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. 

2021 Grantmaker Salary and Benefits Report

Publication, Research
The Grantmaker Salary and Benefits Report (GSB) provides salary, benefits, and diversity data for full-time staff at U.S. foundations to aid in budget planning and personnel practice benchmarking. Information is presented by grantmaker type, foundation type, asset size, and geographic location.…

Washington Snapshot: Congress Juggles Government Funding and Presidential Priorities

What You Need to Know About Public Policy This Week... News From the Council Congress Juggles Government Funding and Presidential Priorities Operation Allies Welcome: Assisting Afghanistan Nationals' Resettlement in the U.S.  Child Tax Credit Sign-Up Deadline: October 15 Senate Confirms…

Legal Matters for Community Foundations - Virtual - November 2021

Virtual Format of Legal Matters for Community Foundations! Limited Size ensures peer interaction and direct question sessions.   Led by the Council on Foundations Staff Counsel, Ben McDearmon, this workshop is flexibly organized to ensure that your broad legal questions for administering…

The Backstop: An Underused Tool for Overcoming the Chicken and Egg Challenge

Nonprofits and their funders know this challenge all too well—an organization has a great idea, so they begin to seek capital from funders or foundations. They hear the same answer regularly – “It sounds like a great idea. Come back to us after you’re further along.” This presents a chicken and egg…

Council on Foundations Launches Values-Aligned Philanthropy Initiative

In response to a rise in anti-democratic extremism and hate groups in the U.S., the Council on Foundations (Council) today released Values-Aligned Philanthropy: Foundations Resisting Hate and Extremism. The report and accompanying online resource hub are part of the Council’s efforts to prevent…

Opinion: Nonprofits Have a Role to Play in Building Bridges in a Polarized World

America finds itself in a moment of political polarization. At times, nonprofits can reflect or even magnify that polarization. But at our best, we can serve as a bridge across the cultural chasms of our time. Americans across the political spectrum want to live in thriving communities — and every…

Napa Valley Community Foundation Anti-Hate Policy

Napa Valley Community Foundation (NVCF) will not process grants to organizations that NVCF knows or has reason to believe support or engage in hateful activities. NVCF will implement this policy through due diligence to ensure that hateful activities are identified and steps are taken to avoid any…

Sample Policies on Values-Aligned Philanthropy

Sample Document
Community Foundations Borrego Valley Endowment Fund Sample Policy with “Do No Harm” Approach Brooklyn Community Foundation DAF Anti-Hate Policy Community Foundation of the Ozarks Sample Full DAF Policy and Procedures East Bay Community Foundation Due Diligence Policy FAQ East Bay Community…

Information on Hate Groups — Values-Aligned Philanthropy

External Resource
United States Anti-Defamation League HEAT (Hate, Extremism, Anti-Semitism, Terrorism) Map Center for American Progress Infographic on Islamophobia Network Horizon Forum Media Matters for America Southern Poverty Law Center List of U.S. hate groups Southern Poverty Law Center…

Organizational Resources on Values-Aligned Philanthropy

External Resource
Amalgamated Foundation 'Hate is Not Charitable' Campaign: Sign-On Campaign for Foundations and Organizations to Pledge to End Hate Funding Anti-Defamation League and Charles Koch Institute Report: Communities Overcoming Extremism — the After Charlottesville Project Color Of Change Is Attacking…

2021 Annual Member Meeting

Thank you to all who joined us for the Council's Annual Member Meeting. The virtual Member Meeting included: Keynote remarks from Tara McKenzie Sandercock of the Greensboro Community Foundation, winner of the Distinguished Service Award Remarks and updates from the Board regarding our…

Horizon Forum: The Hate Speech Debate: Implications for the Philanthropic Community

This series, The Hate Speech Debate: Implications for the Philanthropic and Grantmaking Community, is the product of a Horizon Forum convening which gathered a group of nearly 30 stakeholders across community foundations, government, and academia in early March 2021 to advance the national…

Anti-Defamation League: Extremist and Hate Groups May be Abusing NonProfit Status

The ADL Center on Extremism (COE) is one of the world’s foremost authorities on extremism, terrorism, antisemitism and all forms of hate. For decades, COE’s staff of seasoned investigators, analysts and researchers have tracked extremist activity and hate in the U.S. and abroad — online and on the…

Reports on Values-Aligned Philanthropy

External Resource
Anti-Defamation League: Extremist and Hate Groups May be Abusing NonProfit Status Anti-Defamation League: Funding Hate — How White Supremacists Raise Their Money Horizon Forum: The Hate Speech Debate: Implications for the Philanthropic Community SPLC: Bankrolling Bigotry: An Overview of the…

Council on Foundations: Guidance for U.S. Community Foundations on Hate Screening as an Institution and Sponsoring Entity of Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs)

There is a mounting shift in the environment and climate in which we find ourselves operating as  grantmakers of broad-based donors and divergent community values. The critique is more poignant  with vocal opposition that blurs the lines between supporting opposing viewpoints in the…

Community Foundation of the Ozarks Sample Full DAF Policy and Procedures

The Community Foundation of the Ozarks seeks to enhance the quality of life for all citizens in the region and works from the knowledge and experience that we are better together. We  believe a region that welcomes and engages all will be better able to meet challenges and opportunities for…
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