Community Philanthropy Updates

I hope you have seen the news that the Council’s President and CEO, Vikki Spruill, will leave us on June 1st to return to her roots in ocean conservation as the new CEO of the New England Aquarium. We're excited that long-time philanthropic leader Gene Cochrane will serve as interim President…

As you read this, I’ve landed on the beautiful island of St. Croix, in the U.S. Virgin Islands, to engage with community foundations, our federal partners, FEMA, and other associations to discuss how philanthropy helps this U.S. territory, as well as Puerto Rico, continue its recovery from the…

I am deeply impressed by the relationships built in our field, sometimes from just one simple interaction at a Council event. While serving as the CEO of an Indiana community foundation, I traveled out-of-state to a Council event in 2014 to be introduced to a colleague who, to this day, remains an…

For some parts of the country, 2018 arrived in full force—with an arctic blast of frigid temperatures in the east and torrential mudslides in the west—all while tax reform brings new unknowns to our work. While in some respects, the impact of this tax legislation on charitable giving seems mightily…

As 2017 comes to a close, I’ve been reflecting on how much I’ve learned from you this year. When I transitioned to the role of Director of Community Philanthropy in 2016, from running a community foundation in Indiana, it was extremely important to me that I spoke to community foundation leaders…

Monday’s blog kicked off Community Foundation Week (#CFWeek) and highlighted our inaugural North American Community Foundation Summit. Next February in Mexico City, we will explore bold and innovative approaches to address the multifaceted issues impacting our local communities, highlighting how…

During this year’s Community Foundation Week, I’m reflecting on the innovative model of philanthropy that is the community foundation. When I joined the Council in April 2016, I was new to the philanthropic sector. However, coming from an organization where I was providing direct legal…

Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series of blogs to mark Community Foundation Week, which occurs November 12 – 18. We encourage community foundations to engage with the Council all week via social media using #CFWeek. Be sure to tag us @COF_ so we can retweet your stories of local impact! For…

November ushers in the giving season and time to reflect on achievements met or unmet, and new aspirations for the coming year. Yet, this particularly November, turbulence across America continues. We are living with new American realities—a recent shooting in a small town outside San Antonio on…

The Council on Foundations is thrilled to co-host the first-ever North American Community Foundations Summit in Mexico City. I am excited to think creatively and collaboratively with philanthropy peers from across North America to ensure that our changing communities leave no one behind. There are…

From Charlottesville to Las Vegas, Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Maria and now the California fires, it has been a devastating couple of months. The Council will continue to activate our support networks and national reach to provide greater scope in backing the community foundations in affected areas.…

It has been an eventful month with back to back hurricanes causing extensive damage in Florida,Texas, and the Caribbean. The Council has been in contact with community foundations in the affected areas to offer our thoughts and has set up some valuable resources which I am sharing in this issue.…

First, a bit of exciting personal news: my family is anticipating the arrival of our second child any day now—thus, I will eventually be on paternity leave until early September. During this time, I will have an away message with an array of ways for you to connect with the right person. We are…

As we hit the midpoint of 2017, community and economic development are shrinking in many places. A number of our community foundation members are deploying more resources to stop this decline in their communities. For example, this recent article was food for thought on the topic of employment and…

Member Access to Recording With our partners, National College Access Network (NCAN), and the Council on Foundation's Legal Team and Director of Community Philanthropy, this webinar explores key findings from a recent white paper published by NCAN on the topic of scholarships, discusses in-…

This month I’m highlighting the National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations® program, which I’m delighted to report continues to add distinction to the work of the field. I'm also sharing several other resources below to help kick off the summer season, including “21st-Century Tools for 21st-…