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. 

Council on Foundations Holiday Schedule

The Council on Foundations offices will be closed from December 24, 2016 - January 2, 2017. During this time, Council staff is available to assist our members with their time-sensitive needs. Please dial the membership line directly at 703-879-0645 or email Membership at membership@cof.org.

2017 Happenings and 2016 Highlights for Community Foundations

2017 Happenings for Community Foundations Winter 2017 – Opinion Piece — Community Foundation Business Disruptions in 21st Century Winter 2017 – White Paper — International Giving Activity for U.S. Community Foundations Jan 11 – Webinar — Don’t Skimp onOverhead in 2017: Expand Your Admin Support…

2017 Lineup for Community Foundations

Greetings Community Foundation Colleagues I hope you are having a wonderful holiday season and are looking to the new year with abundant optimism for what you and your community foundation can achieve. Check out a quick sample of 2017 Happenings and Highlights from 2016 As the Council looks ahead…

A Leadership Conversation: Philanthropy’s Post-Election Assessment

This past Friday a diverse group of philanthropic leaders gathered in New York City to discuss the unexpected election results, what those results mean for our nation and what they mean for our work, both individually and as a sector. The meeting, convened by the Council on Foundations and hosted…

Five Trends in Philanthropy

2017 will be a year of change, as orthodoxies in the field get tested and philanthropy steps up and into a more prominent national role. This post is part of our inaugural Trendspotting Series profiling important ideas that will be shaping some major fields of interest in 2017. Each…

Community Foundation Update - December 2016

Happy holidays! May this month be filled with year-end giving and exciting developments to propel you into 2017! As always, the Council is here for you, and I’m writing to share a few resources for you to consider as the year comes to an end. First, the most recent developments in the Oakland…

Final Chinese Overseas NGO Law Guidelines Released

In early December 2016, the Chinese government released the official and final version of their new Guidelines on Organizational Registration and Temporary Activities Reporting. These guidelines provide needed information for compliance with the 2016 Law of the People’s Republic of China on…

Five Trends in U.S. Politics

House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) shows President-elect Donald Trump and his wife, Melania Trump, the Speaker's Balcony at the U.S. Capitol on November 10, 2016. (Photo credit - Zach Gibson/Getty Images) This post is part of our inaugural Trendspotting Series profiling important ideas that…

Washington Snapshot - December 15, 2016

We will be taking a break from sending Washington Snapshot through the end of this year, and will resume on January 5, 2017. We wish all of our readers a safe and enjoyable holiday season! News from the Hill Update on Tax Reform Progression in the Senate This week, Senate Majority Leader Mitch…

Five Trends in Public Opinion

The American public is divided in its attitudes toward important national issues, and historic allegiances have shifted. This post is part of our inaugural Trendspotting Series profiling important ideas that will be shaping some major fields of interest in 2017. Each piece represents the…

Five Trends in Communications

"In this country, public sentiment is everything. With it, nothing can fail; against it, nothing can succeed." ~ Abraham Lincoln This post is part of our inaugural Trendspotting Series profiling important ideas that will be shaping some major fields of interest in 2017. Each piece…

Five Trends in Arts and Culture

The Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra performs at the Nancy Hanks Lecture on Arts and Public Policy along with the Voices of Inspiration Chorus and three young vocalists from the Duke Ellington School of the Arts on March 23, 2015. This post is part of our inaugural Trendspotting Series…

Five Trends in Finance

Banksy's Elephant in a Room. Ignore it at your peril. This post is part of our inaugural Trendspotting Series profiling important ideas that will be shaping some major fields of interest in 2017. Each piece represents the views of its author(s) and not the views of the Council. 1.…

Philanthropy Responds to Another National Tragedy: Oakland Warehouse Fire

The East Bay Community Foundation has kept the Council abreast of the latest in regards to the recent tragedy in Oakland. Included in their response is a strategic move to address the safety and affordability of spaces for the artist community in Oakland. The City of Oakland and surrounding…

Five Trends in Talent

In 2017, HR is expected to adapt to keep up with the changing business environment and evolving employee expectations. This post is part of our inaugural Trendspotting Series profiling important ideas that will be shaping some major fields of interest in 2017. Each piece represents the…

Finding New Narratives In Rural America: A Concert of Ideas

Finding New Narratives for Rural America: A Concert of Ideas This event is a preconference session at the 2017 Annual Conference. Achieving shared prosperity for all Americans is the signal challenge of our time. The Council on Foundations is staging an immersive, pre-conference experience…
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