International Giving

Recently, Council staff traveled to Albuquerque, New Mexico to join more than 50 funders to discuss how the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are relevant to local challenges facing communities across the Southwest. The gathering was the sixth city in a series of national conversations about the…

Members, View the Recording Are you a corporate foundation that makes grants internationally?  Do you make grants to organizations that are not 501(c)(3) public charities?  If so, you will want to learn more about expenditure responsibility and equivalency determinations, and understand…

The Council on Foundations wrote to the Department of Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)  to urge them to prioritize several regulations and guidance documents that impact our members. Each year, the Priority Guidance Plan identifies and prioritizes those tax issues that…

For the last three years, I’ve noticed a growing trend in community foundations asking for support to make international grants, often from donor or corporate advised funds. We’ve never had data on how many community foundations are making global grants, which is why I’m delighted to share that…

Since I joined the Council in early 2016, I have fielded many requests from community foundations (CFs) seeking support and guidance in facilitating international grants, often due to growing interest from members of their community in supporting causes overseas. At the Council, we’ve witnessed…

The Council’s Global Team is excited to welcome a new addition! Nicolette Gerald is a graduate of George Mason University with a bachelor’s degree in government and international politics. She will be spending the next two months with us as a summer intern before beginning her graduate studies in…

Strengthening Local Communities to Achieve Global Goals Overview There are significant challenges facing communities in the Southwest, including racial inequality in education, economic opportunities and health outcomes. The Council on Foundations, Philanthropy Southwest, and Albuquerque…

Council staff are back in D.C. after a whirlwind Annual Conference in Dallas last month, where we were joined by more than 1000 attendees from around the world. You can see conference highlights at cof.org/2017annual. Thank you to all of our global speakers and especially to our global conference…

Healing Across the Divides (HATD) is a new member of the Council on Foundations. We joined the Council to learn from others facing similar challenges globally and connect with funders to explore issues such as finding ways to better build grantee sustainability. Our mission is to “improve the…

At #COFAnnual, our Global Philanthropy Reception and Dinner will focus on the issues and opportunities facing women and girls in the United States as well as around the world. In preparation for this event and in honor of Women’s History Month, we’d like to share the following blog post from the…

How did you celebrate International Women’s Day this year? Council staff wore red in solidarity with the “A Day Without a Woman” campaign. Are you worried about how proposed cuts to USG development funding might impact your international grantmaking? I recently spoke to the Chronicle about what we'…

Basic Rights and Rules for Foundations working with Non-US Citizens Disclaimer: The information in this message and any attachments is being provided for informational purposes only and not as part of an attorney-client relationship. The information is not a substitute for expert legal, tax,or…

Did you march with the millions of women in cities around the world last week? Or watch President Trump’s inauguration last Friday? Here in D.C., it’s been a crowded and hectic start to 2017. At the Council, we are busy preparing for our Annual Conference in April and have launched several new…

In both 2015 and 2016, the Council on Foundations worked closely with a global nonprofit coalition to advocate for changes to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). Since 9/11, more than 140 governments have passed counter-terrorism legislation. In many countries, governments have framed civil…

There are significant challenges facing Minnesota’s communities, including racial inequality in education, economic opportunities and health outcomes. In Minnesota, members of the philanthropic community work in a variety of innovative and collaborative ways to address these challenges and create a…