Resource Partner to AdNet Affinity Group

The Council is geared up for this year’s AdNet Conference in Memphis. We are proud to serve as a Resource Partner for this year’s event, which will bring together advancement officers, senior leaders, and development staff from community foundations across the country.

At the event, a panel of CF leaders and Council staff will hold a session exploring Kevin Murphy’s thought piece, Community Foundation Business Model Disruption in the 21^st Century.

Fast-Growing CF Invests in Community Development

Headlines like this are why community and economic development matter to community foundations – and they are exactly why the Council is pulling together an exceptional lineup of experts to explore the topic with your foundation. Read the article, “Michigan’s Fastest Growing Community Foundation Invests in St. Clair Development,” to hear one story of how a community foundation ventured into community development.

Community development can happen at CFs of all asset levels, sizes, and scopes. And to help you explore this opportunity, the Council invites you to attend our workshop in Indianapolis on April 6, co-hosted with the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.

Center for Community Foundation Excellence (CCFE)

CCFE Fundamentals was recently held in Miami and Sacramento, educating over 70 board members, CEOs, and staff from across the country.

The course gives attendees of all experience levels the insights they need to take their community foundation’s leadership to the next level. If you haven’t been able to attend yet, you and your team are welcome to join us in Dallas on April 22-23 and in Boston on November 9-10.

Apply Now: New Opportunity for Community and Place-Based Foundations

Knight Foundation recently announced a new opportunity for community and place-based foundations, one that will help them identify their city's news and information gaps and find ways to solve for them.

Knight is looking for four foundations to take part in the Community Information Lab, an 18-month journey that uses human-centered design to ensure people are informed and engaged in issues they care about. Instead of funding projects, Knight is asking foundations to take a step back, test their assumptions, and co-create solutions with their communities. Apply at knightinfolab.org now through March 24.

Some Helpful (and Free) Financial Resources

Our Nationals Standards Executive Director and Senior Counsel for Compliance and Policy Lara Kalwinski recently met with Eve Borenstein, a Form 990 expert, who provided vetted resources that your senior leaders and financial officers might find helpful.

CF-Related Events – Save the Date

May 1-2, 2017 – 2017 Pennsylvania Foundations Public Policy Conference: Amplifying the Voice of the Sector
May 17, 2017 – Legal Matters Call with Community Foundations
Summer 2017 – HR Summit
Fall 2017 – Endowments and Finance Summit
September 10-13, 2017 – 2017 Fiscal & Administrative Officers Group for Community Foundations (FAOG) Conference
October 1-3, 2017 – CEONet is coordinating a pre-session gathering in conjunction with the 2017 Annual National Conference for Growing Community Foundations in Wichita, Kansas.
Winter 2017 – CEO and Trustee Winter Retreat

Additional Resources for Your Foundation