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(link is external) 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. 

Washington Snapshot - October 13, 2016

Executive & Regulatory News President Obama Highlights First Department of Education Pay-for-Success Projects Speaking at a national town hall on improving outcomes for at-risk youth, President Obama highlighted the announcement of two new pay-for-success awards from the Department of Education…

Grantmaking into Latin America: Regulatory Challenges, Strategic Partnerships, and Emerging Opportunities

Grantmaking into Latin America: Regulatory Challenges, Strategic Partnerships, and Emerging Opportunities This event is a preconference session at the 2017 Annual Conference. Join the Council on Foundations and our partners to spend an interactive day discussing grantmaking into Latin…

The Future of Immigration and the Role of Philanthropy

The Future of Immigration and the Role of Philanthropy This event is a preconference session at the 2017 Annual Conference. Against the backdrop of the Trump administration’s push to reform key policies, immigration has emerged as a critical issue prompting national-level discussion and debate.…

Washington Snapshot - October 7, 2016

News from the Hill Bill to Delay Overtime Regulations Passes the House Last week, we reported that the Regulatory Relief for Small Businesses, Schools, and Nonprofits Act (HR. 6094) was introduced to delay the Department of Labor (DOL) overtime rules from taking effect until June 1, 2017. Late…

Hurricane Matthew Webinar: How Donors Can Help

One of the largest Atlantic tropical storms in nearly a decade, Hurricane Matthew roared across the Caribbean leaving a path of destruction across Haiti on its slow march north through Cuba, the Bahamas, and eventually, the southeast U.S. Hundreds of thousands have already been displaced by the…

The Future of Community - A Webinar on the Special Issue of the Foundation Review

The Council on Foundations partnered with the Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy on a special issue of The Foundation Review examining the Future of Community. The issue explores aspects of the relationship between foundations and communities, addressing topics such as the redefinition of…

Leadership Development Program Aimed at Making Philanthropy More Diverse, Equitable, and Inclusive Now Accepting Applications

The Council on Foundations is pleased to announce the application period for its flagship leadership development program, Career Pathways, is open now through October 31, 2016. Through Career Pathways, the Council seeks to increase the number of candidates from diverse backgrounds in the leadership…

Webinar Recording: The Ins and Outs of the Department of Labor's New Overtime Rule

Recording

LGBTQ History Month

In the United States, LGBTQ History Month is celebrated during the month of October. It is an annual observance of LGBTQ history, and the history of the gay rights and related civil rights movements. LGBTQ History Month was first celebrated in 1994. Among the early supporters and members of…

Responsible Investing and Foundations

This post originally appeared in the Philanthropy Journal on September 26, 2016. There’s little doubt that impact investing has generated a lot of excitement, but has it translated into action? The Council on Foundations and Commonfund Institute conducted a recent survey to ask foundations about…

Washington Snapshot - September 29, 2016

In this week's Washington Snapshot: Congress Passes Bill to Fund Government Through Early December; Bill Introduced in House to Delay Implementation of the DOL Overtime Rules; Policy Preview: Opportunities in Child Welfare; Self-Dealing & Family Foundations: What If the Brady Bunch had a…

2016 Endowments and Finance Summit Opening Plenary

Hello, and welcome to New York City. I want to thank you for coming to our second annual Summit focused on finance and endowments. For many years, the Council on Foundations has helped our foundation members understand important issues related to the management and practice of the great work you do…

Council on Foundations Convenes Top U.S. Foundation Investment and Finance Leaders

Today, the Council on Foundations welcomes more than 200 foundation chief executive officers, chief financial officers, chief investment officers, board members, and board investment committee leaders from across the country to its annual Endowments and Finance Summit. The Council’s Endowments and…

2016 Grantmakers Salary and Benefits Report: Salary Tables

We are pleased to announce the release of the Council’s 2016 Salary Tables. This year’s tables include salary data from nearly 10,000 full-time positions in foundations and corporate giving programs (representing over $1 billion in total salaries). The 1,010 grantmakers that participated in this…

Philanthropy’s Role in Strengthening America’s Democracy

Philanthropy’s Role in Strengthening America’s Democracy This event is a preconference session at the 2017 Annual Conference. Join a timely, topical, and interactive afternoon that will provide both a forum for a conversation about the state of democratic practice in America, and a review of the…

Washington Snapshot - September 23, 2016

News from the Hill Voter Perceptions of the Charitable Sector This week, the Council joined partners Independent Sector and the Alliance for Charitable Reform/Philanthropy Roundtable for a breakfast in cooperation with the House Philanthropy Caucus. We were excited that Congresswoman Debbie…
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