Community Philanthropy Updates

Please join us for the CFUnited: Power of Place: Pop-up Series: Conversations with Leaders! This two part virtual Zoom webinar series is in response to the cancelled CFUnited: Power of Place Conference that was to be held in Detroit, Michigan in April.    Pop-Up Conversation #2…

The CFUnited 2020 Conference is cancelled due to the COVID-19 outbreak. For more information, please see the official conference statement. Learn More   Tapping into the vibrant yet often invisible transnational communities and recognizing local solutions are borrowed and replicated by…

The CFUnited 2020 Conference is cancelled due to the COVID-19 outbreak. For more information, please see the official conference statement. Learn More   In January 2019, The Council on Foundations joined AdNet, Comma and ProNet as the fourth partner under the CFUnited umbrella to bring…

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…

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…

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…