Community Philanthropy Updates

Like many of you, I am deeply saddened by the mass shootings that have gripped our nation. The gun violence and misguided hate is heartbreaking. But those shootings, which rocked the nation, were not the only incidents of gun violence last weekend. Individuals were killed in Chicago; a child was…

The Council is excited to work with our partners—the community foundation affinity groups AdNet, Comma, and ProNet—to host the 2020 CFUnited, Community Foundations: Power of Place, Conference. Designed as an immersive experience for all staff at community foundations regardless of size, scale…

A recent op-ed by Marin Community Foundation’s CEO, Dr. Thomas Peters, moved me to reflect on our field. Dr. Peters paints a powerful picture describing how community philanthropy can strengthen communities and support individuals, in a way that helps others relate to our work. With an opening line…

This time of year, I receive numerous inquiries about administrative fees. Perhaps it is first quarter investment return reviews or something in the spring air—but my response to the question about ‘lowering fees’ is fairly consistent—why would we encourage the lowering of fees? To begin, I have…

When I meet with leaders of community foundations, bringing back the Council’s former Community Foundation’s Fall Conference tops the list of requests. I share in your desire for the Council to provide a better space for community foundation leaders to network and engage around issues that impact…

Through social movements like #BlackLivesMatter, #MeToo, and #NeverAgain, we see people for the change they want to see in the world, and in their communities. As these movements grow and evolve, a common question arises—How can community foundations support these groups or individual passions…

This month is African American History Month, which honors the contributions of the black community to the history of the United States and the future of our country. As a white male, it reminds me that I am often unaware of the realities of my own whiteness.  To better understand the…

I recently heard one community foundation leader state, “How you do your work is just as important as what you do.” For me, this concept is what provides community foundations their competitive edge—how we do our work is rooted in knowing our communities; we are versatile and can pivot quickly; and…

With the giving season in full swing, I was inspired to see community foundations embrace the global #GivingTuesday movement. This included Council member La Cross Community Foundation in Wisconsin, which surprised 15 nonprofits in person with grant checks totaling $18,000 on #GivingTuesday. A…

Yesterday, my day began with a news alert of another mass shooting outside Los Angeles.  My mind quickly turned to the Ventura County Community Foundation,  about to be inundated with requests to provide support to their community after the 307th mass shooting in 311 days. Later in the…

As I hope you saw yesterday, we have some exciting news here at the Council! We're happy to announce that our next president and CEO will be Kathleen P. Enright. Kathleen will be joining us in March of 2019, after serving as president and CEO of Grantmakers for Effective Organizations (GEO) for 17…

During my tenure at the Council, I've seen how often community foundations are on the front lines in countless disasters. But no community is alone in their moment of crisis. The Council can connect you quickly to a global network of colleagues, < a href="https://www.fema.gov/hurricane-…

Pictured with Incourage staff (L-R) Dawn Newman, CFO, Gene Cochrane (Council), Kelly Ryan, CEO, Brad Ward (Council), Heather McKellips, Director of Learning and Engagement, and Kristopher Gasch, Board Chair; Wisconsin Rapids, WI I firmly believe in a Council that is…

Last month at Legal Matters in Milwaukee, among the 50 community foundation colleagues in attendance, I argued that a newly defined role for community foundations is solidifying for the field.  That role is to create the atmosphere, culture, and ecosystem for shared ownership of community…

As we enter summer, it’s the time of year when many in the community foundation world may be experiencing what I used to call “the scholarship slump.” When I ran a community foundation, this is a term of endearment I used for when your team has survived the first round of scholarship activities—…

Today, the Community Foundations National Standards Board (CFNSB), a supporting organization of the Council on Foundations, announced four new board members. The CFNSB is a collegial group of professionals from across the U.S. seeking to advance the community foundation field through governing a…