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. 

Private Philanthropy Newsletter—April 2018

By now you have heard the news that Vikki Spruill has accepted a position at the New England Aquarium and in June will return to the ocean conservation community, where she has deep roots. Our board president, Javier Soto, is leading the Outreach Committee, which will gather input from the…

Washington Snapshot: President, Congressional Leaders Eye Spending Reductions

In This Week's Edition of Snapshot… President, Congressional Leaders Eye Spending Reductions Trump to Nominate Muzinich for Deputy Treasury Secretary Updates to IRS Publication 526 Regarding Giving for Natural Disasters In the States: SALT Workaround Enacted in New York, Oklahoma Preserves…

Shifting the Power: Applying Community Philanthropy to Durable Development, Here and Abroad

While slogans like “think globally, act locally” have been around for decades, still so much decision-making about philanthropy and development aid happens by stakeholders outside communities. Even those funders that care deeply about championing local leadership and initiatives often struggle with…

Where and How is the Global Environment for Philanthropy Changing?

  Download slide presentation The Council on Foundations and many of our partners around the world are watching the changing environment for philanthropy across the globe, as the enabling environment for giving within countries and across borders is improving in some places and at the same…

The New Power of Philanthropy

Members, View the Recording Why do some leap ahead while others fall behind in today’s chaotic, connected world? In NEW POWER, Henry Timms (CEO of 92nd Street Y and founder of #GivingTuesday) and his co-author Jeremy Heimans (CEO of Purpose) confront the biggest stories of our age and reveal…

National Standards Conference Call

The purpose of this monthly call is to offer community foundation staff a venue to voice questions or concerns related to the National Standards program. The input of community foundation staff is critical to the success of the program. Additionally, this call provides an opportunity for…

National Standards Conference Call

The purpose of this monthly call is to offer community foundation staff a venue to voice questions or concerns related to the National Standards program. The input of community foundation staff is critical to the success of the program. Additionally, this call provides an opportunity for…

National Standards Conference Call

The purpose of this monthly call is to offer community foundation staff a venue to voice questions or concerns related to the National Standards program. The input of community foundation staff is critical to the success of the program. Additionally, this call provides an opportunity for…

Washington Snapshot: Congress Passes Spending Bill, Releases IRS Reform Proposal

In This Week's Edition of Snapshot… Omnibus Signed into Law, Averting Another Shutdown House Continues Push for IRS Reform Guidance Forthcoming on New UBIT Laws In the States: Interest Grows for Medicaid Work and Volunteering Eligibility Mandates, Making Sure Donations Don’t Determine Domicile…

Community Foundation Excellence (CFE) Fundamentals Course - Jacksonville, FL

A well-trained staff and an informed board are critical to the success of community foundations in our fast-changing world. This two-day course helps new and experienced community foundation staff build the essential skills they need to balance governance and management. Created and led by…

100&Change: A Prize Competition?

On December 20, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation announced the first recipient of our 100&Change competition’s $100 million grant: an early childhood intervention for children in the Syrian refugee region co-developed by Sesame Workshop and the International Rescue Committee.…

Top 10 Questions from the Council's First Legal Matters Workshop

Members, View the Recording Miss our Legal Matters for Community Foundations Workshop in Dallas, or did you attend, but really want to hone in on some of the bigger questions that arose from the convening? Workshop hosts Suzanne Friday and Brad Ward will walk you through some of the biggest…

Council on Foundations Congratulates Vikki Spruill on Her Appointment to Become President and CEO of the New England Aquarium

Today, the Council on Foundations released the following statement from Javier Alberto Soto, President of the Miami Foundation and Chair of the Board of Directors for the Council on Foundations: “On behalf of the Board and staff of the Council on Foundations, we congratulate Vikki Spruill on her…

Looking Back at Mexico City—Reflections and Ways Forward, pt. 2

Following upon the first-ever North American Community Foundations Summit held in Mexico City February, we invited nine travel scholarship recipients who attended to write about their experiences and observations. This is the second compilation of blogs in that series. We are especially thankful to…

Washington Snapshot: Congress Races to Prevent Government Shutdown, Trump Administration Shake-Up

In This Week's Edition of Snapshot… Congress Set to Vote on Omnibus Ahead of Friday Deadline A Recap of Foundations on the Hill 2018 President Trump Shakes-Up Administration FEMA Announces Webinars to Discuss Strategic Plan In the States: Expanding Minnesota Non-Itemizer Deductions, Donor…

Global Philanthropy Newsletter—March 2018

This month, work on public policy that impacts philanthropy has been a large focus across the Council. Most relevant to global grantmakers, I’ve been working with partners on the US Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA). There are more than seven bills currently proposed in the House and Senate…
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