Leadership Development

Due to COVID-19, all 2020 Career Pathways in-person programming has been deferred to 2021. This monthly community building hour will give the Career Pathways 2020 cohort a virtual opportunity to connect, reflect, share, and discuss a host of topics – from national issues to sector…

Due to COVID-19, all 2020 Career Pathways in-person programming has been deferred to 2021. This monthly community building hour will give Career Pathways 2020 cohort a virtual opportunity to connect, reflect, share, and discuss a host of topics – from national issues to sector solutions…

The Council on Foundations today, announced the 24 participants selected for the 2020 Career Pathways cohort, a leadership development program designed to increase the number of diverse candidates in the philanthropic leadership pipeline. The newly selected participants represent the seventh cohort…

The Council on Foundations today announced the appointment of three philanthropic leaders to its Board of Directors – Brennan Gould, Mae Hong and Peter Laugharn. Brennan Gould serves as President & CEO of the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation, a grantmaking organization with a…

I’ve just finished a year-long program that aims to bring more diverse senior leadership to the philanthropic sector. My time with Council on Foundations’ Career Pathways program was transformative and will, no doubt, have an impact on my thinking and career trajectory in ways that I can’t yet even…

I once joked with a friend that I had no personality of my own, rather that I was made up of a Frankenstein patchwork of all the people I’ve met. The tendency to wander in my storytelling? Let me introduce you to my late grandfather. The courage to opine on things not even remotely in my ken? Let…

At our Chicago learning session, I was inspired by the approaches of colleagues from the MacArthur, Kellogg, Joyce, Grand Victoria, and California Wellness foundations, alongside friends from BoardSource and the Council on Foundations. Over the course of three days, these brilliant women (yes, they…

During the United Nations General Assembly in late September, Heads of State, government officials, civil society, and the philanthropic and commercial private sector will convene in New York with a focus on Universal Health Coverage (UHC). UHC is a key part of Sustainable Development Goal 3…

After working in the philanthropic field for the past 10 years, the Council on Foundations Career Pathways Program gave me the opportunity—and frankly the time—to seriously consider being an executive leader in the sector. It’s not something I could always see for myself. I am happy to say I can…

How can foundations better anticipate ways in which the world is changing around them? This is a challenge for every organization functioning in what the military has termed a “VUCA world.” The acronym refers to an operating environment characterized by Volatility, Uncertainty, Change and Ambiguity…

Great Food, Inspiring Conversations On May 1st, those of us in the 2019 Career Pathways cohort gathered in Miami’s South Beach for Learning Session Two. As we reconnected, we ventured out to a local restaurant. Now, I love to eat. I love “good” food. I love “bad” food. When I visit some place, what…

Why Career Pathways May marked my second session of the year-long Council on Foundations Career Pathways program. I applied to the program because several of my philanthropy mentors who are program alumni found it valuable, and enthusiastically encouraged me to pursue the opportunity. More than a…

“Have a great day and let your sun shine!” These are my departing words for my 8-year-old daughter every morning at drop off. It’s my rally cry hoping she unleashes her true self on the world (well, ok, her second-grade classroom) in everything she does. Why Career Pathways The 2019 Career…

I initially became interested in philanthropy while serving as artistic director of The Harmony Theatre Company, which I cofounded while an undergraduate at Columbia University. Navigating the funding landscape was a nigh-constant challenge, and it was clear that I would need to ascertain quite a…

Social impact organizations do tough but vital work in under-resourced spaces — spaces constantly shrinking due to humanitarian emergencies, natural disasters, armed conflict and oppressive governments. The international donor community’s response to this challenging landscape has increasingly…

Women’s foundations and funds have established themselves as a powerful force in philanthropy dedicated to women and girls. Giving from these organizations is substantial, but aside from a 2009 landscape report from the Foundation Center and Women’s Funding Network, our understanding of women’s…