Updates and Resources
Advocacy Essentials for Community Foundations
Government policies and programs, at the federal, state, and local level, affect almost every aspect of our lives, from housing, healthcare and the environment to education, transportation, and safety. For foundations striving to create equitable, inclusive, and widely prosperous communities, it is necessary to focus on strengthening and reimagining policies and systems.
Advocacy Essentials for Community Foundations is a two day training that will help you understand a comprehensive picture of community foundation strategies to engage in effective public policy advocacy at the local, state, and federal levels, that advances the greater good. You'll learn how to improve your foundation’s grantmaking to more effectively participate in policy advocacy, and how to build support for advocacy among your foundation’s staff and board.
Register for Advocacy Essentials for Community Foundations today.
Legal Question of the Month with Senior Staff Counsel Remy Barnwell
Question: We recently were told we were named to receive a large gift via an estate. I did tax research to see if we can exclude this from our 33.3% public support calculation as an unusual grant.
I wanted to see if you have come across this with any other foundations.
Answer: I have seen several foundations opt to classify large gifts as unusual grants under Treasury Regulation 1-170A-9(f) (6) (ii)(A) to ensure they still pass the public support test. That’s precisely what this mechanism is for, and it allows you to exclude the gift from the numerator and denominator of your public support test calculation.
Please don’t hesitate to let me know if you have any follow up questions—I’m glad to hear that you have found some resources around classifying the gift as an unusual grant.
Did you know? 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.
2026 Grantmaker Salary and Benefits (GSB) Survey
The 2026 Grantmaker Salary and Benefits (GSB) Survey deadline was extended to 5p.m. ET on May 28! (That's one week from today!) Your participation ensures that the GSB Report remains the most comprehensive guide to compensation and benefits information for philanthropic organizations in the country. Plus, participants receive early access to GSB data and a free copy of the report in the fall.
Join hundreds of community foundations by taking the 2026 GSB Survey by May 28.
CF Insights Highlight
The CF Insights Add-On gives you access to our Community Foundation Business Models online exchange
If your community foundation has the CF Insights membership add-on, visit our online exchange dedicated to community foundation business models and CF Insights benchmarking data, including the just released field-wide snapshot. Ask questions to dig deeper into how the makeup and performance of peer operating models can inform changes to your own and share how you’ve leveraged the CF Insights tool to inform any shifts in your community foundation’s operations.
Email cfinsights@cof.org to learn how to access the community or sign up to access the CF Insights benchmarking platform and we will auto-enroll you if you have the CF Insights Add-On.
Visit our website to learn more about CF Insights and the CF Insights membership add-on, or email the team at cfinsights@cof.org anytime with your questions.
Council/Commonfund Survey Still Accepting Responses
Are you a fiduciary that oversees an endowment? The 2025 Council on Foundations-Commonfund Study of Investment of Endowments for Private and Community Foundations (CCSF) is accepting responses. Join over 200 foundations in participating in the leading annual study of investment and governance policies and practices at foundations.
Philanthropy Exchange Conversations for You
News Articles
Opinions expressed in articles belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Council.
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