Building Common Ground

Philanthropic organizations face heightened attention and expectations. To support Council members, our Legal Resources team hosted a webinar on what philanthropic organizations need to know to engage confidently and responsibly in civic engagement work.This session covered what organizations can…

This session offers practical tools and case studies to help funders listen quickly and, effectively, and without burdening grantees in times of upheaval—even when communities are sharing conflicting opinions and input.This is a part of the Building Up to Building Together webinar series. If this…

Steamboat Springs, the largest city in Routt County, is a tourism-driven ski town known for arts and recreation. Upriver in the city of Craig, the county seat of Moffat County, a rich tradition of ranching and farming carries on as multi-generational families preserve their livelihoods through…

Times of rapid change demand leaders skilled in both improvisation and imagination. Both of these skills require practice. This session introduces the foundations of strategic foresight and equips participants with practical techniques to expand possibility, challenge assumptions, and explore…

Discover how creating a sense of psychological safety is an essential foundation to building trust, sharing power more fairly, and including everyone’s voice. Learn how care and accountability strengthen meaningful partnerships, practice healthier ways of working together in mission‑driven settings…

Lennon is hellbent on creating spaces where humans can be human, out of a belief that healing is collective and nothing is done in isolation. She is the founder and Executive Director of Trust Labs, which equips local leaders with the tools, training, coaching, and peer learning networks to help…

Developed in partnership with Hattaway Communications, this free toolkit draws on our national survey of 1,000 American adults, in-depth one-on-one interviews, and a landscape analysis to reveal how people view work to connect and collaborate across differences and the role that foundations should…

Daniel O. Ash is president of the Field Foundation, a private and independent foundation that supports community power building in Chicago through strategic investments in civic infrastructure, the cultural sector, local news outlets, and organizers. Through its grantmaking, the Field Foundation…

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Council on Foundations today announced the release of Coming Together, Not Apart: Building the Hearts, Minds, and Skills for Leading Across Differences, the third and final publication in a three-part series exploring philanthropy’s role in helping Americans connect and…

DeAngelo Bester is the Executive Director of the Workers Center for Racial Justice, an organization's whose work spans the states of Illinois and Wisconsin. He has worked as both a community and labor organizer for nearly 20 years. DeAngelo has led local, state, and national organizing campaigns…

Shelly is the President and CEO of Fremont Area Community Foundation since 2021. She has served nonprofits and philanthropy for more than 25 years.

Jason joined the Cleveland Foundation in 2017 where he works with individuals, families and nonprofit organizations to achieve their philanthropic goals. He is a certified 21/64 facilitator in family philanthropy and is an alumni of the 2025 Bridging Differences Leadership Cohort at the Council on…

By Erika Montes, Belonging Colorado Program Lead at The Denver Foundation Communities thrive when people feel they belong. Feeling connected and having a sense of belonging is not just a "nice-to-have"-it is essential for physical and mental health. In schools, belonging improves academic…

Are you looking for a supportive community of funders to help you build constructive dialogue and understanding across differences? You’ll get just that with the Bridging Differences Leadership Cohort. The Bridging Differences Leadership Cohort is a facilitated virtual learning experience meeting…