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. 

2021 Grantmaker Salary and Benefits Report Shows Increased Diversity in Leadership Roles

The Council on Foundations (“the Council”) today announced the release of the 2021 Grantmaker Salary and Benefits Report (GSB), an annual analysis of key human resources trends that includes the most comprehensive data on the composition and compensation of U.S. foundations. Published for the first…

Leveraging Equity to Defund Hate: Values-Aligned Philanthropy in Practice

Many of us know that the philanthropic community has a critical role to play in addressing the increase in hate and hate crimes, but it’s not easy to figure out how to tackle this work. The Council on Foundations’ white paper, Values-Aligned Philanthropy: Foundations Resisting Hate and Extremism,…

2021 Grantmaker Salary and Benefits Report: Key Findings

Publication, Research
Drawing from data provided by 952 institutional responses, the 2021 GSB Key Findings highlights important human resource trends that are shaping the philanthropic sector.  This year’s key findings feature the voices of human resources and operations leaders from community foundations,…

National Standards Monthly Zoom Session

CFNSB is relaunching its monthly conference call to offer community foundation staff a venue to voice questions or concerns related to the National Standards program. The input of community foundation staff is critical to the success of the program. Additionally, this call provides an opportunity…

Washington Snapshot: Government Shutdown Averted: Debt Ceiling Looms

What You Need to Know About Public Policy This Week... News From the Council Government Shutdown Averted: Debt Ceiling Looms IRS Release "Tax Tip" on Charitable Deduction Child Tax Credit Sign-Up Period Extended to November 15 Congress Discusses Economic Impacts of COVID-19 What’s Happening…

Wallace Global Fund and MacArthur Foundation Briefing on Climate Movement and Systemic Racism

Please join us for an important conversation about the climate movement and systemic racism in the United States. We often hear that “durable” US climate policy requires bipartisan buy-in and agreement, but durable policy also requires a movement that can maintain and enhance a functioning…

2021 Grantmaker Salary and Benefits Report

Publication, Research
The Grantmaker Salary and Benefits Report (GSB) provides salary, benefits, and diversity data for full-time staff at U.S. foundations to aid in budget planning and personnel practice benchmarking. Information is presented by grantmaker type, foundation type, asset size, and geographic location.…

Washington Snapshot: Congress Juggles Government Funding and Presidential Priorities

What You Need to Know About Public Policy This Week... News From the Council Congress Juggles Government Funding and Presidential Priorities Operation Allies Welcome: Assisting Afghanistan Nationals' Resettlement in the U.S.  Child Tax Credit Sign-Up Deadline: October 15 Senate Confirms…

Community Philanthropy Update - September 2021

Advancing the greater good often starts with investing in our local communities. The resources that community foundations hold, whether through agency funds, endowments, or donor-advised funds, have significant potential to shape the future and reflect the values of those communities. When grants…

Washington Snapshot: Democrats Propose Tax Changes through Budget Reconciliation

What You Need to Know About Public Policy This Week... News From the Council Democrats Propose Tax Changes through Budget Reconciliation IRS Issues Update on Private Foundation Self-Dealing Secretary Yellen Warns about Debt Ceiling OMB Releases Federal Agency Racial Equity Assessment…

Legal Matters for Community Foundations - Virtual - November 2021

Virtual Format of Legal Matters for Community Foundations! Limited Size ensures peer interaction and direct question sessions.   Led by the Council on Foundations Staff Counsel, Ben McDearmon, this workshop is flexibly organized to ensure that your broad legal questions for administering…

The Backstop: An Underused Tool for Overcoming the Chicken and Egg Challenge

Nonprofits and their funders know this challenge all too well—an organization has a great idea, so they begin to seek capital from funders or foundations. They hear the same answer regularly – “It sounds like a great idea. Come back to us after you’re further along.” This presents a chicken and egg…

Council on Foundations Launches Values-Aligned Philanthropy Initiative

In response to a rise in anti-democratic extremism and hate groups in the U.S., the Council on Foundations (Council) today released Values-Aligned Philanthropy: Foundations Resisting Hate and Extremism. The report and accompanying online resource hub are part of the Council’s efforts to prevent…

Opinion: Nonprofits Have a Role to Play in Building Bridges in a Polarized World

America finds itself in a moment of political polarization. At times, nonprofits can reflect or even magnify that polarization. But at our best, we can serve as a bridge across the cultural chasms of our time. Americans across the political spectrum want to live in thriving communities — and every…

Napa Valley Community Foundation Anti-Hate Policy

Napa Valley Community Foundation (NVCF) will not process grants to organizations that NVCF knows or has reason to believe support or engage in hateful activities. NVCF will implement this policy through due diligence to ensure that hateful activities are identified and steps are taken to avoid any…

Sample Policies on Values-Aligned Philanthropy

Sample Document
Community Foundations Borrego Valley Endowment Fund Sample Policy with “Do No Harm” Approach Brooklyn Community Foundation DAF Anti-Hate Policy Community Foundation of the Ozarks Sample Full DAF Policy and Procedures East Bay Community Foundation Due Diligence Policy FAQ East Bay Community…
Subscribe to Community Foundations