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. 

Community Foundation Excellence (CFE) Fundamentals Course - Virtual - March 2022

Virtual Course March 2 | 3 | 9 | 10  1:30-5:00 p.m. ET Sold Out! A well-trained staff and an informed board are critical to the success of community foundations in our fast-changing world. This traditionally in-person, two-day course adapted to virtual in four, half day sessions helps new…

Community Foundation CEO Virtual Roundtable - February 2022

Recommendations to Strengthen DAFs presented by the COF Strengthening Community Philanthropy Ad Hoc Working Group Community foundation executives were invited to join a peer roundtable conversation to learn more about new recommendations for community foundations and our sector, related to donor…

Strengthening Community Philanthropy Ad Hoc Working Group Final Recommendations

The Strengthening Community Philanthropy Ad Hoc Working Group, convened by the Council on Foundations, released the following recommendations on donor-advised funds (DAFs), outlining steps to improve their effective and transparent use. Standardizing Community Foundation Inactive Funds Policy…

Strengthening Community Philanthropy Ad Hoc Working Group Releases Donor-Advised Funds Recommendations

Community foundations have a long history of working locally to bring together leaders, nonprofits, donors, and others to address persistent problems and identify paths forward. The ongoing pandemic has underscored how local philanthropy, in particular, can address community needs in times of acute…

Ask the Council: Strengthening Community Philanthropy Working Group DAF Recommendations

  Last July, the Council on Foundations convened a group of community foundation leaders to develop a set of principles and policy recommendations to strengthen community foundations and donor-advised funds (DAFs) long into the future. Released on February 2, 2022, these recommendations…

Washington Snapshot: New op-ed on donor-advised funds from the Council's President and CEO.

What You Need to Know About Public Policy This Week... News From the Council Midterms and Retirements Shake Up Tax-Writing Committees Senate Votes to Keep Voting Rights Filibuster Opportunity Zones Come Under Scrutiny Joint Committee on Taxation Lists Expiring Federal Tax Provisions…

Community Philanthropy Update - January 2022

2021 was an historic year in many ways, for philanthropy and for the people and communities we care about. It was a year of loss and heartache as families and communities continued to suffer the effects of the pandemic and many other hardships. It was a year of advocacy to…

2021 Year in Review

Dear Friend: 2021 was an historic year in many ways, for philanthropy and for the people and communities we care about. It was a year of loss and heartache as families and communities continued to suffer the effects of the pandemic and many other hardships. It was a year of advocacy to advance…

Washington Snapshot: IRS Update for Tax-Exempt Organizations

What You Need to Know About Public Policy This Week... Congressional Democrats Negotiate Election Reform Office of Management and Budget Solicits Feedback on Learning Agenda IRS Releases Updates for Tax-Exempt Organizations Department of Commerce Seeking Comments on New Rural Business Center…

East Bay Community Foundation Due Diligence Policy for Grantmaking

As part of its continuous improvement process, EBCF periodically reviews and updates its policies and procedures to ensure legal compliance as well as adherence to industry best practices. EBCF shares these updates with fund holders, grantees, and the wider community as part of our commitment to…

Horizon Forum: What Do the Experts Say: Hate Funding in Philanthropy

Debates around hate funding have grown in multiple spaces as issues of social violence, extremist ideology, and organized hate come to the forefront of public conversations. Advocacy organizations are flagging such activities, along with their funding sources, and implementing high profile…

SDG Learning Community for Community Foundations - Local Government Collaboration

Join us for the January 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: Local Government…

Philanthropy's Response to 2021 Tornadoes

OVERVIEW More than 50 tornadoes struck multiple states on December 11 and 12, causing devastation and significant loss of life. The states impacted include, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee, and Kentucky -- with the most significant loss of life occuring in…

Global Philanthropy Update - December 2021

Today is the second day of the 2021 Summit for Democracy, and the issues at hand are too urgent to ignore. While the world faces pressing humanitarian crises like climate change, COVID-19, and racial injustice that threaten global progress on the Sustainable Development Goals, the Summit…

Washington Snapshot: Details of a New Plan from the White House to Combat Human Trafficking

What You Need to Know About Public Policy This Week... News From the Council Congress Addresses End-of-Year Priorities IRS Releases Notice on ERTC Termination White House Announces Plan to Combat Human Trafficking Happening in the States News from the Council This will be the last issue of…

Washington Snapshot: New U.S. Census Bureau Data on the Socioeconomic Impact of COVID-19

What You Need to Know About Public Policy This Week... News From the Council The President's Democracy Summit: December 9-10 Congress Set to Keep Government Open Until February Yellen and Powell Testify on Economic Recovery U.S. Census Bureau Data on the Effects of COVID-19 on American…
Subscribe to Community Foundations