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. 

Essentials of Policy Advocacy for Grantmakers - March 2024

The Essentials of Policy Advocacy for Grantmakers course will help foundation staff use their resources effectively to advance public policies that support the greater good. Rather than focusing on what policies foundations should address, this training will focus on how to engage in policy…

Advancing Locally Led Development: An Overview of U.S. Foundations’ Direct Global Giving

Publication, Toolkit
Since 1997, the Council on Foundations and Candid have analyzed trends in global grantmaking by U.S. foundations. In our State of Global Giving by U.S. Foundations: 2022 Edition report, which analyzed grants made between 2016 and 2019, we found that 39% of global grants made by U.S. foundations…

Community Foundation Excellence (CFE) Fundamentals Course - Virtual - July 2024

A well-trained staff and an informed board are critical to the success of community foundations in our fast-changing world. This course helps community foundation staff that are new to the field build the essential skills they need to balance governance and management with the broader understanding…

Community Foundation Excellence (CFE) Fundamentals Course - Virtual - April 2024

The April/May course is SOLD OUT. You can register for the July 17-18 & 24-25 course instead.  A well-trained staff and an informed board are critical to the success of community foundations in our fast-changing world. This course helps community foundation staff that are new to the field…

Legal Matters for Community Foundations - March 2024

Led by the Council on Foundations Legal Team, this workshop is flexibly organized to ensure that your broad legal questions for administering funds, grants, and community foundation activities are addressed. The legal team will provide technical and practical understanding of complex rules and…

Community Foundation Excellence (CFE) Fundamentals Course - Virtual - February 2024

A well-trained staff and an informed board are critical to the success of community foundations in our fast-changing world. This course helps community foundation staff that are new to the field build the essential skills they need to balance governance and management with the broader understanding…

Webinar Recording: CF Insights: Access Shared Knowledge for Community Foundations

Recording
  Originally held on October 19, 2023, during this webinar, Council staff provided a demonstration of how to use the CF Insights platform to search for peers and access detailed comparative data reports and discussed the ways in which you can leverage this information to inform strategic…

Community Philanthropy Update - October 2023

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Legal Office Hours - November 2023

As part of our Member Week programming, Council staff counsel will host Legal Office Hours focused on the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on two cases: Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) v. Harvard and SFFA v. University of North Carolina (UNC), which have the potential to impact philanthropic…

Values-Aligned Philanthropy Peer Learning Circle - November Meeting

Join us for the November meeting of our Peer Learning Circle dedicated specifically to community foundation staff working on exploring, designing, or implementing organizational values-aligned grantmaking policies. This event offers an opportunity to engage with fellow community foundation staff…

Philanthropy Can Further Social Cohesion: One Way to Get Started

This blog is part of the Council's Dialogue Across Difference series. In this space, we will share your viewpoints: In a time of polarization and mistrust, how can philanthropy bridge across difference?  The Constitution empowers us to create “a more perfect union.” Today, toxic polarization…

Philanthropy's Response to the Israel-Hamas War 2023

Overview Since October 7, 2023, thousands have been killed and more than a hundred thousand people have been displaced in Israel and Gaza. According to CNN, more than 1,400 Israelis were killed in the Hamas assault, and more than 240 were taken hostage, according to a count by Israeli officials.…

Philanthropy's Response to the Afghanistan Earthquake

Overview More than 2,000 people have been killed and upwards of 11,000 affected after a powerful 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck Afghanistan, resulting in the deadliest earthquake to hit the region in nearly 20 years.  Afghanistan’s healthcare system is heavily reliant on foreign…

CF Insights: Office Hours

What if each community foundation can know what all community foundations collectively know?  Data is a driving force behind effective decision-making, and in the world of philanthropy, it's no different. Through CF Insights, community foundations can access up-to-date, real-world data on…

Philanthropy Supporting Ukraine - November 2023

Supporting Media Coverage in Ukraine This panel of distinguished speakers shed light on the challenges faced by Ukraine's media landscape and offered solutions to empower its resurgence and meet the needs of Ukraine's democracy. Through this discussion, participants fostered a deeper…

2023 Grantmaker Salary and Benefits Report

Publication, Research
The 2023 Grantmaker Salary and Benefits Report is updated with the most recent sector data. Information is presented by grantmaker type, foundation type, asset size, and geographic location. Additionally, 2023 report contents include: Salary data on 10,733 full-time staff from 957…
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