Leadership Development

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…

My wife and I met as Peace Corps volunteers in Sierra Leone in 1987. Three decades later, we were living on the East Coast, both enjoying fulfilling work in social sector careers. Last year, an unexpected opportunity arose to serve as the Walton Family Foundation’s executive director – the third in…

This past Friday a diverse group of philanthropic leaders gathered in New York City to discuss the unexpected election results, what those results mean for our nation and what they mean for our work, both individually and as a sector. The meeting, convened by the Council on Foundations and hosted…

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…

My great aunt, Georgeanna Gibbs Browne, born in 1876 in Philadelphia, was a victim of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C). Her upbringing was church-going and “upper crust.” Newspaper clippings describe her twirling across dance floors at summer soirees and charity balls. Old medical journals…

During my seven-year tenure as superintendent of Guilford County Schools, I was committed to listening to and learning from others. I listened to parents, teachers and students to understand what we could do in order to make our schools better for each child. Much of that listening and learning…

Report from the Strengthening Community Learning Forum October 13-14, 2016 | Louisville, KY One grant almost never solves the problem. Community foundations know this, and they’re not just stewards of funds anymore. They’ve become long-term facilitators, unleashing the creativity and energy of…

On Thursday, October 27, 2016, the Chronicle of Philanthropy released this year’s Philanthropy 400, its annual ranking of American nonprofits based on the private support they raise. The special report acknowledged a record year in giving, and named Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund, the charitable…

The Charitable Giving Coalition (CGC) urged Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, the major party nominees for President of the United States, to support the full preservation of the charitable deduction in a letter the coalition sent to the candidates this week. Along with preserving the charitable…

The Council on Foundations is pleased to announce the application period for its flagship leadership development program, Career Pathways, is open now through October 31, 2016. Through Career Pathways, the Council seeks to increase the number of candidates from diverse backgrounds in the leadership…

Hello, and welcome to New York City. I want to thank you for coming to our second annual Summit focused on finance and endowments. For many years, the Council on Foundations has helped our foundation members understand important issues related to the management and practice of the great work you do…

Today, the Council on Foundations welcomes more than 200 foundation chief executive officers, chief financial officers, chief investment officers, board members, and board investment committee leaders from across the country to its annual Endowments and Finance Summit. The Council’s Endowments and…

Philanthropy’s Role in Strengthening America’s Democracy This event is a preconference session at the 2017 Annual Conference. Join a timely, topical, and interactive afternoon that will provide both a forum for a conversation about the state of democratic practice in America, and a review of the…

Stephanie Bell-Rose is the Senior Managing Director and Head of the TIAA Institute. The Council on Foundations’ 2016 Endowments and Finance Summit is just around the corner – Sept. 28-30 – and as co-chair of the convening's working group, I strongly encourage you to register for it! I personally…

When I noticed late last year that the Council on Foundations’ annual conference would focus on climate change, I was delighted. For The Fund for New Jersey and other place-based funders, climate change has been a daunting challenge. We are a small foundation in a state with no coal-fired…

This post originally appeared as an op-ed in The Guardian on July 16, 2016. There is no doubt that the U.S. is suffering from what feels like the unravelling of social order. Recent shootings in Louisiana, Minnesota, and Texas have heightened deep-seated tensions relating to race and criminal…