Community Foundation Updates
Monthly updates on what is going on at the Council around our work with community foundations.
Last month at Legal Matters in Milwaukee, among the 50 community foundation colleagues in attendance, I argued that a newly defined role for community foundations is solidifying for the field. That role is to create the atmosphere, culture, and ecosystem for shared ownership of community.
Brad Ward describes the scholarship slump, as well as new events and resources for Council members in the June newsletter.
On Monday, April 30, 2018, the Community Foundations National Standards Board (CFNSB), a supporting organization of the Council on Foundations, announced four new board members.
As we think about the future of the Council, I personally have been reflecting on the role the Council must play moving forward—not just what it’s been for the past 70 years, but the changing context that is shaping the future of community foundations.
As you read this, I’ve landed on the beautiful island of St. Croix, in the U.S. Virgin Islands, to engage with community foundations, our federal partners, FEMA, and other associations to discuss how philanthropy helps this U.S. territory, as well as Puerto Rico, continue its recovery from the devastating hurricanes back in September.
I am deeply impressed by the relationships built in our field, sometimes from just one simple interaction at a Council event.
For some parts of the country, 2018 arrived in full force—with an arctic blast of frigid temperatures in the east and torrential mudslides in the west—all while tax reform brings new unknowns to our work.
As 2017 comes to a close, I’ve been reflecting on how much I’ve learned from you this year. When I transitioned to the role of Director of Community Philanthropy in 2016, from running a community foundation in Indiana, it was extremely important to me that I spoke to community foundation leaders about the present and future needs of our field. My goal was to use what I learned to create a focused learning journey and connections to topics and issues that are important to you.