Legal Compliance Guidance

Training Hours Tuesday, September 9: 1:00-4:30 p.m. ET Thursday, September 11: 1:00-4:30 p.m. ET Throughout the training, sessions will include: Insight from Council's top-notch legal team that interacts with nearly 2,000 foundation leaders each year Trends spotted by our broader team,…

This training is a preconference event at Leading Locally 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. If you would like to register for the Legal Matters for Community Foundations workshop ONLY, use the "Register Now" button above. If you would like to add this training to your Leading Locally 2025 conference…

Training Hours Tuesday, March 18: 1:00-4:30 p.m. ET Thursday, March 20: 1:00-4:30 p.m. ET Throughout the training, sessions will include: Insight from Council's top-notch legal team that interacts with nearly 2,000 foundation leaders each year Trends spotted by our broader team, including…

Led by the Council on Foundations Legal Team, this workshop is flexibly organized to ensure that your broad legal questions for administering funds, grants, and community foundation activities are addressed. The legal team will provide technical and practical understanding of complex rules and…

The Fearless Fund and Fearless Foundation announced a settlement with the American Alliance for Equal Rights and will end its grant program for Black female entrepreneurs, which AAER claimed was racially discriminatory in its suit, filed last August. The most recent ruling before the…

On September 11, the parties in American Alliance for Equal Rights (AAER) v. Fearless Foundation announced a settlement, resulting in the case’s dismissal in the federal district court where it had been pending for more than a year. At issue was the legality of the Fearless Strivers grant program,…

During this session, participants will engage in a Q&A discussion with Council on Foundations Director of Legal Resources Ben McDearmon, Staff Counsel Remy Barnwell, and Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Yoo-Jin Kang, to address DEI and legal questions in the wake of the Fearless…

In January the 119th Congress will be sworn in and take on the work of choosing leadership for the House and Senate, as well as for each of the 40+ Committees that make up Congress. Join this webinar to learn about the dynamics of the new Congress and how we expect the shifting policy environment…

The 2025 Election results will alter dynamics in Washington, D.C. National political analyst and editor-in-chief of the Cook Political Report, Amy Walter, breaks down what the election results could mean for your work and for the U.S. broadly. In addition, government affairs experts provide…

As you know, most policy issues impacting philanthropy are tax policy issues. In December 2025, key provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) are set to expire, kicking off a race to develop new tax legislation. Even before we know the results of the 2024 election, Congressional…

Background  On August 2, 2023, American Alliance for Equal Rights (AAER) filed a complaint against Fearless Fund claiming their Fearless Striver Grant Contest grant program violates Section 1981 of the Civil Rights Act of 1866. According to the official rules listed on Fearless Fund’s website…

How can philanthropic organizations maintain a commitment to race-conscious and identity-based giving strategies in an evolving legal landscape?  Join us to explore the practical steps you can take to maintain your foundation’s commitment to race-conscious and identity-based programs. With…