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. 

Working Group

Khalif Ali Director of Public Policy and Advocacy The Pittsburgh Foundation Pete Bird President The Frist Foundation Gina Dalma Special Advisor to the CEO and Vice President of Government Relations Silicon Valley Community Foundation Bruce…

Teaming Together to Mitigate the Impact of Implicit Bias

Approximately 50 leaders from higher education, philanthropy, and the private sector recently met at Duke University for an intimate conversation about implicit bias. Organized by the TIAA Institute, Duke University, and the Council on Foundations, “Managing Effectively Across Differences: The…

Three Leading Organizations Representing Foundations and Charitable Nonprofits Urge NO Vote on Senate Tax Bill

The Council on Foundations, National Council of Nonprofits and Independent Sector today voiced united opposition to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act being considered in the U.S. Senate. Leaders of the three organizations, which represent foundations and charitable nonprofits, sent a letter to lawmakers,…

Joint Letter of Opposition to the Senate Tax Reform Bill

Dear Senators, The charitable nonprofit and foundation communities stand united in opposition to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and, in the strongest possible terms, urge a “NO” vote on the bill. The current legislation damages the civic infrastructure upon which our communities depend, and hurts the…

Digital Security and Your Foundation: The Good, Bad, and the Ugly

Members, View the Recording The second session in our series on digitalization and the community foundation business model dives into business innovations for community foundations designed to address cybersecurity. Hear from Josh Levy, Stanford’s Digital Civil Society Lab, as he provides practical…

#GivingTuesday Is An Opportunity To Focus On the Good Around Us

At a time when partisanship runs rampant and public divides seem numerous, this #GivingTuesday offers an opportunity for our country to focus on all the good that is happening around us and to work collectively, through donations of all kinds, to strengthen our society at every level. #…

National Standards Conference Call

The purpose of this monthly call is to offer community foundation staff a venue to voice questions or concerns related to the National Standards program. The input of community foundation staff is critical to the success of the program. Additionally, this call provides an opportunity for…

National Standards Conference Call

The purpose of this monthly call is to offer community foundation staff a venue to voice questions or concerns related to the National Standards program. The input of community foundation staff is critical to the success of the program. Additionally, this call provides an opportunity for…

National Standards Conference Call

The purpose of this monthly call is to offer community foundation staff a venue to voice questions or concerns related to the National Standards program. The input of community foundation staff is critical to the success of the program. Additionally, this call provides an opportunity for…

National Standards Conference Call

The purpose of this monthly call is to offer community foundation staff a venue to voice questions or concerns related to the National Standards program. The input of community foundation staff is critical to the success of the program. Additionally, this call provides an opportunity for…

Community Foundation Excellence (CFE) Fundamentals Course—Baltimore, MD

This event is sold out. There is still availability for the Jacksonville, FL course happening October 24-25. Learn More A well-trained staff and an informed board are critical to the success of community foundations in our fast-changing world. This two-day course helps new and experienced…

Community Foundation Excellence (CFE) Fundamentals Course—Denver, CO

A well-trained staff and an informed board are critical to the success of community foundations in our fast-changing world. This two-day course helped new and experienced foundation stakeholders build the essential skills they need to balance governance and management. Created and led by…

#CFWeek: Amplifying the Work of Community Foundations Helps Advocacy for Sector

Community Foundations Week is the perfect time to celebrate the great work community foundations do around the country. This is especially true at a time when foundations are being asked to do more and more because of federal, state, and local budget cuts. In my role at the Council on Foundations,…

#CFWeek: Tackling Local Issues on a Global Scale

Monday’s blog kicked off Community Foundation Week (#CFWeek) and highlighted our inaugural North American Community Foundation Summit. Next February in Mexico City, we will explore bold and innovative approaches to address the multifaceted issues impacting our local communities, highlighting how…

Washington Snapshot: BREAKING NEWS: House Passes H.R. 1

In This Week's Edition of Snapshot Tax reform: House passes tax reform package; Senate continues committee markup. IRS notices rule for charitable giving for wildfire damages. In the States: The Cuts are Coming, Montana Continues its Strict Campaign Finance Tradition News from the Hill…

Community Foundation Legal Webinar

Recording
View the Webinar Slides Community Foundations: Gearing up for Year-End Spend 90 minutes with the Council's legal staff to explore topics associated with year-end.   As well, take a moment out to celebrate #CFWeek and gear up for #GivingTuesday! Topics Include:  Year-end gift…
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