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. 

Nonprofit Law in Tanzania

Legal Compliance Guidance
Current as of September 2024 | Download print version (PDF) This section describes the legal framework governing nonprofit organizations (also known as non-governmental organizations or NGOs) in Tanzania, and includes translations of legislative provisions relevant for a foundation or advisor…

One Year Later: How Has COVID-19 Reshaped Philanthropy?

  Philanthropy has responded to COVID-19 like no other crisis in recent memory. Through increased giving, reduced restrictions, and a deeper focus on listening to communities and partners, foundations, many of whom signed the Pledge, have stepped up in this moment of crisis. Now, a year…

Field Research: Philanthropy's Response to COVID-19

Lessons and data from the field on philanthropy's response to the pandemic, plus examinations of foundation practices that may become the new normal. Foundation Practices Philanthropy and COVID-19: Measuring One Year of Giving - Center for Disaster Philanthropy & Candid (February 2021)…

Letters to Government Officials

At the Council, we leverage our voice on behalf of the philanthropic sector and on issues affecting our members. We reach out to Congress, the White House, and federal agencies when necessary to ensure governmental leadership understands the priorities of philanthropy—and, when appropriate, we…

Philanthropy's Response to 2021 Severe Winter Storms

OVERVIEW In February, states across the United States saw extreme cold, snow, and ice in many areas unaccustomed to this type of weather. Southern states have seen the largest impact with large-scale power outages, boil water advisories, food shortages, extensive road closures, and deaths. A…

Impact Investing Handbook: An Implementation Guide for Practitioners

External Resource
Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors published the "Impact Investing Handbook: An Implementation Guide for Practitioners"—180 pages of helping asset owners turn interest into action. Two years in the making, this practical publication features case studies and detailed guidance for individuals,…

COVID-19 Philanthropy: Measuring One Year of Giving

The COVID-19 global pandemic defined 2020, and it will continue to impact much of the world in the foreseeable future. How did grantmakers and donors respond as communities worldwide struggled – especially Black, Indigenous and people of color as well as other populations that have been…

CFExpress Training: Module 16

External Resource
Bonus module 16 on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is included in the CFExpressTraining.com - an online express training for board members, staff, and volunteers of community foundations of any size anywhere in America. Courtesy of C. S. Mott Foundation, all community…

How the Sustainable Development Goals Can Help Community Foundations Respond to COVID-19

External Resource
In 2020, the Mott Foundation commissioned philanthropic researcher, Dr. Larry McGill, to examine how U.S. community foundations can use the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to lead local revitalization efforts and recover from the complex effects of the pandemic. The subsequent report aims to…

Community Philanthropy Update - February 2021

Friend, We continue to live through unprecedented times. 2021 started off with new challenges and the demands have been relentless. Through it all, community foundations have played a crucial role in communities, ensuring funds were available to local nonprofits and relief efforts. Your work helps…

Community Foundation CEO Virtual Roundtable: March 2021

  Join the Council and CEONet as we convene CEOs and Executive Directors of community foundations for a virtual roundtable. With a focus on peer sharing and reflection, these roundtables serve as a platform for the field to scale our philanthropic response and actively engage with peers.…

Leaning Toward Trust: Three Interwoven Narratives of Constructive Change in Disruptive Times

“A time of crisis is not just a time of anxiety and worry. It gives a chance, an opportunity, to choose well or to choose badly.”  Archbishop Desmond Tutu The COVID-19 pandemic forced foundations and nonprofits alike to urgently reconsider their ways of working. Some chose to pull back, while…

Utilizing the Global Goals Mapping Tool

Join us for a one hour webinar to discuss The Global Goals Mapping Tool. The Global Goals Mapping Tool is a comprehensive resource that maps giving and volunteerism using both the IRS National Taxonomy of Exempt Entities (NTEE) codes and the United Nations International Classification of Nonprofit…

Welcoming A New Group of Innovative Leaders to the Council's Board of Directors

The Council on Foundations today announced the appointment of four nonprofit leaders to its Board of Directors, as well as the renomination of two current members for a second term. New members include: Martha I. Jimenez, Executive Vice President and General Counsel of The California Endowment;…

Values-Aligned Philanthropy

The Problem of Hate Over the past several years, anti-democratic extremism, hate speech, and politically motivated violence have increasingly threatened many of the most cherished values in civil society. Although the vast majority of philanthropic funding goes to charities acting to advance the…

Supporting You in the Work Ahead

For over 70 years, the Council has supported philanthropy’s efforts to advance the greater good amidst persistent global challenges. Over the past 12 months we have faced crises unlike anything we have seen before, including the recent assault on our democracy. And yet, while the struggles we face…
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