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. 

Have Bold Ideas & Dare to Do Them

Award Nominations The Council is currently accepting nominations for the 2017 Robert W. Scrivner Award for Creative Grantmaking. Nominate a courageous leader and innovative grantmaker today. Learn More The Robert W. Scrivner Award for Creative Grantmaking honors grantmakers who, with a…

Global Philanthropy Update - July 2017

For the last three years, I’ve noticed a growing trend in community foundations asking for support to make international grants, often from donor or corporate advised funds. We’ve never had data on how many community foundations are making global grants, which is why I’m delighted to share that…

Washington Snapshot - July 20, 2017

In This Week's Edition of Snapshot… Council submits tax reform comments to Senate Finance Committee Tax Reform Update: House committee approves budget, takes first legislative step towards tax reform Senate Finance Committee to consider Mr. Kautter’s nomination today In the States: Michigan…

U.S Community Foundations Making Significant Global Impact

Since I joined the Council in early 2016, I have fielded many requests from community foundations (CFs) seeking support and guidance in facilitating international grants, often due to growing interest from members of their community in supporting causes overseas. At the Council, we’ve witnessed…

Navigating the 2018 Federal Budget Landscape

Memebers Access the Recording & Slides Many of the Executive actions and fiscal visions of the Trump Administration have surfaced complicated and layered public policy issues, putting a variety of "hot issues" in the forefront of the public discourse and Congressional deliberations.…

2017 Grantmaker Salary and Benefits Survey

For more than 30 years, the Council's Grantmaker Salary and Benefits Survey has provided the sector with the most comprehensive data on grantmaker staff composition and compensation in the U.S. at community, private (family and independent), and public foundations, as well as other staffed…

Council on Foundations and Foundation Center Release First-Ever Report on International Giving by U.S. Community Foundations

A first-of-its kind analysis of international grantmaking by large U.S. community foundations was released today by the Council on Foundations and Foundation Center. Local Communities with Global Reach: International Giving by U.S. Community Foundations shows that international grantmaking is…

Local Communities with Global Reach: International Giving by U.S. Community Foundations

Publication
The Council, in collaboration with the Foundation Center (now Candid), created this first-ever analysis of international grantmaking by U.S. community foundations. Beyond statistics on global grantmaking trends, the report also includes interviews with five community foundations - The Boston…

National Foundation Study Shows Improved 2016 Investment Returns; Spending Rate Steady to Higher

Data gathered in the 2016 Council on Foundations–Commonfund Study of Investment of Endowments for Private and Community Foundations® (CCSF) show that participating private foundations reported an average return of 6.4 percent for the 2016 fiscal year (January 1 – December 31, 2016) while…

Legal Counsel Sessions at the Growing Community Foundations Conference

The Council is excited to once again join the Growing Community Foundation Conference as a Resource Partner on October 1-3, 2017.   Join your community foundation colleagues in Wichita, Kansas for this dynamic Conference tailored but not limited to small-staffed and volunteer-led community…

Washington Snapshot - July 13, 2017

In This Week's Edition of Snapshot… Tax Reform Update: Health care debate slows other legislative action, but Congress is still ramping up for tax reform House Appropriations Committee to consider Johnson Amendment provision in a bill markup today Senate Finance to hold confirmation hearing for…

Community Philanthropy Update — July 2017

As we hit the midpoint of 2017, community and economic development are shrinking in many places. A number of our community foundation members are deploying more resources to stop this decline in their communities. For example, this recent article was food for thought on the topic of employment and…

A Word on Partnerships and Our Regional and State Philanthropic Associations

Editor's Note: This month the Council is focusing on Leading Together through strong partnerships. Director of Community Philanthropy Brad Ward kicks off the month with the following reflection. We live in the age of partnerships, and nowhere is this more apparent to the Council than through the…

2017 CEO & Trustee Retreat

The Council on Foundations hosted its second annual CEO & Trustee Retreat, in partnership with BoardSource. This dynamic learning event took place December 5-6, 2017 in Miami, Florida. The CEO & Trustee Retreat was designed to help energize foundation executives through leadership…

Transforming Community Foundation Scholarship Programs from Administrative Burdens to Strategic Assets

Member Access to Recording With our partners, National College Access Network (NCAN), and the Council on Foundation's Legal Team and Director of Community Philanthropy, this webinar explores key findings from a recent white paper published by NCAN on the topic of scholarships, discusses in-…

Global Philanthropy Update — June 2017

The Council’s Global Team is excited to welcome a new addition! Nicolette Gerald is a graduate of George Mason University with a bachelor’s degree in government and international politics. She will be spending the next two months with us as a summer intern before beginning her graduate studies in…
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