Strengthening Communities

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…

This month marks my 20-year anniversary of passing the bar and becoming an attorney, and sometimes I think I’ve heard it all when it comes to nonprofit law.  Thank goodness for the Council’s community foundation members, who continually challenge me with unique and interesting questions, and…

Since 1978, the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia has facilitated philanthropic efforts to respond to critical needs in our region. In more recent years, however— especially since the launch of our Innovation Fund in 2012—the Community Foundation has also worked to seed new, innovative…