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. 

Roundtable Conversations with Federal Agencies

Reach out to educate@cof.org for access to the recording. Council members were invited to join informal roundtable discussions with several federal agencies to learn more about their implementation of the American Rescue Plan and other priorities, including the cross-government equity action plans…

2022 Membership Week

This year the Council will host a series of virtual events that will offer members the opportunity to hear directly from Council leaders and peers on some of philanthropy’s most important challenges and opportunities. We hope these free events will provide connection, insight, and inspiration for…

2022 Public Policy Summit

Join us for the Council on Foundations’ 2022 Public Policy Summit – where we will come together as a virtual community to explore philanthropy’s role as a bridge-builder. Gain an insider’s view of how the midterm elections reshape the political landscape for philanthropy and learn how foundations…

2022 HR Retreat

Over the past two years, the purpose and design of the workplace, a term once used to describe the physical location of an organization, has evolved to include an ever-changing and complex mix of technology, places, and people. Throughout this time, philanthropic employers and HR leaders have…

Grantmaker Ethics and Accountability

Philanthropy has come under increasing scrutiny in recent years in terms of the sources of wealth underlying charitable gifts, the allocation of resources, and its decision-making processes. More than ever, those engaged in philanthropy need an ethical orientation to inform their work. Combining…

Washington Snapshot: Nonprofit Strength and Partnership Act Introduced in the House

What's Happening This Week... Uniting Americans Through Service: Philanthropy and AmeriCorps "Meet and Greet" Nonprofit Strength and Partnership Act Introduced in the House Council Submits Comments on Foreign Agents Registration Act…

Submitted Testimony on “Enhancing the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938”

Thank you for the opportunity to provide written testimony for the record on the subject of “Enhancing the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938.” We commend the committee for holding a hearing on this important topic as nonprofit organizations continue to respond to global crises and seek…

SDG Learning Community for Community Foundations - May Meeting

Join us for the April meeting of our new Peer Learning Circle dedicated specifically for community foundations who are working on advancing the Sustainble Development Goals (SDGs) or are open to learning more about how the SDGs can fit within their work. Meeting Topic: SDG App Focus Group Guest…

Legal Office Hours - Global - June 2022

Reach out to educate@cof.org for access to the recording. As part of our Member Week programming, Council attornies Remy Barnwell and Ben McDearmon hosted Legal Office Hours - Global Topics. This members-only Q&A discussion addressed legal questions, trends in global philanthropy, and the…

Community Philanthropy Update - April 2022

If you live in or near Washington, D.C., as I do, you know how easy it can be to imagine Congress and the president as the center of our political world. But in truth, so much of our lives is shaped by what happens at the local level: in state senates, governor’s offices, and even school boards. In…

Legal Office Hours for Community Foundations: June 2022

As part of our Member Week programming, Council attorneys Ben McDearmon and Remy Barnwell will hosted Legal Office Hours for Community Foundations. This members-only Q&A discussion addressed your legal questions, trends in community philanthropy, and the latest concerns around…

Uniting Americans through Service: The Power of AmeriCorps and Philanthropy Working in Partnership

View our conversation with Michael D. Smith, newly appointed CEO of AmeriCorps! The conversation, hosted in partnership with Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement, explored how philanthropy and AmeriCorps (the federal agency for national service and volunteering) can connect to advance the…

Definitions of Hate and Extremism

Anti-Defamation League Hate Group: An organization whose goals and activities are primarily or substantially based on a shared antipathy towards people of one or more other different races, religions, ethnicities/nationalities/national origins, genders, and/or sexual identities. The mere presence…

Washington Snapshot: FARA Hearing, Judge Jackson's Confirmation, and More

What's Happening This Week... On the Blog: Jamie Merisotis, Chair of New Ethics Task Force Foundations on the Hill 2022 Wraps Up Council Submits Testimony to Senate Finance Committee House Holds Hearing on Enhancements to…

Submitted Testimony on “Examining Charitable Giving and Trends in the Nonprofit Sector”

Thank you for the opportunity to provide written testimony for the record on the subject of “Examining Charitable Giving and Trends in the Nonprofit Sector.” We commend the committee for holding this hearing during a pivotal moment for nonprofits and their philanthropic partners. The Council on…

Virtual Meet-Up: Community Foundation Donor Services - April 2022

Join this interactive and informal virtual-meet up for all community foundation staff who are philanthropic advisors or involved in donor stewardship. This peer-led conversation will be a time to connect with peers across the nation and share learnings.  This conversation will focus on the…
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