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 Foundation Study Shows Improved 2016 Investment Returns; Spending Rate Steady to Higher

Data gathered in the 2016 Council on Foundations–Commonfund Study of Investment of Endowments for Private and Community Foundations® (CCSF) show that participating private foundations reported an average return of 6.4 percent for the 2016 fiscal year (January 1 – December 31, 2016) while…

Legal Counsel Sessions at the Growing Community Foundations Conference

The Council is excited to once again join the Growing Community Foundation Conference as a Resource Partner on October 1-3, 2017.   Join your community foundation colleagues in Wichita, Kansas for this dynamic Conference tailored but not limited to small-staffed and volunteer-led community…

Washington Snapshot - July 13, 2017

In This Week's Edition of Snapshot… Tax Reform Update: Health care debate slows other legislative action, but Congress is still ramping up for tax reform House Appropriations Committee to consider Johnson Amendment provision in a bill markup today Senate Finance to hold confirmation hearing for…

Community Philanthropy Update — July 2017

As we hit the midpoint of 2017, community and economic development are shrinking in many places. A number of our community foundation members are deploying more resources to stop this decline in their communities. For example, this recent article was food for thought on the topic of employment and…

A Word on Partnerships and Our Regional and State Philanthropic Associations

Editor's Note: This month the Council is focusing on Leading Together through strong partnerships. Director of Community Philanthropy Brad Ward kicks off the month with the following reflection. We live in the age of partnerships, and nowhere is this more apparent to the Council than through the…

2017 CEO & Trustee Retreat

The Council on Foundations hosted its second annual CEO & Trustee Retreat, in partnership with BoardSource. This dynamic learning event took place December 5-6, 2017 in Miami, Florida. The CEO & Trustee Retreat was designed to help energize foundation executives through leadership…

Transforming Community Foundation Scholarship Programs from Administrative Burdens to Strategic Assets

Member Access to Recording With our partners, National College Access Network (NCAN), and the Council on Foundation's Legal Team and Director of Community Philanthropy, this webinar explores key findings from a recent white paper published by NCAN on the topic of scholarships, discusses in-…

Global Philanthropy Update — June 2017

The Council’s Global Team is excited to welcome a new addition! Nicolette Gerald is a graduate of George Mason University with a bachelor’s degree in government and international politics. She will be spending the next two months with us as a summer intern before beginning her graduate studies in…

We Are Immigrants

June is Immigrant Heritage Month, a time during which we celebrate our origins as a nation of immigrants. The Council’s staff, its board, it strategic partners, its member organizations and the communities they serve are all inclusive of immigrants. As a national organization and a leading voice…

The Human Side of Digital Security and Philanthropy

Editor’s Note: The Council’s legal team regularly receives questions regarding the data security of foundation operations and donor and grantee information. Lara Kalwinski, Senior Counsel, connected with Lucy Bernholz to find the right expert to break down these issues for us. Meet Josh Levy a…

Washington Snapshot - June 29, 2017

We will not be sending Snapshot next week due to the holiday. We wish all of our readers a safe and fun Fourth of July! In This Week's Edition of Snapshot… Hill Briefing on Charitable Giving and Tax Reform Tax Reform Update: Brady Insists on Complete Overhaul Instead of Mere Tax Cuts Senate…

New Report Sheds Light on Age Gap, Lack of Diversity in the Philanthropic Sector

The largest and most comprehensive report in the United States on grantmaker staff composition and compensation was released today by the Council on Foundations and highlighted a lingering age gap that exists within the philanthropic sector. The 2016 Full Grantmaker Salary and Benefits Report…

Stand-To - A Convening to Improve Veterans’ Transition Services

The Council on Foundations was proud to recently sponsor and participate in the George W. Bush Institute’s Stand-To National Veterans Convening, a summit focused on veteran transition. Through the summit, held June 22 and 23 at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, D.C. the Bush Institute…

Washington Snapshot - June 22, 2017

In This Week's Edition of Snapshot… Tax Reform Update: Senate Finance Chairman calls for input on tax reform Health care seems to gain steam in Senate HUD announces it will begin accepting unsolicited proposals for research In the States: Delaware charitable deduction at risk News from the…

Philanthropy's Impact in the Southwest

Strengthening Local Communities to Achieve Global Goals Overview There are significant challenges facing communities in the Southwest, including racial inequality in education, economic opportunities and health outcomes. The Council on Foundations, Philanthropy Southwest, and Albuquerque…

Washington Snapshot - June 15, 2017

In This Week's Edition of Snapshot… CHARITY Act is reintroduced in Senate Tax Reform Update: Freedom Caucus weighs in on tax reform Senate continues work on health care legislation Deadline for addressing debt limit more fluid than previously thought In the States: Budgets and late nights at…
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