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. 

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…

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…

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…
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