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Community Foundations around the country recognize that they must deploy capital beyond financial assets to improve their regions. At the same time, our community leadership has grown frustrated by the pace of change. Most of these leaders have come to understand that…
A Toolkit for Community Foundations
“Impact investing” is the practice of investing for social and environmental impact while generating financial return. For community foundations, impact investing represents a new, complementary tool for achieving community change. Community foundations are…
The CCSF Study is the field’s most comprehensive and authoritative study on investment and governance policies and practices, and the 2024 CCSF studies 255 private and community foundations representing $104.9 billion in assets. Topics covered include:Returns and Investment ObjectivesAsset…
The CCSF Study is the field’s most comprehensive and authoritative study on investment and governance policies and practices, and the 2025 CCSF studies 285 private and community foundations representing $126.9 billion in assets. Topics covered include:Returns and Investment ObjectivesAsset…
What are the legal requirements for private foundations wishing to make cross-border grants?
What is equivalency determination?
What is expenditure responsibility?
How do I decide whether to use equivalency determination or expenditure responsibility?
What are the legal…
Private foundations wishing to make a cross-border grant must ensure that:The grant is clearly for a charitable purpose, andThe grant counts as a qualifying distribution for the purpose of meeting the foundation’s annual distribution requirement.The easiest way for a private foundation to satisfy…
In September 2023, a group of 15 foundations joined 20 bilateral donors in signing a Donor Statement committing to advancing locally led development. After recent global shifts in foreign assistance and the dismantling of USAID, the Council on Foundations wanted to understand how philanthropy has…
“If I create a fund at the community foundation, can my investment manager still manage the funds?” You may have already come across a donor that asked this question. Such a donor is essentially requesting that the fund they create be invested outside of the foundation’s investment pool(s). While…
Practice 1. The board (and investment committee and staff, if any) of a foundation should understand and fulfill their respective fiduciary responsibilities and duties under applicable law and the governing documents of the foundation and stay informed regarding any relevant changes in law, duties…
As needs in their communities continue to grow, community foundations recognize the importance of making the right investment decisions. That’s because good investments help attract donors, preserve the long-term purchasing power of assets, and increase the amount of money available for grantmaking…