Community Foundations

Community foundations are grantmaking public charities that are dedicated to improving the lives of people in a defined local geographic area. They bring together the financial resources of individuals, families, and businesses to support effective nonprofits in their communities. Community foundations vary widely in asset size, ranging from less than $100,000 to more than $1.7 billion.

Community foundations play a key role in identifying and solving community problems. In 2017, they gave an estimated $5.48 billion to a variety of nonprofit activities in fields that included the arts and education, health and human services, the environment, and disaster relief. The Community Foundations National Standards Board confirms operational excellence in six key areas—mission, structure, and governance; resource development; stewardship and accountability; grantmaking and community leadership; donor relations; and communications. Foundations that comply with these standards can display the official National Standards Seal. Currently, over 500 community foundations have earned the seal.

More than 900 community foundations operate in urban and rural areas in every state in the United States; currently, approximately 350 are members of the Council on Foundations. The community foundation model also has taken hold around the world. Community foundations have participated in the growth of international giving by U.S. foundations in recent years, with international giving by community foundations more than tripling, from $103 million in 2011 to $315 million in 2015, and community foundations' share of overall international giving by U.S. foundations more than doubling, from 1.4 percent in 2011 to 3.4 percent in 2015.

You can use our Community Foundation Locator to view a list of community foundations in the United States.

Below is everything on our site for community foundations. We highly recommend that you use the navigation or our search feature to find what you're looking for on our site. Please also visit cof.org/community-foundations for curated community foundation content. 

Global Philanthropy Update - August 2018

Earlier this week, the Council and Foundation Center released a new flagship global philanthropy report: The State of Global Giving by US Foundations: 2011-2015. DOWNLOAD This report is the latest in our partnership to track trends in how US foundations support international programs. In 1997…

Impact Investing - Beyond Program Related Investments

Editor's note: This post is one in a series highlighting sessions for the upcoming Endowments and Finance Summit, held in Washington, DC, on September 6-7. The Summit is where foundation leaders – such as CEOs, CIOs, CFOs, Senior Investment Officers and board and investment committee members –…

New Report by Council on Foundations and Foundation Center Reveals Global Giving by U.S. Foundations Increased by 29% Over Five-Year Period

A new report released today by the Council on Foundations and Foundation Center reveals that global giving by U.S. foundations increased by 29% from 2011 to 2015, reaching an all-time high of $9.3 billion in 2015.  With mounting challenges that transcend national boundaries, it’s increasingly…

Community Foundation Executive Roundtable - Washington, DC

The Council on Foundations invited executive staff of community foundations for an exchange of ideas to strengthen communities across the United States. As a field, we need to come together to discuss the current mischaracterization of donor advised funds (DAFs), and how we can implement strategies…

Community Philanthropy Update - August 2018

Pictured with Incourage staff (L-R) Dawn Newman, CFO, Gene Cochrane (Council), Kelly Ryan, CEO, Brad Ward (Council), Heather McKellips, Director of Learning and Engagement, and Kristopher Gasch, Board Chair; Wisconsin Rapids, WI I firmly believe in a Council that is…

The State of Global Giving by U.S. Foundations: 2011-2015

Publication, Research
The Council on Foundations and Candid (formerly Foundation Center) analyzed how U.S. foundations supported international communities, nonprofits, and programs between 2011 and 2015 for our report, The State of Global Giving by U.S. Foundations: 2011-2015. In addition to a detailed analysis of…

Philanthropy Law in India

View the Recording The International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL) and the Council on Foundations hosted an instructive, engaging webinar that unpacked the legal framework for philanthropy in India. The conversation was led by Indian civil society expert Noshir Dadrawala and cross-border…

Plenary Sessions

Opening Plenary — Harnessing the Momentum, Finding Opportunities, Building Stronger Futures Thursday, September 6 - 9:15 a.m.-10:30 a.m. We all wish we could predict the future. For many foundation leaders, this superpower would help them plan for and navigate global financial issues that…

Partnering for Progress

Editor's Note: The following is an edited version of a Mott Perspectives piece written by Ridgway White, president of the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. The original was published on the Foundation’s website on July 16, 2018, and is being republished as a part of our series on the winners of the…

2018 Endowments & Finance Summit - Attendees

Who's Attending

Tax Update: Deep Dive into Tax Reform and recent IRS Guidance

Editor's note: This post is one in a series highlighting sessions for the upcoming Endowments and Finance Summit, held in Washington, DC, on September 6-7. The Summit is where foundation leaders – such as CEOs, CIOs, CFOs, Senior Investment Officers and board and investment committee members –…

Washington Snapshot: Johnson Amendment Remains in the Crosshairs, Bill to Repeal UBIT Changes Introduced in the Senate

In This Week's Edition of Snapshot… Johnson Amendment Attack Reiterated by Sen. Lankford Bills to Repeal UBIT Changes Introduced in Senate Bill to Reinstate Schedule B Requirements for All Nonprofits Introduced in Senate Senate Finance Votes to Advance Treasury/IRS Nominations Appropriations…

Philanthropy Law in China

View the Recording The International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL) and the Council on Foundations co-hosted an instructive, engaging webinar that unpacked the legal framework for philanthropy in China, featuring Chinese civil society experts Shawn Shieh and Jessica Batke. Shawn…

Washington Snapshot: New Bill to Expand Foundation Scholarship Programs Introduced in the House, Senate Seeks to Avoid Shutdown Threats by Bundling Spending Bills

In This Week's Edition of Snapshot… New Bill to Expand Foundation Scholarship Programs Introduced in House Ways and Means Unveils Tax Reform 2.0 Summary Senate Finance to Hold Hearing for Treasury/IRS Nominees Senate Seeks to Avoid Shutdown Threats by Bundling Spending Bills Primary Runoff…

Strengthening Communities to Be Smoke Free

Editor's Note: This is part of our series focusing on the winners of the 2018 Secretary’s Award for Public-Philanthropic Partnerships.  In 2016, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced a nationwide smoke-free policy for all public housing locations…

Council on Foundations Applauds Introduction of the Workforce Development Through Post-Graduation Scholarships Act

The Council on Foundations on Tuesday applauds the introduction of the Workforce Development Through Post-Graduation Scholarships Act (H.R. 6486) by Representatives Darin LaHood (R-IL) and Terri Sewell (D-AL) on July 24. The bill would allow charitable foundations to administer post-graduation…
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