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 - February 5, 2016

News from the Hill Ways & Means Working Toward Tax Reform Tax reform has been a hot topic among the House Ways and Means Committee this week. On Monday, the Committee met for a retreat to discuss priorities for 2016. Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX-8) spoke later that day at the Heritage Foundation…

HUD And Council On Foundations Kick Off 2016 Secretary's Award For Public-Philanthropic Partnerships

Today, the Council on Foundations and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) launched the 2016 HUD Secretary's Award for Public-Philanthropic Partnerships. HUD and the Council are seeking nominations from charitable foundations working with the public sector to improve the…

Hiring a New CEO Resource Guide

Toolkit
Non-profit executive searches generally take a minimum of four months, and can take as long as six to eight months. A clear sense of mission and a well understood position description for the new President and CEO will be absolutely essential for success in identifying and, more importantly,…

Washington Snapshot - January 29, 2016

Dear Readers: The predictions of the DC area being buried in snow that we noted in last week’s Snapshot turned out to be very accurate! Despite the federal government being closed on Monday and Tuesday, that didn’t stop some Washingtonians from enjoying a day on Capitol Hill… News from the…

Foundations and Systemic Global Challenges

Foundations and Systemic Global Challenges The Council on Foundations and European Foundation Centre will co-host a meeting on Saturday, April 9 in Washington DC, as a globally-focused pre-conference to the 2016 Council on Foundations Annual Conference. This day-long event will bring together key…

Council on Foundations Announces New Vice President of Public Policy

The Council on Foundations has named Hadar Susskind its Vice President of Public Policy, a new position intended to advance the Council’s public policy work on behalf of its members. Hadar joins the Council’s nationally recognized Public Policy and Legal Affairs team led by Sue Santa. Hadar joins…

Lessons from the C-Suite: Looking Ahead & Leading in the 21st Century

Also viewable on LinkedIn Pulse. Recently, I saw the power of what happens when you put a few dozen foundation CEOs in a room together to discuss the future. They generate as many questions for each other as answers, and, as the head of the Council on Foundations, I’d say that’s a great thing for…

Washington Snapshot - January 21, 2016

Dear Readers: Due to the predictions that many of us in the DC metro area are going to be buried in snow by the end of this week, we are sending Washington Snapshot to you a day early. For those of you who are also prepping for cold weather—stay warm! News from the Hill Upcoming Ways & Means…

Washington Snapshot - January 15, 2016

News from the Hill POTUS Delivers his Final State of the Union Address In his final State of the Union address, President Obama spoke of his hope and vision for the future of the nation. Rather than listing specific policy plans, President Obama emphasized themes that harken back to the early…

Washington Update: The Rules of Policy Engagement

  Download the Presentation Slides As foundation leaders, we know that philanthropy is a pillar of American society. While we may assume this is widely understood, that is often not the case. In light of the upcoming 2016 election and the impending changes in government leadership, it is…

2016 Endowment Investing Outlook

Members View the Recording and Slides     Investors are facing one of the worst starts to a calendar year on record. Volatility in China, rising interest rates in the US, and falling oil prices have all contributed to the markets’ unease. The ongoing correction has seen stock prices…

Washington Snapshot - January 8, 2016

Executive & Regulatory News Treasury, IRS Withdraw Proposed Rule for Gift Substantiation Yesterday, the Treasury Department and the IRS announced it has withdrawn the proposed rule that would have created an alternative way for charitable organizations to acknowledge and substantiate gifts…

Philanthropy Week in Washington 2016

April 11 - 15, 2016 Philanthropy Week in Washington provides the opportunity to highlight the role and power of philanthropy in our country and across the globe. During Philanthropy Week in Washington, we shine a spotlight on American philanthropy’s critical role as a unique stakeholder in…

Super Bowl Tailgate (Overtime): Legal Lunch Series with Legal Affairs

Members View the Recording and Slides     We know it can be difficult navigating the X’s and O’s of exempt organization compliance. Our play callers, Suzanne Friday and Bryan Del Rosario, are here to help. In this Legal Lunch Series, Suzanne and Bryan will draw up plays and pass along…

Governance Basics- Board Structure, Committees and Delegation and Policies and Procedures

  Download the Presentation Slides In partnership with Guidestar, this webinar reviews some of the fundamental issues associated with board governance. Topics include: board structure (size and composition); the role of committees and the board’s ability to delegate; and the…

The IRA Rollover is Permanent - What that Means for Your Community Foundation

Members View the Recording     Since the passage of the PATH Act on December 18, 2015, the Council has received a number of good questions about year-end giving. In response, we updated our IRA Rollover toolkit to help you communicate the importance of this change to your donors and…
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