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. 

Public Policy Action Network - November 2023 Meeting

The Council’s Public Policy Action Network is a members-only group of foundation leaders committing their voices, experiences, and networks to engage and educate federal elected officials to foster a policy environment in which philanthropy can thrive. Policymakers depend on the voices and…

Philanthropy Supporting Ukraine - July 2023

Ukraine’s “Green Economy” Future How can countries build resilient, carbon-neutral economies? Funders around the world are investing in sustainable energy, working to combat the impact of climate change, and helping environmental nonprofits build green economies. Join us to explore how…

Public Policy Action Network - September 2023 Meeting

The Council’s Public Policy Action Network is a members-only group of foundation leaders committing their voices, experiences, and networks to engage and educate federal elected officials to foster a policy environment in which philanthropy can thrive. Policymakers depend on the voices and…

CF Insights FAQs

CF Insights was created in 2006 by the community foundation field as a partnership between FSG and the Council on Foundations. CF Insights continues the legacy of the Columbus Foundation who led the effort to track the field’s growth and evolution from 1988 to 2007. In 2015, CF Insights moved to…

CF Insights Moves From Candid to Council on Foundations

WASHINGTON - The CF Insights benchmarking platform for community foundations will move from Candid to the Council on Foundations later this year, both organizations announced today. CF Insights is a resource built for community foundations looking to inform organizational strategy and practice…

Essentials of Policy Advocacy for Grantmakers 2023

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…

How To: Amplifying Community Engagement to Address Common Issues

In this webinar, you’ll learn ideas for collaboration with different communities and stakeholders to enrich the quality of your programs. You’ll walk away with strategies for developing trust and collaboration for community-led initiatives. In 2020 Comunalia, launched the Active Communities Fund…

Trust-Based and Equity-Focused Disaster Grant Evaluation: Sharing Power When Stakes Are High

Join us to learn strategies for trust-based and equity-focused evaluation for grantmaking in disaster contexts! The Greater New Orleans Foundation has learned how evaluation, if done with sensitivity to stakeholders' needs, can guide disaster response towards equitable outcomes and hold…

Community Philanthropy Update - May/June 2023

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Community Foundation Excellence (CFE) Fundamentals Course - Virtual - November/December 2023

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

Community Foundation Excellence (CFE) Fundamentals Course - Virtual - October 2023

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

Catalyzing Affordable Housing: Building Funds for Community Partnership

Learn how your foundation can help be a part of the solution by developing a housing trust fund! Like many places across the country, the Black Hills in South Dakota are seeing a massive lack of affordable housing. After convening a Housing Summit in 2018, the leaders at the Black Hills Area…

Could the Supreme Court’s Decision on Affirmative Action Affect Philanthropy?

Will the Supreme Court end affirmative action in June? It seems likely, and the legal consequences may ripple beyond college admissions to other sectors, including philanthropy and the wider charitable sector.    As you may know, the Court heard two cases – Students for Fair Admissions (…

SDG Learning Community for Foundations June 2023 Meeting

Join us for the June meeting of our Peer Learning Circle dedicated specifically to foundations working on advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) or are open to learning more about how the SDGs can fit within their work. Connect with foundation peers to learn about the United Nations…

Philanthropy Supporting Ukraine - June 2023

Ukraine's Medical and Health Needs Funders were invited to join this conversation as part of our series of briefings on how philanthropy can support the ongoing and widespread relief, recovery, and rebuilding efforts as a result of Russia's war on Ukraine. In this roundtable discussion Boris…

Legal Matters for Community Foundations - In-Person - June 2023

If you are already registered for Leading Locally, email educate@cof.org to add this event to your conference registration.  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…
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