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Seeking Shared Success: Business Model Innovation Through Mergers, Affiliations, and Alliances
Publication
Learn how alliances, affiliations, and mergers represent a path to enhanced sustainability and greater impact for community foundations. Hear perspectives from community foundation leaders, access tools for considering a new structure, and read case studies from six community foundations.
Fueling Impact: A Fresh Look at Business Model Innovation and New Revenue Sources
Publication
Do you want to know how community foundations are finding innovative new sources of support, and diversifying their revenue base? How new revenue sources strengthen each community foundation's differentiation and sustainability? Difficult economic times in 2008-2010 have been an important wake-up…
Taking Informed Action in Challenging Times: Helping Community Foundations during Economic Downturn
Publication
Following up on CF Insights' November 2008 report "Making Informed Decisions in Uncertain Times", this report is aimed at helping community foundations take informed action in relation to their operating models and community activities in reaction to the economic slump. The findings are based on…
Align, Adapt, Aspire: Ten Years of Community Foundation Business Model Evolution
Publication
Community foundations understand how the traditional community foundation business model falls short of new aspirations. Sustainability is an ongoing challenge and many community foundations work towards continually adapting their business model to support a changing context and achieve enough…
Raising Money While Raising Hell: Catalytic Community Leadership and Successful Fundraising for Community Foundations
Publication
This paper debunks the myth that advocacy-oriented community leadership is naturally antithetical to fundraising, and highlights examples where foundations have built their fundraising efforts by playing advocacy-oriented community leadership roles.
A Scan of Community Foundations Accepting Cryptocurrency Gifts
Publication
With the proliferation of bitcoin and other forms of digital (or "crypto") currencies around the world, a growing number of charitable donations are being given via these transaction vehicles. To what extent have community foundations entered this space? Which cryptocurrencies are the most popular…
CF Insights Interactive Strategy Model Toolkit
Toolkit
Building on the Activity-Based Costing methodology, the Interactive Strategy Model (ISM) helps community foundations model the impact of strategic changes on their economics.
Consulting services are available for any of our CF Insights operating model analysis tools. Email cfinsights@cof.org to…
CF Insights Economic Scenario Planning Toolkit
Toolkit
The Economic Scenario Planning (ESP) Model, or “Stress Test,” allows community foundations to create five-year forecasts to answer questions about the potential effects of investment market performance and donor behavior.
Consulting services are available for any of our CF Insights operating model…
Assessing Community Foundation Needs and Envisioning the Future
Publication, Research
Community foundations have several attributes that, taken together, distinguish them from many of their philanthropic brethren, including a local orientation, relationships with many living donors, and a public charity tax status. This affects everything from their approach to solving problems to…
Making Informed Decisions in Uncertain Times: Helping Community Foundations during Economic Volatility
Publication, Research
To help community foundations address twin challenges of fewer resources and greater need, CF Insights conducted research by interviewing and collecting survey responses from a cross section of 73 community foundations during the month of October 2008.
FAOG and CF Insights Growing Pains Survey Results
Publication
Community foundation growth impacts all aspects of the operating model. Whether growth happens steadily or is the result of a large, one-time contribution, it is likely to create the need for additional capacity. Through a survey created and disseminated by the Fiscal and Administrative Officers…
Assessing the Need for a Nationwide Community Foundation CEO Network
Publication
In partnership with a group of community foundation leaders, CF Insights conducted a field-wide survey of community foundation CEOs to determine the strength of demand for their own formalized, unified network, which would allow them to connect to each other on issues relevant to chief executives…
2015 Columbus Survey of Community Foundations: List of Top 100 Community Foundations by Asset Size
Publication
Includes results of the FY 2015 Columbus Survey of Community Foundations that pertain to the top 100 community foundations by asset size as of July 22, 2016. The table includes the community foundation name, amount of assets at the time of the survey, and fiscal year-end (FYE). Stats are based on…
2015 Columbus Survey Findings
Publication
2015 Columbus Survey Findings present a snapshot of data on community foundation growth and related operational activity during fiscal year 2015. These findings are based on Columbus Survey responses from 271 community foundations, accounting for over 90 percent of the field's estimated assets.…
Benchmarking Beyond Asset Size Top 100 Lists - FY 2015
Publication
In this publication, CF Insights highlights attributes that characterize community foundations in ways beyond asset values.
Participants in the FY 2015 Columbus Survey are ranked based on:
Most Active Grantmakers—distribution rates, with percent of donor-advised assets
Most Gifts per Capita—…
Benchmarking Beyond Asset Size Top 100 Lists - FY 2014
Publication
In this publication, CF Insights highlights attributes that characterize community foundations in ways beyond asset values.
Participants in the 2014 Columbus Survey are ranked based on:
Most Active Grantmakers—distribution rates, with percent of donor-advised assets
Most Gifts per Capita—gifts…
About Council Resources
As a benefit of membership, the Council on Foundations attorneys and legal staff provide information and education to Council members regarding a variety of topics related to foundation operations and legal compliance. All information on this website, and all publications, articles, e-mail correspondence and telephone consultations provided by Council attorneys and legal staff are intended for informational purposes only and not as part of an attorney-client relationship. Council attorneys are not licensed in every state and cannot provide legal representation.
The information is not a substitute for expert legal, tax or other professional advice tailored to your specific circumstances, and may not be relied upon for the purposes of avoiding any penalties that may be imposed under the Internal Revenue Code. Council members may e-mail legal@cof.org with inquiries and for more information.
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