April Issue of International Dateline Now Available (4/2/09) The April issue of International Dateline, the Council's monthly news update for international grantmakers, contains updates on the Council's international activities, announcements from the field, professional development opportunities and a calendar of major events. Visit the archives for previous issues.
New Legal Dimensions Article on Funding in Sanctioned Countries (1/12/2009)
In this latest edition of Legal Dimensions of International Grantmaking, Tim Burgett, General Counsel for World Vision International, provides a general overview of how Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctions programs affect international humanitarian activity. The article, Funding Charitable Work in Sanctioned Countries; Navigating OFAC Compliance, warns that because even unintentional violations can lead to civil fines, grantmakers involved in international work, as well as U.S.-based charities that operate overseas, must be familiar with the entire range of OFAC programs.
International Grantmaking IV (12/8/08)
Estimated U.S. foundation giving for international purposes reached a record $5.4 billion in 2007, and 2008 giving is likely to top that record. International Grantmaking IV: An Update on U.S. Foundation Trends, a new report prepared by the Foundation Center in cooperation with the Council on Foundations, examines changes in grantmakers’ strategies and practices and the outlook for giving based on a 2008 survey and interviews with leading funders. It also documents trends in giving through 2006 based on actual grants awarded by over 1,000 of the largest U.S. foundations. View the highlights or order the report.
World Bank Community Foundation Initiative Evaluation Report (8/7/08)
The Community Foundation Initiative (CFI), a collaboration between the World Bank and the Council on Foundations from 2002 to 2008, grew out of a dialogue between the World Bank and the Council’s International Committee. The CFI sought to build knowledge and interest about community foundations within the World Bank. The initiative was supported by the Ford Foundation, the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation and the World Bank with an advisory committee coordinated by the Council. A community foundation specialist was hired by the Bank and, for the past five years, has worked to raise awareness about the community foundation concept among senior Bank staff. Part of the Bank’s learning has come through the practical experience of funding a few pilot community foundation projects in selected developing countries. An evaluation of the CFI [pdf] was conducted earlier this year for the Council, the World Bank, Ford and Mott.
New USIG Country Note for Peru (7/20/08)
The Country Notes section of this website now features a new note for Peru. The note describes the legal framework of nonprofit organizations in Guatemala along with translations of legislative provisions intended to assist grantmakers and their advisors undertaking equivalency determinations for foreign grantees under IRS Revenue Procedure 92-94. The Council partners with the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law to develop country notes for the USIG website.. The Peru country note was possible thanks to the generous support of the Peru Opportunity Fund.
Remarks by Council on Foundations' President and CEO, Steve Gunderson, before the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), on applying strategic philanthropy to the Millenium Development Goals. (3/24/08)
Revised Form 990: Implications for International Grantmakers (1/30/08)
The Internal Revenue Service released the revised 2008 Form 990 and accompanying schedules on December 20, 2007. Janne Gallagher, Vice President and General Counsel at the Council on Foundations, provides an update on what this means for international grantmakers. [More ...]
New Legal Dimensions Article: International Grantmaking from Donor-advised Funds (01/15/08)
Capitalizing on the growth of donor-advised funds and on the increasing interest in international philanthropy among donors in the United States, a number of public charities have developed expertise in international grantmaking and have offered donor-advised funds as a giving vehicle to individual donors, companies, and foundations. At the same time, donor-advised funds have come under increased scrutiny by regulators and legislators. In this article, International Grantmaking from Donor-advised Funds New Requirements and Changing Practices after the Pension Protection Act of 2006, Andras Kosaras, from the Washington DC-based law firm Arnold & Porter LLP, lucidly lays out post-PPA requirements, illustrates with examples how the PPA has affected international giving through donor-advised funds, and provides strategies for complying with the new rules. [More ...]
