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. 

Increasing Equitable Infrastructure Investments in Underserved Communities

  In this webinar, the Council hosted Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy, Christopher Coes and Department of Transportation (DOT) officials responsible for community outreach for a conversation about how foundations can collaborate with community partners to support the…

Philanthropy's Response to the 2022 Afghanistan Earthquake

Overview A 5.9 magnitude earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan on June 22, 2022, resulting in the deadliest earthquake to hit the region in over two decades, killing more than 1,000 people and injuring 1,500. Before the devastating impact of this earthquake, Afghanistan was already…

Community Philanthropy Update - June 2022

  Greetings Friend, I'm still so energized by the events of last week. Not only did we celebrate Member Week with our nearly 850 members, but we also launched a new Council brand and website. We’re proud to enter this exciting moment in our history and to celebrate our vibrant member…

Member Stories of Impact

Shared purpose. Collective voice. Greater impact.

You may notice something different about our website and social media presence. That’s right: Your 73-year-old Council on Foundations has a new look! We’re particularly excited to share this during the Council’s Member Week – a time when we celebrate and connect with our nearly 850 member…

Essentials of Policy Advocacy for Grantmakers

Registration now open! 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…

Practice and Purpose of Policy: A Training for Community Foundation Leaders

Register Now! As organizations committed to strengthening community foundations, CFLeads and the Council on Foundations are partnering to offer a new public policy and advocacy training course for community foundations. This updated training will provide community foundation leaders and staff with…

Rules of Advocacy and Lobbying for Grantmakers

It is easy to get hung up on what you think you cannot do when engaging with policymakers. The good news is, you can do more than you may think! Though the law varies among different types of foundations, all foundation types can engage in advocacy! The Council on Foundations Legal Team explained…

SDG Learning Community for Community Foundations - June Meeting

Join us for the June meeting of our new Peer Learning Circle dedicated specifically for community foundations who are working on advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) or are open to learning more about how the SDGs can fit within their work. Meeting Topic: CF Insights Annual…

ARPA Funds Peer Discussion

Peer Discussion Leads Laura Simmelink, Senior Director of Programs, Community Foundation of Collier County Marian Clowes, Associate Director for Community Leadership, Parkersburg Area Community Foundation Philanthropy Exchange is a peer-to-peer platform that connects Council members through…

Values-Aligned Philanthropy for Community Foundations

Publication, Toolkit
Through our Values-Aligned Philanthropy project, the Council on Foundations is encouraging foundations to take steps to ensure that they are not funding hate. Our white paper created a landscape scan of the issue and the work being done in the philanthropic sector to combat hate funding. We also…

Philanthropy and COVID-19: Examining Two Years of Giving and What’s Next

  Presentation Slides Candid and the Center for Disaster Philanthropy (CDP) recently released a report "Philanthropy and COVID-19: Examining two years of giving" to see how philanthropy has responded to the pandemic. In partnership with the Council on Foundations, CDP and Candid presented…

Global Philanthropy Update - June 2022

It has been an eventful year for new laws targeting nonprofits and philanthropy across the world. We know you have many questions and concerns about the rapidly changing state of global giving; join us at a Legal Office Hours event for international grantmakers on June 16 (see the News and…

Rebuilding Trust in Nonprofits and Philanthropy

  Recent data and research from sources such as the Edelman Trust Barometer suggest declining trust in nonprofits and philanthropy in the United States. Fraying trust in institutions, perceptions that nonprofits and philanthropy are politicized, intensifying critiques of…

Getting Started with Values-Aligned Philanthropy for Community Foundations

  This webinar explores how community foundations can use the Council’s new Values Aligned Philanthropy toolkit to address hate-funding. Building on the work of the 2021 white paper Values-Aligned Philanthropy: Foundations Resisting Hate and Extremism this webinar offered information and…

Legal Matters for Community Foundations - Virtual - August 2022

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…
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