As we approach the end of 2025, community foundations face a range of questions related to gift acceptance and donor stewardship. Join us for an open office hours session where the Council’s Legal Resources team will be available to discuss key year-end topics and answer your questions. 

Frequently asked questions we’ll cover include: 

• Qualified charitable distributions 

• Gift timing and acknowledgement 

• Tax changes for 2026 

Whether you're wrapping up your community foundation’s activities or preparing for a strong start to 2026, this is a great opportunity to get clarity. 

Bring your questions! This session is designed to be interactive and responsive to your needs.  

During a moment in which many in the field have questions concerning the operation of their scholarship programs, this new virtual peer-led space for you to explore the unique challenges of scholarship work, how others are navigating the current environment while ensuring that they continue to meet legal obligations, the specific structures and mechanics of operating a scholarship program, and much more.

The Council on Foundations is launching a new peer space for foundation staff that manage and lead scholarship programs. These engaging peer events are designed to be informal, peer-led conversations with fellow foundation staff (of all types) to share best practices and explore common challenges in scholarship programs. Whether you are new to managing scholarships or have years of experience, you’ll gain fresh ideas and build relationships with colleagues. 

How do we show we’re making a difference? How can you evaluate your narrative strategy?

Metrics provide tangible evidence of the effectiveness of your communications efforts, which is crucial, especially if your efforts are underfunded. They hold you accountable to your strategy by tracking whether you are following through on your plans and building the necessary habits for change. In times of scarce resources, metrics show tangible ways that communications contribute to the mission and success of an organization, making it easier to justify your communications and narrative budget. If the desired results are not achieved, metrics can help you identify where adjustments are needed. 

In this session, you’ll learn to develop an evaluation plan that shows how your strategy is making a difference. We’ll cover all the elements of an effective narrative strategy, including goal-setting, identifying what you can measure, establishing meaningful output and outcome metrics, sharing your results, and applying your insights to update your strategy. 

You’ll leave this session with a foundation for showing how your work contributes to your organization’s mission. 

This session is one of three workshops in the Better Stories, Better Language Communication Workshop Series, a collaboration between the University of Florida's Center for Public Interest Communications and the Council on Foundations. These three workshops will offer you the skills and tools to tell more complex, robust stories about the charitable sector and your work. You'll learn how to create a more accurate narrative and build trust through transparent storytelling and intentional language.