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. 

Leading Together 2021 - Sponsor Opportunities

  Sponsor opportunities Sponsorship is one of the best ways to elevate your organization as a thought leader and highlight your commitment to advancing the work of the philanthropic sector.   Download Guide To discuss sponsorship…

Leading Together 2021 - Experience

  Experience This is not your typical Zoom. We planned this conference with YOU in mind. Our conference platform and thoughtful program design will give you the chance to expand your thinking, reconnect with old friends, build new relationships, and get energized for the work ahead…

Leading Together 2021 - Schedule

  Schedule Leading Together 2021 featured dynamic opportunities to learn, connect, and reflect. Our programming catalyzed courageous, perspective-shifting conversations about how we can improve as a sector and tackle the biggest challenges of our time together. This schedule is…

Leading Together 2021 - Register

  Register Full conference registration If you have any questions, contact us at registration@cof.org.   REGISTER NOW Memberpricing Council member discounted rate is $279.…

Equitable COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution: Build It but Will They Come?

  Download Transcript  Download Slides   Experts say that as much as 90 percent of the population must achieve immunity to eliminate COVID-19. Yet there is a concerning level of lack of confidence in the vaccines, particularly in communities of color. People…

State of Play: Local, National, and Intersectional Responses to Addressing Anti-Asian Violence and Building Durable AAPI Immigrant Power

While the significant and tragic rise of anti-Asian violence in recent weeks has caught the attention of the general public, coordinated and strategic efforts led by AAPI organizations, networks, and coalitions to respond to anti-Asian violence have been in place since before the pandemic began…

Legal Office Hours for Community Foundations: April 2021

Recording
<   Thank you for joining Council attorneys, Bryan Del Rosario and Ben McDearmon, for Legal Office Hours for Community Foundations: April 2021, a members only Q&A discussion that addressed emerging legal questions. The discussion focused on the top questions and concerns within the…

Webinar Recording: Ask the Council: The Initiative to Accelerate Charitable Giving

<   Thank you for joining David Kass, the Council's Vice President of Government Affairs, for a members only discussion on the Initiative to Accelerate Charitable Giving draft policy proposal. The discussion focused on what was included within the proposal and what we are…

Policy Update: Connecting the Dots Between the Biden Administration's Policy Proposals and Philanthropy

Hear an overview of the recently passed $1.9 trillion relief legislation known as the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and the key pillars of the new infrastructure proposals, the American Jobs Plan, announced by President Biden on March 31. The jobs plan targets 40 percent of the benefits of…

Global Philanthropy Update - March 2021

Dear Friend,  It is difficult to capture the enormity of the challenges we have faced during the past year. Global grantmakers were some of the first to recognize the looming danger of the novel coronavirus and urged the world to respond. As vaccines begin to ramp up in the US, funders…

Ask the Council: The Initiative to Accelerate Charitable Giving

Thank you for joining David Kass, the Council's Vice President of Government Affairs, for a members-only discussion on the Initiative to Accelerate Charitable Giving draft policy proposal. The discussion focused on what was included within the proposal and what we are hearing from the Hill. …

Granting to India: How to Best Support Indian Non-Profits - POSTPONED

This event has been postponed. We will update this page with the new date and time soon.   With the recent FCRA amendments passed late in 2020, global foundations working in or granting to India continue to face challenges to their work. While Indian…

Humanitarian Crises Around the World

Natural disasters have a way of grabbing media attention and the public’s interest. The visuals of people wading through chest-deep water or picking up the pieces of tornado-ravaged homes are eye-catching. They draw attention and money from philanthropy and everyday donors. However, there are…

Legal Matters for Community Foundations - Virtual - June 2021

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

Legal Office Hours for Community Foundations: April 2021

Thank you for joining Council attorneys, Bryan Del Rosario and Ben McDearmon, for Legal Office Hours for Community Foundations: April 2021, a members only Q&A discussion that addressed emerging legal questions. The discussion focused on the top questions and concerns within the nonprofit sector…

Community Foundation CEO Virtual Roundtable: Returning to the Workplace - May 2021

May's Roundtable Focus: Returning to the Workpalace As we contemplate what returning to the workplace looks like for our organizations, Community Foundation CEOs face decisions about how their workplaces, routines, and how people will adapt. Join us to learn from colleagues about what workplace…
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