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. 

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…

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…

Community Foundation Excellence (CFE) Fundamentals Course—Baltimore, MD

This event is sold out. There is still availability for the Jacksonville, FL course happening October 24-25. Learn More 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 Excellence (CFE) Fundamentals Course—Denver, CO

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 helped new and experienced foundation stakeholders build the essential skills they need to balance governance and management. Created and led by…

#CFWeek: Amplifying the Work of Community Foundations Helps Advocacy for Sector

Community Foundations Week is the perfect time to celebrate the great work community foundations do around the country. This is especially true at a time when foundations are being asked to do more and more because of federal, state, and local budget cuts. In my role at the Council on Foundations,…

#CFWeek: Tackling Local Issues on a Global Scale

Monday’s blog kicked off Community Foundation Week (#CFWeek) and highlighted our inaugural North American Community Foundation Summit. Next February in Mexico City, we will explore bold and innovative approaches to address the multifaceted issues impacting our local communities, highlighting how…

Washington Snapshot: BREAKING NEWS: House Passes H.R. 1

In This Week's Edition of Snapshot Tax reform: House passes tax reform package; Senate continues committee markup. IRS notices rule for charitable giving for wildfire damages. In the States: The Cuts are Coming, Montana Continues its Strict Campaign Finance Tradition News from the Hill…

Community Foundation Legal Webinar

Recording
View the Webinar Slides Community Foundations: Gearing up for Year-End Spend 90 minutes with the Council's legal staff to explore topics associated with year-end.   As well, take a moment out to celebrate #CFWeek and gear up for #GivingTuesday! Topics Include:  Year-end gift…

Council on Foundations Statement on the House Passage of H.R. 1, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act

Today, the Council on Foundations released the following statement from President and CEO Vikki Spruill: “Just minutes ago, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 1, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. A once-in-a-generation opportunity for tax reform has been missed. The negative impacts of this bill on…

#CFWeek: Community Foundations: An Innovative Model With a High Code of Conduct

During this year’s Community Foundation Week, I’m reflecting on the innovative model of philanthropy that is the community foundation. When I joined the Council in April 2016, I was new to the philanthropic sector. However, coming from an organization where I was providing direct legal…

#CFWeek: Community Foundations Crack the Code Books with Creativity, Innovation, and Goodwill

This month marks my 20-year anniversary of passing the bar and becoming an attorney, and sometimes I think I’ve heard it all when it comes to nonprofit law.  Thank goodness for the Council’s community foundation members, who continually challenge me with unique and interesting questions, and…

National Standards: What You Need to Know About the New Process

The majority of community foundations in the U.S. are accredited via the National Standards program, highlighting each’s accountability, integrity, and overall commitment to excellence in community philanthropy. However, with a relatively high turnover rate among community foundation staff, keeping…

Joint Statement of the National Council of Nonprofits and the Council on Foundations

The Council on Foundations and the National Council of Nonprofits stand united in opposing H.R. 1, the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act, because of significant changes to proven tax policies that have served the American people well, most notably the following: Severely Cutting Back Charitable Giving:…

This #CFWeek, We Celebrate More than 25 Years of Local Philanthropy

Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series of blogs to mark Community Foundation Week, which occurs November 12 – 18. We encourage community foundations to engage with the Council all week via social media using #CFWeek. Be sure to tag us @COF_ so we can retweet your stories of local impact! For…
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