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. 

17 Days, 17 Goals: Goal 12 - Consumption

Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production - Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns - This post is part of our blog series: 17 Days, 17 Goals. The blog series features foundations working on all 17 Sustainable Development Goals leading up to the first anniversary of the…

17 Days, 17 Goals: Goal 11 - Cities

Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities - Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable - This post is part of our blog series: 17 Days, 17 Goals. The blog series features foundations working on all 17 Sustainable Development Goals leading up to the first anniversary of the SDGs.…

Washington Snapshot - September 16, 2016

News from the Hill Ways & Means Subcommittee Holds Hearing on University Endowments As our readers will recall, we reported last week that the Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee was set to hold a hearing to scrutinize college and university endowments this week. The hearing, featuring…

DAFs: Appointed or Designated Advisors and Their Advisory Privilege

Recently, a community foundation contacted the Council regarding a recommended grant from one of its funds. This fund, a donor advised fund (DAF), had been established by an organization, but had designated a specific individual to make grant recommendations. While it was the advisor’s job to make…

National Hispanic Heritage Month

National Hispanic Heritage Month is observed each year from September 15 to October 15. During this time, we celebrate the histories, cultures, and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, the Caribbean, and the Americas. The observation started in 1968 as Hispanic…

17 Days, 17 Goals: Goal 9 - Industry

Goal 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure - Build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization, and foster innovation - This post is part of our blog series: 17 Days, 17 Goals. The blog series features foundations working on all 17 Sustainable Development Goals leading…

17 Days, 17 Goals: Goal 8 - Economic Growth

Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth - Promote sustained, inclusive economic growth, full employment, and decent work for all - This post is part of our blog series: 17 Days, 17 Goals. The blog series features foundations working on all 17 Sustainable Development Goals leading up to the…

Global Update - September 2016

As we start September, I’m sure many of you are busy with year-end activities, whether it’s a final round of grantmaking, planning next year’s budget and program, or your annual engagement at side events for the U.N. General Assembly and other international events. It’s pretty lively here at the…

17 Days, 17 Goals: Goal 7 - Energy

Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy - Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all - This post is part of our blog series: 17 Days, 17 Goals. The blog series features foundations working on all 17 Sustainable Development Goals leading up to the first anniversary…

17 Days, 17 Goals: Goal 6 - Water

Goal 6: Water and Sanitation - Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all - This post is part of our blog series: 17 Days, 17 Goals. The blog series features foundations working on all 17 Sustainable Development Goals leading up to the first anniversary of…

17 Days, 17 Goals: Goal 5 - Gender Equality

Goal 5: Gender Equality - Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls - This post is part of our blog series: 17 Days, 17 Goals. The blog series features foundations working on all 17 Sustainable Development Goals leading up to the first anniversary of the SDGs. The Council on…

17 Days, 17 Goals: Goal 4 - Education

Goal 4: Quality Education - Ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning - This post is part of our blog series: 17 Days, 17 Goals. The blog series features foundations working on all 17 Sustainable Development Goals leading up to the first anniversary of the…

17 Days, 17 Goals: Goal 3 - Health

Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being - Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages - This post is part of our blog series: 17 Days, 17 Goals. The blog series features foundations working on all 17 Sustainable Development Goals leading up to the first anniversary of the SDGs.…

17 Days, 17 Goals: Goal 2 - Hunger

Goal 2: Zero Hunger - End hunger, achieve food security, and promote sustainable agriculture - This post is part of our blog series: 17 Days, 17 Goals. The blog series features foundations working on all 17 Sustainable Development Goals leading up to the first anniversary of the SDGs. The…

17 Days, 17 Goals: Goal 1 - Poverty

Goal 1: No Poverty - End poverty in all its forms everywhere - This post is part of our blog series: 17 Days, 17 Goals. The blog series features foundations working on all 17 Sustainable Development Goals leading up to the first anniversary of the SDGs. The Council on Foundations…

Washington Snapshot - September 2, 2016

News from the Hill Congressional Leaders Champion Social Investment Representatives Tom MacArthur (R-NJ) and John Delaney (D-MD) are working to educate their colleagues on the value of social investing and the role of philanthropy in leveraging private capital to create social good. The pair have…
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