Professional Development

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…

Online giving days are generating huge interest among community foundations. Giving online is increasing in double digit percentages year over year, yet in our community, many of the nonprofits we serve have barely have a website let alone a “Donate Now” button. As a result, we thought it was…

When Jessica David was wondering how to support her new hire, who was tasked with telling her foundation’s story online, she turned to her peers for advice. Jessica, the Vice President of Strategy and Community Investments of the Rhode Island Foundation, posted a question to the Council’s new…

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…

Register Today Are you new to philanthropy and unsure about the due diligence process for making a successful grant? Have you been in the field for several years, but are still unclear on the legal aspects of grantmaking or how to spot red flags in grantee financial statements? If you answered "yes…

Tell Us About Your Professional Development Needs The Council on Foundations is pleased to invite you to participate in a national study about professional development for nonprofit and philanthropic professionals and board members. The study is sponsored by the Dorothy A. Johnson Center for…

Call for Sessions Be a part of the 2014 Annual Conference: Philanthropy Exchange! The Council is issuing a Call for Sessions to leading civil and social innovators. We are looking to you for well-developed sessions that offer diverse perspectives, concrete solutions, and fresh insights…

A brand new conference experience – Philanthropy Exchange – supercharges the Council on Foundations' Annual Conference with enhanced networking opportunities, an inclusive perspective on the shared values of the field, and a focus on the issues that matter to you. Join over a thousand of…

The Council on Foundations is proud to release the 2013 Grantmakers Salary Tables. This annual publication is one of the most comprehensive sets of data on U.S. foundations’ staff compensation available. The release of the Salary Tables preludes the upcoming Grantmakers Salary and Benefits…

Up on Capitol Hill, a focus on foreign policy overshadows tax reform this week This is the last week of the Summer Congressional recess, but some members have returned to Washington to address concerns about Syria that dominate the airwaves and headlines. With the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee’s…

In class, I learned about motivating employees and the value of a learning organization, and started thinking about tools I could use to encourage a learning culture. Here are a few ideas I came up with that you might be interested in utilizing in your own organization. 1. Postcards. I turned a…

I recently had the opportunity to connect with several young nonprofit professionals at a lunch meeting. After learning about issues several were facing that ended up complicating work with grantees, I immediately suggested several free technology tools that could streamline their current work.…

For today’s post, we’ve asked two leaders to weigh in on topics of interest to young, growing community foundations. Their organizations—Kern Community Foundation and The Community Foundation of Mendocino County—participated in Community Foundations Initiative II, a multiyear initiative by The…

After my time at the Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy (EPIP) conference this past week, I walked away with a lot of reflection points. What struck me most about the conversations I experienced, both during the sessions and with colleagues, was that they were not just about vision, change, and…