Community Philanthropy Updates

April came and went, and it packed a punch.  I am grateful for the 200 community foundation (CF) leaders who joined over 1,000 philanthropic leaders in Dallas, Texas, for the 2017 Annual Conference. Please take a look at the highlight videos, which feature many examples of the type of…

Workshop for the Carolinas, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia Region Led by Suzanne Friday, Counsel for the Council on Foundations, this workshop is flexibly organized to ensure that your broad legal questions for administering funds, grants, and community foundation activities are addressed. Suzanne…

In January, I shared some trends that will shape philanthropy in 2017, many of which also apply directly to community foundations. Now is a time of significant opportunity for community foundations, which I've seen through our customers and conversations with community foundation professionals like…

Members, Access the Recording The Council’s Senior Counsel and Vice President of Legal Affairs, Suzanne Friday, and Director of Community Philanthropy, Brad Ward, explored funds that come from corporate donors.   Tackle issues with employer-related scholarships, disaster funds, employee…

In my humble opinion, this month ushers in some of the greatest occasions: March Madness, St. Patrick’s Day, and the first day of spring. What more could you ask for? How about renewing your membership with the Council before the April 30 deadline? To take advantage of all the Council has to offer…

Sandi Roehrig, Executive Director, Fond du Lac Area Foundation Many years ago the community foundation executives in Wisconsin met to collectively talk about a growing concern. At the time, any organization could call itself a community foundation, and if their actions gave the term a bad name, we…

The nature of disruption has been on my mind recently. Our friends at the Greater New Orleans Foundation are coordinating a Helping our Neighbors: Tornado Relief Fund to alleviate the devastation of numerous tornadoes last week. They mobilized quickly to help pave the way for philanthropy to make a…

Indiana University provided a live stream and recording of this session. View the Recording Hosted by Mark Sidel, J.D. Charles Stewart Mott Foundation Visiting Chair in Community Foundations at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy and the Council on Foundations, this session…

At the conclusion of Knight Foundation’s Media Learning Seminar, join the Council on Foundation for a small, closed session discussion with community foundation leaders to hear reactions, fresh perspectives, and thought-leadership following an opinion piece on more disruptions for the…

Happy 2017! I’m kicking off the new year sharing updates and resources to help you as you prepare and plan for what lies ahead. Find out about trends that will affect philanthropy, learn how best to stay up to date on important policy developments in Washington, D.C., and don’t miss out on great…

Giving days have exploded in popularity in recent years, helping the foundations that organize them reach new donors and become more digitally focused themselves. But some foundations are weighing whether to continue these online fundraising campaigns. On January 25, Knight Foundation and the…

Greetings Community Foundation Colleagues I hope you are having a wonderful holiday season and are looking to the new year with abundant optimism for what you and your community foundation can achieve. Check out a quick sample of 2017 Happenings and Highlights from 2016 As the Council looks ahead…

Happy holidays! May this month be filled with year-end giving and exciting developments to propel you into 2017! As always, the Council is here for you, and I’m writing to share a few resources for you to consider as the year comes to an end. First, the most recent developments in the Oakland…

The East Bay Community Foundation has kept the Council abreast of the latest in regards to the recent tragedy in Oakland. Included in their response is a strategic move to address the safety and affordability of spaces for the artist community in Oakland. The City of Oakland and surrounding…

Members, View the Recording The webinar explores the success factors and goals for building a donor base committed to operations. A range of strategies are used dependent on your community market, donor base, and resources required, but expanding your admin support builds value beyond the immediate…

At the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines, we’ve been talking about how to deal with minor successors being named on a fund. We started looking into it after reading a discussion about it on the Philanthropy Exchange. It’s a tricky situation: If your fund adviser is underage, they may not…