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. 

The Council is Dedicated to DEI. That's Why We've Joined the CEO Action for Diversity and Inclusion.

As I reflected on the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. this week, I spent some time honing in on the words of a little song by the legendary James Taylor. “Shed A Little Light” is an homage to Dr. King and in it, the lyrics say, “We are bound together by the task that stands before us.” Those…

Legal Matters for Community Foundations—Dallas, Texas

This event is part of the Legal Matters for Community Foundations series, which the Council is offering in 2018. See Other Dates & Locations Led by Suzanne Friday, Counsel for the Council on Foundations and Brad Ward, Director of Community Philanthropy, this workshop was…

Community Philanthropy Update—January 2018

For some parts of the country, 2018 arrived in full force—with an arctic blast of frigid temperatures in the east and torrential mudslides in the west—all while tax reform brings new unknowns to our work. While in some respects, the impact of this tax legislation on charitable giving seems mightily…

Washington Snapshot: New Members of Tax-Writing Committees

In This Week's Edition of Snapshot… Democrats Throw Cold Water on Immediate Fixes to Tax Reform Tax-Writing Committees Add New Members, New Budget Chair Announced The Intersection of SALT and Charitable Contributions Immigration Agreement Could Unlock Funding Compromise IRS Estimates What it…

Community Foundation Excellence (CFE) Finance Course—Cedar Rapids, IA

For community foundation CEOs, managers, or board members/trustees with fiscal responsibilities and those new to finance and fiscal administration, this course provided an understanding of the complicated aspects unique to community foundation finances. The interactive two-day course curriculum was…

From Global Goals to Local Impact

Publication
How Philanthropy Can Help Achieve the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals in the U.S. As implementation of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals becomes a priority of the world, philanthropy has an opportunity to make an impact. This report from the Council on Foundations examines how U.S. funders…

Hacking the Sustainable Development Goals: Can US Cities Measure Up?

External Resource
The UN Sustainable Development Goals aim to address the world’s most pressing challenges, from poverty to climate change, by aligning priorities and developing shared metrics to measure progress. While the SDG framework is designed for nations, all levels of government will need data to track…

Sustainable Development Goals Event Toolkit

Sample Document
In 2017 and 2018, the Council on Foundations hosted a number of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) events in various states across the country. We created an events toolkit to support you as you host your own SDGs event in your community. The toolkit includes useful resources such as a sample…

Achieving a Sustainable Urban America: SDSN’s first U.S. Cities SDG Index

External Resource
America is the world’s richest large economy, with the world’s leading technologies and institutions of higher learning. Yet, the United States of America (U.S.) is falling behind other countries on a range of indicators relating to quality of life, economic opportunity, and environmental…

Washington Snapshot: Tax Legislation Takes Effect

In This Week's Edition of Snapshot Tax legislation takes effect, Senate Finance Committee Chairman to retire Deadline to pass FY18 spending measure looms Two new U.S. senators sworn in In the States: State legislatures convene to confront uncertainty caused by the federal tax bill News from…

Council on Foundations Holiday Schedule

The Council on Foundations offices will be closed from December 23, 2017 - January 1, 2018. During this time, Council staff is available to assist our members with their time-sensitive needs. Please dial the membership line directly at 703-879-0645 or email us at membership@cof.org.

Washington Snapshot: Tax Bill Awaits Signature by President Trump

We will be taking a break from sending Snapshot through the rest of this year, and will return on Thursday, Jan. 4, 2018. We wish all our readers a safe and happy holiday! In This Week's Edition of Snapshot Tax reform goes to President Trump’s desk for signature Congress is up against a tight…

(Internal) Talent Development for (External) Impact

Members, View the Recording (Internal) Talent Development for (External) Impact is about the Bush Foundation’s internal efforts to develop staff to have greater impact while at Bush and then beyond. Over the last five years, the Bush Foundation has been working to embed their belief in…

Lunch with Legal Counsel: DAF Regulations and Tax Reform

Members, View the Recording Join the Council on Foundation’s Suzanne Friday for a timely discussion of the recent IRS Notice regarding potential new donor advised fund regulations and the Treasury Department’s request for comments from the field.  Additionally, this webinar reviews specific…

Diversity of Thought: Atlas Corps Fellows Program

The Council, in partnership with Atlas Corps and American Express, shared information on the Atlas Corps Fellows Program. Atlas Corps facilitates overseas fellowships for the best of the world's rising leaders. They volunteer for 12-18 months at outstanding organizations (foundations,…

The Tax Bill Has Passed - What Does it Mean and What Happens Now?

Member, View the Recording The tax bill has passed and many in the sector are wondering what it will mean for our work, and what comes next in our advocacy. Join us for a detailed look at the tax bill and a discussion on the legislative provisions that will impact philanthropy and charities. We…
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