Leadership Development

Americans donated an estimated $335 billion to charitable causes, and foundations an estimated $50 billion in 2013 according to Giving USA. These numbers validate President John F. Kennedy’s notion that philanthropy is “a jewel of an American tradition.” Indeed the legacy of American philanthropy…

This post is part of the #CF100 Series of blog posts. The Council on Foundations is marking the 100th anniversary of the nation’s first community foundation, The Cleveland Foundation, by highlighting the roles of community foundations with this series. See where it all began at our Fall…

This post is part of the #CF100 Series of blog posts. The Council on Foundations is marking the 100th anniversary of the nation’s first community foundation, The Cleveland Foundation, by highlighting the roles of community foundations with this series. See where it all began at our Fall…

This post is part of the #CF100 Series of blog posts. The Council on Foundations is marking the 100th anniversary of the nation’s first community foundation, The Cleveland Foundation, by highlighting the roles of community foundations with this series. See where it all began at our Fall…

This post is part of the #CF100 Series of blog posts. The Council on Foundations is marking the 100th anniversary of the nation’s first community foundation, The Cleveland Foundation, by highlighting the roles of community foundations with this series. See where it all began at our Fall…

The Council on Foundations today announced the release of its 2014 Grantmakers Salary Tables and Board Compensation Tables. Both publications include data collected through the Council’s annual Grantmakers Salary and Benefits survey, and represent two of the most comprehensive sets of data on U.S.…

This post is part of the #CF100 Series of blog posts. The Council on Foundations is marking the 100th anniversary of the nation’s first community foundation, The Cleveland Foundation, by highlighting the roles of community foundations with this series. See where it all began at our Fall…

For nearly 100 years, the California Community Foundation (CCF) has been defined by the diverse passions of the more than 1,700 donors who share a dream for a better future. CCF’s initiative, Building a Lifetime of Options & Opportunities for Men (BLOOM), exemplifies this passion by addressing…

This post is part of the #CF100 Series of blog posts. The Council on Foundations is marking the 100th anniversary of the nation’s first community foundation, The Cleveland Foundation, by highlighting the roles of community foundations with this series. Think back to high school. Senior year,…

The Council on Foundations today announced the release of the 2013 Grantmakers Salary and Benefits Report, the most comprehensive information available on staff composition and compensation for U.S. foundations. This year’s report benefited from an increased response rate and will now provide…

The following infographic was prepared by Mark Neithercut, of Neithercut Philanthropy Advisors. You can also see his earlier graphic, Six Misconceptions About Family Foundations.

What was your life path that led you to philanthropy? What do you count as your biggest accomplishment in this field? Can you describe the greatest obstacle you have had to overcome in your career? StoryCorps, a national oral history project, is coming to the Council on Foundations' 2014…

Lessons Learned Jessica David, vice president of Strategy and Community Investments for the Rhode Island Foundation says the Innovation Fellowship been an ongoing learning process in a range of ways. Among her key takeaways for managing an initiative that is a departure from traditional…

Are you looking for ways to improve innovation at your organization?  Sometimes innovative ideas aren’t shared because people don’t know who to take them to.  Or, they think that others would judge the idea’s value based on the person contributing it.  If you are looking to spur…

Board of Directors Official Notice The Council on Foundations Governance Committee has nominated the following individuals to serve on the Council’s Board of Directors: Class of 2017 Ken M. Jones, II* Vice President, Chief Financial Officer The Annie E. Casey Foundation Baltimore Ann M. Cramer…

This blog was originally posted on "Knight Blog" the blog of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. It is republished here with permission. Last year, as Giving Days became increasingly popular, Knight Foundation looked for a way to help the community foundations organizing them make these…