Global Philanthropy Updates

Although votes in some races are still being counted, we know the results of the US midterm election will lead to changes in Washington in the new year that may impact global grantmakers. From changing Congressional committee leaders to upcoming reviews of US foreign assistance and the 2020 budget…

It’s an exciting month at the Council! We are honored to announce that Kathleen P. Enright will be our new President and CEO, effective March 5. She will provide the kind of strong, forward-thinking leadership the field of philanthropy needs in this moment of unprecedented change, opportunity…

September is a month of global conversations and events for the development community. As important actors in the global movement to achieve the ambitious targets within the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, foundations play a vital role in this community. Earlier this month, foundation…

The UN’s High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) in New York City this month was an opportunity for governments and partners to review global progress on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). During the meetings, 47 countries completed Voluntary National Reviews to show progress on the…

In June 2018, we saw concerning new developments related to the use of the Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA) in targeting U.S. non-profits that also work internationally. The House Committee on Natural Resources sent a letter to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) as part of an…

Over the last month, I’ve seen growing attention to discussions about power in philanthropy. In early May, the Council co-hosted an event launching the new Grantcraft guide around #ShiftThePower . The packed room of attendees discussed how community philanthropy can create local…

September represents the start of a new school year, and at the Council our global program has been incredibly busy this month, from disaster response to major programming alongside the United Nations General Assembly in New York. During this 2017 hurricane season, we have witnessed several storms…

I hope you have been enjoying a relatively mild summer, using the time to explore the outdoors and hopefully take a much needed vacation. As the end of summer draws near, we are fully in planning-mode. This September marks two years since we began supporting the Sustainable Development Goals at the…

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…

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…

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…

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'…

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…

It’s hard to believe 2016 is almost over. With the U.S. election, Brexit, the crisis in Syria, and historic meetings for the international community like the World Humanitarian Summit, it’s been an eventful year to say the least. It’s unclear what exactly 2017 will hold, but we are preparing…

A tumultuous election season in the U.S. has come to an unexpected end, and Americans are reeling from a surprising turn of events that reflects Brexit and other populist trends. While it’s unclear exactly how a Trump administration will affect America’s role in international development and…

This week, those affected by Hurricane Matthew are very much on our minds here at the Council. On Tuesday, the Council co-hosted a special webinar with the Center for Disaster Philanthropy to inform funders about recovery needs, and we have additional disaster philanthropy resources on our…