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 HR Retreat - Schedule

Schedule All times are in Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). Stay on the lookout for new information and updates to the Retreat schedule. Wednesday, September 8 4:00-5:15 p.m. Opening Reception: The Power of Connection In Leslé Honoré’s TEDx Talk, The Power of Connection, she discusses…

2021 HR Retreat - Registration

Registration REGISTER NOW Registration Rates Member Rate before August 7 = $249  Member Rate on or after August 7 = $279  Non-member Rate = $379  Non-member registration opens August 7  Registration Cancellation Registration…

2021 HR Retreat - Working Group

Working Group Kimberley Brown Vice President of Human Resources The Annie E. Casey Foundation Rhonda Cox Associate Vice President of Human Resources Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation Maria Hannon Senior Director of Human Resources The Colorado Health Foundation…

Council on Foundations' New Strategic Direction Sets a 20-Year Vision

Today, the Council on Foundations announced a new strategy that sets forth a 20-year direction heading for the organization. Motivated by a vision of philanthropy as a trusted partner in advancing the greater good, the Council’s new strategic direction challenges philanthropy to make progress on a…

SDG Learning Community for Community Foundations

Join us for the launch of a 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. Connect with community foundation peers to learn…

Community Foundation Excellence (CFE) Fundamentals Course - Virtual December 2021

Virtual Course December 8 | 9 | 15 | 16  1:00-4:30 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…

HR Leaders Peer Exchange: Plans for Reopening Offices

As more organizations move to reopen physical offices, HR leaders in philanthropy are grappling with the challenges of reintegrating employees to in-person work after more than a year of isolation. Other organizations are also turning to hybrid or permanently remote models, which bring their own…

Disaster Philanthropy and Native Americans: Practical Tips for Funding On and Off Reservations

  Download Slides   Native Americans are a richly diverse and growing population, but as an ethnicity, they are disproportionately affected by disasters. This reality is true for those who live on reservations and in urban areas. And yet, Native Americans are greatly underfunded by…

Community Philanthropy Update - June 2021

Dear Friend, It’s been an eventful month in Congress! In addition to the ACE Act, another bill was introduced last week that will have a significant impact on community foundations – by providing you with new ways of giving scholarships. We know that scholarships are a vital tool for community…

Philanthropy's Response to the National Evictions Crisis

Community foundations and place-based funders should be aware of the impending rental evictions crisis on the horizon. Money is available in every state to help renters who are behind on rent due to the pandemic’s impacts and are at risk of eviction when the federal pandemic eviction moratorium…

Council on Foundations Applauds Re-Introduction of the “Workforce Development through Post-Graduation Scholarships Act”

The Council on Foundations applauds the reintroduction of the Workforce Development Through Post-Graduation Scholarships Act (S.2191/ H.R4095) by Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), and Representatives Darin LaHood (R-IL) and Terri Sewell (D-AL). The bill would…

Unexpected Partners and Unlikely Allies: Seeking Common Ground at Leading Together 2021

When I formally entered the field of philanthropy, I was certain of my commitment to improving the overall quality of life for children and families. But to be frank, what I was not certain of was the full scope of the vast and unique role philanthropy could play in facilitating such change. As a…

Normal Wasn’t Working: Raising the Bar at Leading Together 2021

The idea of raising the bar in the philanthropic sector is a great one, but we need to acknowledge some potentially hard truths first: a) the bar is actually set pretty low, so the idea of raising it shouldn’t be the pinnacle of our aspirations; b) we haven’t reached the goals represented by the…

Storytelling as a Pathway to Equity: Leading Together 2021

Like many of us in the philanthropic sector, I have, over the past year, been to more than a few webinars and conferences on philanthropy’s role in advancing equity. It can often feel like we’re all following a standard script. We acknowledge that racism exists, and has in fact existed for a while…

The LA Story: Bringing All Voices to the Table at Leading Together 2021

Over the past year, the COVID-19 crisis and violent racism against the Black and AAPI communities provided a moment of reckoning for philanthropic practitioners across the United States. We can capitalize on this moment if we work together, and if we understand that the greater good is more than a…

Reflective Break: Summarize It

Join your fellow conference attendees for a fun activity to exchange thoughts and lessons learned from Leading Together 2021. We will utilize a Jam Board to help attendees visualize concepts and takeaways to ensure you can continue to share the knowledge you gained with your colleagues and networks.
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