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. 

Greater Milwaukee Foundation Anti-Hate Policy

The Greater Milwaukee Foundation (“GMF”) is committed to a diverse workforce in which all individuals are treated with respect and dignity. GMF believes that a diverse workforce helps the  organization and its employees realize their full potential. Recognizing and developing the talents of…

The Cleveland Foundation Anti-Hate Policy Change for Grants from Donor Advised Funds

In 2019, a national conversation began over grants from donor-advised funds (DAFs) to organizations that were engaged in “hateful activity.” The catalyst for these conversations was a report released in February of 2019 by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). CAIR looked at the money…

Minnesota and St. Paul Foundation Statement and Explanation of Southern Poverty Law Center Screener Criteria

The following talking points are to address any questions we receive about the decision to use the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Hate Map as a screener for our grantmaking.

Minnesota and St. Paul Foundation Model for Community Change

Minnesota and St. Paul Foundation Model for Community Change

Gill Foundation Nondiscrimination Policy Requirement

All proposals to the Gill Foundation must include a board approved copy of the organization’s employment nondiscrimination policy which expressly includes “sexual orientation” and “gender expression” or “gender identity” as protected classes.

Opinion: How Philanthropy Can Curb the Rise of Hate: Count It, Condemn it, Confront It

For those monitoring the impact of extremism, hate and political polarization on societies around the world, the United States is now just another case study in conflict and fragility.  The massacre of 50 Muslims in Christchurch, New Zealand, shook the small nation to its core — as…

Tax Policy Center: Balancing Hate, The First Amendment, And Tax-Exempt Status

Is hate speech constitutionally protected? Do groups that express hate in their words and deeds deserve tax-exempt status? Is the IRS equipped to judge what is hate and what is merely odious? Does it even matter? The House Ways & Means Oversight Subcommittee held a hearing on this…

Color Of Change Is Attacking Hate Groups At The Source: Their Funding

The top 20 widely recognized hate groups received over $20 million in contributions, sales, and grants in 2014 and 2015. The nonprofit wants to stop credit companies from processing those payments.

'Hate Groups' Received Millions From 351 Charities and Foundations, Chronicle Review Finds

At least 351 donor organizations have made millions of dollars in grants over the past seven years to nonprofits designated by the Southern Poverty Law Center as hate groups. Most of the money came from a small number of larger donor-advised funds managed by community foundations or commercially…

Philanthropists Across the Political Divide Must Work Together to Cure Extremism

The U.S. Capitol insurrection and the deeply politicized impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump put into sharp focus that America’s body politic is seriously ill. We are, in fact, contending with parallel pandemics. While our political malady may be less immediately deadly than the…

501(c)(3)s and Public Policy Violation: A Fresh Look at Doctrine

Bob Jones University recently announced that it will regain its tax-exempt 501(c)(3) status on March 1, 2017. The University lost its tax exemption more than 30 years ago in a landmark Supreme Court case, Bob Jones University v. United States, 461 U.S. 574 (1983), due…

Horizon Forum: What Do the Experts Say: The Free Speech, Hate Speech Debate

As current levels of social and political polarization reach new heights, so do discussions about extremism, disinformation, and hate speech. But what do these terms mean for institutions such as philanthropy, technology, and media which …

GlobalGiving: Trump Is Right-And Wrong-About Section 230

Dive into Section 230 of the United States Communications Decency Act with GlobalGiving CEO Alix Guerrier, and discover why it matters to a nonprofit on a mission to accelerate community-led change—and you.

GlobalGiving: A Journey Into The Neutrality Paradox

When and how should digital platforms—designed to be open and democratic—take responsibility for the content they host, and when should they take a stance—departing from a position of neutrality? GlobalGiving is on a journey to explore these issues, and is inviting you to join the exploration.

Greater Milwaukee Foundation: A Journey in Racial Equity and Inclusion

The Greater Milwaukee Foundation is Wisconsin’s largest community foundation and since 1915, has partnered with generous donors to strengthen the region in every way imaginable. Over these many years, the Foundation has grown along with the community it serves, expanding on its founding purpose as…

Fidelity and Schwab Ban Gifts From Donor-Advised Funds to NRA-Affiliated Charities

The two biggest donor-advised-fund sponsors in the United States, Fidelity Charitable and Schwab Charitable, have banned new donations to 501(c)(3) organizations affiliated with the National Rifle Association, citing reports of Internal Revenue Service investigations into the gun rights group’s…
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