A lot has happened in Washington, D.C. in the past few days. The Council is analyzing the recent executive orders and other policy proposals, and we are working with legal counsel and talking with our members to fully understand the implications for our sector.

We will follow up in the coming days with more information. In the meantime, we encourage you to:

• Sign up for our Washington Snapshot newsletter for the latest policy news; and
• Plan to join us in Washington, D.C., February 23-26, for Foundations on the Hill.

Greetings Friend,

Happy New Year from the Community Foundations National Standards Board (CFNSB)! I am Austin Dickson, CEO of the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country and CFNSB President.

National Standards represents our field’s commitment to self-regulation and sector driven best practices, counting over 450 actively accredited community foundations. I’m excited to work with all of you to build on the program’s achievements and commitments to equity, accountability, and process efficiency.

This year, CFNSB is proud to announce the appointment of four distinguished individuals to our board of directors – Christopher White from the Community Foundation of North Texas, Daria Perez from the Whitefish Community Foundation, Lori O’Keefe from the Triangle Community Foundation, and Tatiana Hernandez, from the Community Foundation of Boulder County. We are confident that their insights and guidance will further our mission and help us achieve our strategic goals.

CFNSB thanks its outgoing board members: Laurel Lee-Alexander from the Community Foundation for Monterey County, Nick Williams from the Albuquerque Community Foundation, Sharon Bisher from the Hillsdale County Community Foundation, and Sheila Kinman from the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay. Their legacy and contributions have been pivotal in steering our success. Thank you all for your service to National Standards!

If you haven’t yet, please consider joining our community. To learn more about National Standards, reach out to submissions@cfstandards.org or register for one of our monthly webinars on the second Wednesday of each month at 1:00 PM ET. We also hope to see you in Minneapolis for Leading Locally 2025!

Best,

Austin Dickson
Board President, Community Foundations National Standards
CEO, Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country

Upcoming Events

Career Pathways 2025-26 Application Office Hours - January

January 28 | Virtual | Peer Event

Public Policy Action Network - February Meeting

February 3 | Virtual | Peer Event

Looking to 2025: What Does a New Congress Mean for Philanthropy?

February 11 | Virtual | Webinar

2025 Bridging Differences Leadership Cohort Application Q&A

February 12 | Virtual | Peer Event

SDG Learning Circle for Foundations - February Meeting

February 18 | Virtual | Peer Event

Foundations on the Hill 2025

February 23-26 | Washington, DC | Advocacy Conference

Legal Matters for Community Foundations - Virtual

March 18 & 20 | Virtual | Training

Practice and Purpose of Policy

April 8 & 10 | Virtual | Training

Community Foundation Excellence (CFE) Fundamentals Course - Virtual

May 6, 8, 13, 15 | Virtual | Training

Retreat for New Foundation Executive Leaders

May 8-9 | Indianapolis, IN | Executive Retreat

Leading Locally 2025

June 10-12, 2025 | Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN | Sector Event

New Member Spotlight

Welcome to the community foundations that have joined as new Council members since our last newsletter! We're excited to have Barberton Community Foundation, Central Kansas Community Foundation, Community Foundation of Madison and Jefferson County, Miami County Foundation, Pasadena Community Foundation, and Richland County Foundation as new members.

Resources You Can Use

Legal Question of the Month with Staff Counsel Remy Barnwell

Question: We have a DAF that wants to make a grant to the local symphony orchestra (501c3 org.), and the orchestra will name a seat after that donor. Is that a problem for us to make that grant?

Answer: The DAF can make a grant to the local symphony orchestra and name a seat after the donor without any issue. The IRS has made clear that name recognition by itself is an incidental benefit and permissible with distributions from DAFs or private foundations. 

Council members are able to send their questions to our legal team for expert advice and analysis. You can take advantage of this member benefit by becoming a member today.

CF Insights Highlight

FY23 CF Insights Annual Survey Results are on the way, and Plus Members can get early access 

We look forward to sharing the results of the CF Insights Annual Survey for fiscal year 2023 (FY23) in the coming weeks, which will highlight broader growth trends across the community foundation field and illustrate key differences between community foundation business models. But did you know that Council Members with the Plus Membership Add-on can get early access to this data? Through the CF Insights benchmarking tool, survey data is available as it’s collected, allowing you to run comparative reports to help inform decision-making about your community foundation’s operations, before the survey results are published.

Interested in learning more about Plus Membership or CF Insights? Visit cof.org/cfinsights, or email cfinsights@cof.org to set up a live demo of the benchmarking tool. 

Apply for the 2025 HUD Awards

Has your foundation worked with a government agency to create change in your community? Apply for the Secretary’s Award for Public-Philanthropic Partnerships!

The annual award recognizes excellence in partnerships that have both transformed the relationships between the sectors and led to measurable benefits in housing and community development. Applications are due by February 7.

Foundations on the Hill 2025

With a new Congress and presidential administration in session, now is a great time to form relationships with the policymakers that drive legislation in your community. Join us February 23-26 in Washington D.C. for Foundations on the Hill 2025, the public policy and advocacy conference that helps us strengthen our collective voice on Capitol Hill.

Through focused advocacy, expert-led sessions, and strategic networking opportunities, you'll learn to effectively champion policies that promote a strong philanthropic sector in your neighborhood.

Philanthropy Exchange Conversations for You

• Community Impact Office Hours
• Communications Consultant
• AI Training/Workshop

News Articles

• The Chronicle of Philanthropy: Next for DAFs? Accounts as Tools for Regular Folks, Not Just the Wealthy
• Inside Philanthropy: 25 Philanthropy Predictions for 2025
• Alliance Magazine: California wildfires: community foundations lead philanthropic response
• The Chronicle of Philanthropy: The Great Nonprofit Downsizing

Keep in Touch!

Share your organization’s impact story with us at
cofcommunications@cof.org.

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