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. 

Community Philanthropy Update - December 2017

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…

NACF Travel Scholarship Recipients Announced

The Council on Foundations is thrilled to be co-hosting the first-ever North American Community Foundations Summit (NACF) in Mexico City, February 5-6, 2018. More than 120 community foundation leaders will gather in the capital of Mexico this winter to learn new ways to think globally and act…

2017 California Wildfires

Disaster Overview In December 2017, nearly 9,000 wildfires tore through the State of California, burning 1.2 million acres of land, destroying more than 10,800 structures and killing at least 46 people. Source: Washington Post Member and Partner Resources The Council co-sponsored a funders phone…

Economic Development as a Charitable Activity

Publication
A Chapter in Mastering Foundation Law: The Council on Foundations Compendium of Legal Resources Economic development grants raise all sorts of intriguing legal issues. May a charity participate with non-charitable and even for-profit companies in a development project it does not control? What…

Washington Snapshot: Tax Bill Heads to Conference, Moves Closer to Passage

In This Week's Edition of Snapshot Tax Bill Proceeds to Conference Committee Congress Faces Deadline to Avoid a Government Shutdown IRS Requests Comments for Certain Situations Involving DAFs In the States: Governors, Legislatures Struggle to Close Budget Gaps, Illinois Improves Government-…

Council on Foundations Statement on Senate Passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act

Today, the Council on Foundations released the following statement from President and CEO Vikki Spruill: “Today’s Senate passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will have long term catastrophic impacts on philanthropies, charities, and the people that they serve. Coinciding with a time of year…

Tax Reform Member Update

Members, View the Recording Council on Foundations Senior Vice President for Government Relations Hadar Susskind hosts a member call to discuss the current House and Senate tax reform bills. If allowed to become law, the current tax reform effort will have disastrous consequences for charitable…

2018 Public Policy Summit - Registration

Registration Online Registration Online Registration is closed. You can register onsite at the Loews Philadelphia Hotel in the Millennium Hall foyer on the 2nd floor. For faster onsite registration, please fill out the paper registration form and bring it with you. Registration Rates…

Washington Snapshot: Senate Advances Tax Bill, Moving Full Speed Toward Passage

In This Week's Edition of Snapshot Tax reform: The Senate begins debate on tax reform, advancing tax reform ever closer to the President’s desk In the States: Michigan nonprofits and philanthropic groups promote Census 2020, a year in review of the charitable deduction challenges and expansion,…

Schedule-At-A-Glance

This schedule is subject to change. Wednesday, April 11 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Opening Plenary — Engage, Educate, and Empower: Philanthropy’s Voice in the Public Policy Arena Thursday, April 12 8-9 a.m. Networking Breakfast 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Veterans Philanthropy…

Working Group

Khalif Ali Director of Public Policy and Advocacy The Pittsburgh Foundation Pete Bird President The Frist Foundation Gina Dalma Special Advisor to the CEO and Vice President of Government Relations Silicon Valley Community Foundation Bruce…

Teaming Together to Mitigate the Impact of Implicit Bias

Approximately 50 leaders from higher education, philanthropy, and the private sector recently met at Duke University for an intimate conversation about implicit bias. Organized by the TIAA Institute, Duke University, and the Council on Foundations, “Managing Effectively Across Differences: The…

Three Leading Organizations Representing Foundations and Charitable Nonprofits Urge NO Vote on Senate Tax Bill

The Council on Foundations, National Council of Nonprofits and Independent Sector today voiced united opposition to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act being considered in the U.S. Senate. Leaders of the three organizations, which represent foundations and charitable nonprofits, sent a letter to lawmakers,…

Joint Letter of Opposition to the Senate Tax Reform Bill

Dear Senators, The charitable nonprofit and foundation communities stand united in opposition to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and, in the strongest possible terms, urge a “NO” vote on the bill. The current legislation damages the civic infrastructure upon which our communities depend, and hurts the…

Digital Security and Your Foundation: The Good, Bad, and the Ugly

Members, View the Recording The second session in our series on digitalization and the community foundation business model dives into business innovations for community foundations designed to address cybersecurity. Hear from Josh Levy, Stanford’s Digital Civil Society Lab, as he provides practical…

#GivingTuesday Is An Opportunity To Focus On the Good Around Us

At a time when partisanship runs rampant and public divides seem numerous, this #GivingTuesday offers an opportunity for our country to focus on all the good that is happening around us and to work collectively, through donations of all kinds, to strengthen our society at every level. #…
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