Strengthening Communities

The use of for-profit entities financed by both nonprofit and for-profit dollars provides a nongovernmental free enterprise way to solve many social issues while adding to the wealth of the populace rather than depleting government funds and heralding a bright future. We commonly call these…

You can become an impact investor today. This guide created by The Philanthropic Initiative will help you learn the different options you have for aligning your financial assets with your social goals to help for-profit and non-profit social benefit organizations become stronger and more…

Members, View the Recording Community Foundations around the country recognize that they must deploy capital beyond financial assets to improve their regions. At the same time, our community leadership has grown frustrated by the pace of change. Most of these leaders have come to understand that…

Community Foundations are part of the fabric for creating vibrant communities across the United States. They cultivate relationships by connecting people to what matters locally. Given that past work, never has there been a better time for community foundations to play a lead role as a…

Members, View the Recording With the passage of last year’s tax code overhaul, Congress created Opportunity Zones—areas in low-income census tracks designated by governors, where private equity investors can invest capital gains in new development ventures in exchange for tax forgiveness after 10…

Interest is growing in a new tax incentive meant to spur growth and economic opportunity in the nation’s most distressed communities. “Opportunity Zones” were included in the 2017 tax bill after a bipartisan push to spur private capital into places that continue to fall further and further behind…

View the Slides With the passage of last year’s tax code overhaul, Congress created Opportunity Zones—areas in low-income census tracks designated by governors, where private equity investors can invest capital gains in new development ventures in exchange for tax forgiveness after 10 years.…

Editor's Note: In advance of our Inclusive Economic Prosperity in the Midwest convening, we're highlighting stories from the region. This article was originally published in bMag, a publication by the Bush Foundation. Photography is by David Ellis. On an autumn afternoon in 2017, Abdirizak “…

Post-graduation scholarships are charitable grants made by foundations to attract or retain individuals with needed skills and talents to a particular region or community. Generally, a traditional scholarship given to an individual to attend an educational institution is tax-free, while a post-…

The Council on Foundations and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) have partnered the past six years on the Secretary’s Award for Public-Philanthropic Partnerships. The award emphasizes cross-sector partnerships between the philanthropic and public…

The word ”philanthropy” means the love of humanity. It manifests itself as generosity by individuals and organizations for the public good. We’ve seen extraordinary transformations in the Paso de Norte region brought about by the generous spirit of philanthropists – large and small – whose love for…

It's a Wrap! Leading Together 2019 was a gathering of leaders in philanthropy and other influencers in business, government, and academia. For three days, the field came together to connect, learn, and share with one another.  We also used Leading Together 2019 as an opportunity to…

Disaster Overview In December 2017, nearly 9,000 wildfires tore through the State of California, burning 1.2 million acres of land, destroying more than 10,800 structures and killing at least 46 people. Source: Washington Post Member and Partner Resources The Council co-sponsored a funders phone…

During this year’s Community Foundation Week, I’m reflecting on the innovative model of philanthropy that is the community foundation. When I joined the Council in April 2016, I was new to the philanthropic sector. However, coming from an organization where I was providing direct legal…