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. 

House & Senate Philanthropy Caucuses Reception

Join the Congressional Philanthropy Caucuses, staff, the Council on Foundations, and valued partners for a reception on Thursday, April 14 during Philanthropy Week in Washington 2016. This reception  will celebrate and lift up the critical role of philanthropy in communities and the importance…

Advancing Rural Communities' Economic Success Agenda

Advancing Rural Communities' Economic Success Agenda 8:30-9:30 a.m. Registration and Overview Stephanie Powers, Senior Director for Policy and Partnerships, Council on Foundations Janet Topolsky, Executive Director, Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group 9:30…

Introducing “Successes of Philanthropy”

This is reprinted from an original post on Washington Monthly. To view the “Successes of Philanthropy” series, kindly visit Washington Monthly. Introducing “Successes of Philanthropy” In America, more so than in other countries, philanthropies play a unique and important role of supporting…

Executives' Alliance Foundation Leaders "Ban the Box," Issue Call to Action for All U.S. Philanthropy Institutions to Adopt Fair Chance Hiring

Leaders from 42 foundations announced today that they have “banned the box” by adopting fair chance hiring policies or ensuring that questions about criminal convictions do not appear on applications for employment with their foundations. They also issued a challenge to all U.S. philanthropic…

My Journey with Community Philanthropy

"Can you imagine if we designed the entire city for children?" This was stated by Enrique Peñalosa Londoño, former Mayor of Bogota, Colombia, and it has stuck with me for many years. The idea of designing an entire city for children, or better yet, giving back to a community that our children, and…

Washington Snapshot - February 26, 2016

News from the Hill This Week in Tax Reform... Yesterday, the Brookings Institute held an event entitled Tax Policy in 2016: What’s New and What’s Next. Council Vice President for Public Policy Hadar Susskind attended this event, where keynote addresses were given by Ways and Means Chairman Kevin…

Washington Update LIVE!

  Download the Presentation Slides Attending Foundations on the Hill in April? Curious about how the fast-paced, animated, and often complex political environment can trickle down to influence your work? Wondering about whether tax reform will ever happen and, when it does, how these…

Recap of Winter Retreat for Foundation CEOs

Recap of Winter Retreat for Foundation CEOs Executive Summary Thank you for joining us in December as we gathered together in sunny San Diego to share best practices from the front lines of philanthropic leadership at the Council’s Winter Retreat for Foundation CEOs. When asked for one word…

The Global Goals in New York City

“If You Can Make It Here, You Can Make It Anywhere": How the Sustainable Development Goals connect local challenges to worldwide efforts There are significant challenges facing American communities today, including growing domestic inequality and increased poverty. In New York, members of the…

Washington Snapshot - February 19, 2016

News from the Hill Congress was in recess this week, so updates from Capitol Hill have been relatively slow. However, much of the attention in Washington has turned toward the marble columns of the building across the street—the Supreme Court of the United States. This week, DC remembers Supreme…

Summary of Requirements for Type I and Type III Supporting Organizations - A Proposed Rule by the Internal Revenue Service on 2/19/2016

On February 19, 2016, the Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service issued proposed regulations regarding the prohibition on certain contributions to Type I and Type III supporting organizations and the requirements for Type III supporting organizations.  The Council is helping to…

2016 Global Philanthropy Dinner - Uprooted Communities: Our Global Migration Challenge

2016 Global Philanthropy Dinner - Uprooted Communities: Our Global Migration Challenge The 2016 Annual Global Philanthropy Dinner will provide a space for conference attendees to meet and connect before the full conference begins on Sunday. Dinner will feature a number of leading experts who will…

Quarterly Member Update: 2016 Q1

Members View the Recording and Slides     This Quarterly Member Update focuses on two major bodies of work. During the first portion of the update, conversation will focus on the Council’s public policy Guideposts, which are the framework for our policy work. These Guideposts have…

Washington Snapshot - February 12, 2016

News from the Hill POTUS Sends FY 2017 Budget Proposal to Congress On Tuesday, President Obama released his Fiscal Year 2017 Budget Proposal. The $4.1 trillion Budget sets forth the Administration’s spending and policy priorities for the coming year, including several provisions that have…

Heart & Soul Talks: How Storytelling Helps Foundations Build Better Communities

Storytelling is a powerful way to broadly engage a community and hear from voices that often go unheard. Hear how storytelling has brought residents together, bridged long-standing divides, and ultimately helped community foundations make positive, lasting, and meaningful impact. This free, 60-…

Council on Foundations Announces New Director of Community Philanthropy

The Council on Foundations is pleased to announce that Brad Ward has been named its new Director of Community Philanthropy. He joins the Council’s member relations team led by Paula Wolferseder Yabar to expand the Council’s support of community foundations and other philanthropic organizations…
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