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FEATURED EVENT
Practice and Purpose of Policy
A Training for Community Foundation Leaders
July 30 and August 6, 2024 | 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. ET
Virtual
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.
Washington Snapshot - December 20, 2013
Happy holidays! The Council’s Public Policy team wishes you and your loved ones a joyous and festive winter break!
Council letter featured in The New York Times
As we reported last week, Council president & CEO Vikki Spruill authored a letter to the New York Times editors responding to Ray…
Scrivner Award for Creative Grantmaking Recipients
The Scrivner Award for Creative Grantmaking was established in 1985 to recognize a grantmaker who has demonstrated outstanding creativity. It honored grantmakers who, with a combination of vision, principle and personal commitment, made a critical difference in a creative way. The award was created…
Typhoon Haiyan Webinar with the Center for Disaster Philanthropy
Typhoon Haiyan was one of the worst disasters to hit the Philippines in decades. This webinar was conducted one month after the Super Typhoon made landfall, killing more than 5,000 and causing billions in damages. Representatives from the Philippines Embassy in Washington, DC, Accenture, and the…
Bringing Personal Accountability on Board
Increasing personal accountability is probably the most effective way to enhance the performance of board members. Here are a few suggestions.
by James E. Klusman
"Life's a lot more fun when you're not responsible for your actions." So says Calvin, in the cartoon "Calvin and Hobbes," as he…
Community Foundation Atlas
We are pleased to partner with the Cleveland Foundation to promote a groundbreaking international project that will inform community philanthropy around the globe. The Community Foundation Atlas will be unveiled at our Centennial Year, Fall Conference for Community Foundations next October 20-22 in…
A Compliance Checklist for Private Foundations
Legal Compliance Guidance
The persistent scrutiny of nonprofit governance has prompted leaders at many types of organizations to take steps to assure that their own houses are in good legal and financial order. This checklist is a good place for you as a private foundation to start.
Tips for Effective Grantee Relations
External Resource
This checklist for developing effective grantee relations was prepared by Jane Kendall, president of the North Carolina Center for Nonprofits and a trustee of the Kathleen Price Bryan Family Fund.
Washington Snapshot - December 13, 2013
Happy holiday season! We even had a snow day here in D.C. this week that helped to boost our festive spirits.
Council President Responds to Critical New York Times Op-Ed
Ray Madoff’s New York Times op-ed characterizes the charitable deduction as “wasteful,” and brings up an idea—one that we’ve…
Community Foundations National Standards®
The Council on Foundations takes a leadership role in shaping community foundations' self-regulation by promoting Community Foundations National Standards®.
What are National Standards?
Community Foundations National Standards® (National Standards) is an accreditation program created by community…
Washington Snapshot - December 6, 2013
Welcome to December! We hope that all of our readers had an enjoyable Thanksgiving with family and friends, and a Happy Hanukkah!
Thune-Wyden Letter on the Charitable Deduction
As this YouTube wrap-up of the day reveals, the Charitable Giving Coalition's D.C. fly-in generated buzz about the…
Glossary of Philanthropic Terms
Fundamentals
Search by Letter
A B C D E F G I J L M O P Q R S T U
Certain definitions are defined by law.
A
501(c)(3):
Section of the Internal Revenue Code that designates an organization as charitable and tax-exempt. Organizations qualifying under this section include religious, educational, charitable,…
IRA Charitable Rollover
Issue
The Council has actively supported permanence and expansion of the IRA Charitable Rollover since its inclusion in the Pension Protection Act of 2006 (PPA). As of December 18, 2015, the IRA Charitable Rollover was passed by Congress and signed into permanent law by the President, allowing…
Community Foundation Locator
Find community foundations in your area by searching the locator map. You can view a map of all accredited community foundations on the Community Foundations National Standards website or filter to only show accredited foundations here.
Ask Your Senators to Help Preserve the Charitable Deduction
On November 20, in conjunction with the Charitable Giving Coalition’s “Protect Giving Day,” Senators John Thune (R-SD) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) issued a letter in full support of the charitable deduction. This letter is a perfect example of the growing bipartisan support for preserving the full value…
A Quest for Equality: Breaking the Barriers for People with Disabilities
External Resource
From The Chicago Community Trust, this white paper challenges all of us with a set of thoughtful recommendations to realize our promise for the full inclusion of people with disabilities in our communities, our schools and our workplaces.
Thinking about an Audit? Read this First
Legal Compliance Guidance
Audits are everywhere these days. Consider:
In the wake of corporate accounting scandals, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act was enacted in 2002, imposing corporate governance reforms on public, for-profit companies, including provisions on how financial audits are managed and carried out by auditors. …
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