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. 

Harness Your Convening Power as a Funder to Reduce Polarization

Many foundations want to act as conveners to bridge divides but don’t know where to start. Participants in this session will learn how funders can spark bold partnerships, increase social cohesion and reduce polarization. Through case studies, participants will learn how to combine dialogue and…

From Transactional to Relational: Centering Indigenous Values in Philanthropy

This session explores how Native-led and national funders are moving beyond transactional grantmaking toward trust, reciprocity, and long-term partnership. Through examples from Hawaiʻi and national partners, participants will learn relational, Indigenous-informed funding approaches and apply them…

Cultivating a Student-Driven Culture of Curious Disagreement in College

This session introduces a fresh approach to dialogue in higher ed: a peer-led fellowship that equips student club leaders to adopt dialogue as a tool to reach club goals. Participants will engage in an interactive case study, then explore a funding perspective on campus discourse--why it matters,…

Collaborative Giving, Common Ground

Join three collaborative-fund leaders working across environment, democracy, and narrative change as they share data-driven insights and real-world examples of projects they are funding that bring together philanthropy, NGOs, grassroots organizations, government partners, and diverse community…

When Campus Crises Become Collaborative Possibility

Crises don't have to pull people apart; they can also be a turning point for collaboration and connection. In this interactive session, attendees will walk through real case studies and try out a scenario role play to explore constructive, pluralistic responses during tense moments. Attendees will…

Building Stronger Communities Through Reflection, Rigor, and Shared Language

Community building is complex, and metrics are hard to get to. Try out a new tool built with and for community builders to take stock of progress and set course for what’s next.  This bilingual reflection tool brings added rigor, shared language, and real-world examples. Participants will have…

Bridging with Unconventional Tools

In an era of polarization, declining civic trust, and complex social challenges, traditional grantmaking alone cannot create systemic change. This session explores how foundations are fostering social cohesion through innovative approaches like shifting narratives, building community power, and…

Bridgebuilding Evaluation: Attitude, Behavior, or Both?

All social change efforts rely on attitude and ultimately behavior change for impact. Informed by social psychology and on-the-ground practice, top evaluators in the bridgebuilding field will help participants think through their projects and portfolios in real time. Participants will leave with…

Asset-Based Rural Solutions

Learn how Rural Development Hubs bridge divides by pairing capital with trust, cultural grounding, and local leadership. This interactive session offers funders a framework to invest in ways that deepen belonging, shift narratives, and build civic and economic power in rural communities.What to…

Understanding Values, Beliefs, and Identities to Expand Reach and Impact

Funders achieve greater impact when they can look beyond demographics to truly understand their beneficiaries. A “people-centered lens” starts with exploring the values, beliefs, and identities that shape how we think. Uncovering this, funders can see what motivates views and discover new paths for…

The Importance of Being an In-Group Moderate

At a time when extreme voices dominate our echo chambers, “in-group moderates” are more important than ever. This session features faith and philanthropic leaders from across the political spectrum, talking about how they navigate toxic polarization as in-group moderates, including practical tools…

Proven Approaches for Building and Measuring Trust through Community Libraries

This session explores how funders are supporting libraries to build bridges across differences. Attendees will learn about discoveries and recommendations from recently completed pilot projects with libraries to test new social trust measurement tools and different bridge building approaches.…

Pluralism in Action: Bridging Divides through Philanthropy

Discover how philanthropy can actively fund and model pluralism to strengthen democracy and social cohesion in a time of deep division. Guided by New Pluralists and featuring case studies from Convergence, WV Can’t Wait, and Citizen University, participants will learn to spot, support, and scale…

How Donors Can Support Community-Led Processes for Healing, Reconciliation, and Justice

Stories from around the world reveal how donors can effectively support community-healing processes anchored within the communities most impacted by high polarization. This session will use storytelling and interactive learning to provide practical strategies for how nonprofits and donors can…

Climate Action in a Polarized U.S.

Partisan gridlock has hampered U.S. climate progress, but funders have the power to change that. This session explores how philanthropy can unlock durable, bipartisan action by embracing ideological diversity and supporting authentic voices across the political spectrum. Attendees will leave with…

News That Builds: Philanthropy’s Urgent Opportunity

Like sidewalks and libraries, local news is an essential resource for strong communities. But as once-thriving local newsrooms have disappeared across America, this vital public resource is at risk. Participants will examine roles and identify integration strategies philanthropy can use to…
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