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. 

Beyond the Dollar Sign: Redefining Community Philanthropy

Building a culture of local involvement We could all name an instance where an act of goodwill impacted our lives or even changed it. Often these reflections aren’t about giving or receiving a significant sum of money. They involve genuine engagement and empathy, especially in a time of need. For…

2015 Salary Tables Now Available

As autumn begins, the research team at the Council inevitably sees an increase in the number of foundations seeking data on the salaries, benefits, and administrative expenses of their peers. There is no more comprehensive study of these trends than the Council’s Grantmakers Salary & Benefits…

Charitable Organizations Urge Immediate Congressional Action on Charitable Giving Incentives

Today, Independent Sector and the Council on Foundations, supported by 18 other leading philanthropic and charitable organizations, urged Congress to take immediate action to make permanent the three currently expired charitable giving incentives that are part of the tax extenders package.…

Webinar Recording: Finding the Right Investment Staffing and Resources for Your Foundation

  Download the Presentation Slides Foundations use a variety of models in managing their investments. But given the pursuit of higher risk-adjusted returns, many foundations are exploring different ways to access the expertise they need and to manage increasingly complex investment…

Regulatory Engagement

The Government Affairs team and the Legal team at the Council diligently follow and consistently engage on regulatory matters that impact the nonprofit and philanthropic sector. See below for comments and letters that Council has submitted with input from our members and the field to strengthen…

Winter Retreat for Foundation CEOs

Member CEOs are invited to the Winter Retreat for Foundation CEOs to be held December 9-10, at L’Auberge Resort in Del Mar, California (30 minutes north of San Diego). As you know, organized philanthropy is experiencing many changes, especially executive transitions that are transforming not…

Grantmaker Salary and Benefits Survey FAQs

Fundamentals
  What are the benefits of participation? Can I participate? How do I participate? What information will I need to complete the survey? What positions do you collect data for in the survey? Where does my state fall within the geographic breakdowns in the report? How much does the…

Successful Operating Endowment Campaigns

Fundamentals
Operating endowments can provide stability and long-term sustainability for community foundations. They can also provide resources that enable foundation leaders to play a stronger leadership role in the community and direct resources to the most pressing issues. Developing and executing an…

Washington Snapshot - October 16, 2015

Due to the Columbus Day holiday and this week’s Congressional recess, today’s edition of Washington Snapshot will be slightly abbreviated. News from the Hill Upcoming Philanthropy Caucus Briefing As our readers know, the Council on Foundations has been very active in reviving the Philanthropy…

Risk, Liability and Insurance – What Your Organization Needs to Know

  Download the Presentation Slides In partnership with Guidestar, this one-hour webinar covers the common areas of risk for charitable organizations and how risk can result in organizational and (potential) personal liability for officers, directors and employees. Included is a discussion…

Webinar: SDG Philanthropy Platform

The Council on Foundations will co-host a webinar with WINGS, European Foundation Center, and SDG Philanthropy Platform on October 21, 2016. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a set of 17 universal goals, beginning January 1, 2016, that will continue the work of the Millenium Development…

Community Foundation Professional Skills & Development

Advance best practices within your organization through professional development, expanded knowledge, and these other valuable Council resources. Best Practices, Legal Compliance, and Research The Council develops and maintains an expansive collection of foundation best practices, sample documents…

Successful Operating Endowments Campaigns

Members, Access the Recording and Resources     Operating endowments can provide stability and long term sustainability for community foundations. They can also provide resources that enable community foundation leaders to play a stronger leadership role in the community and direct…

Policy Preview: An Update on the Reauthorization of the Healthy and Hunger Free Kids Act

Members, Access the Recording and Slides     The Healthy, Hunger-Free Act of 2010 authorizes funding for federal nutrition programs including: the national school lunch and breakfast program; the nutrition program for women, infants, and children; and other child and adult food…

Legal Background on the Charitable Purpose of Donor Advised Funds

Legal Compliance Guidance
Donor advised funds are specifically defined in Section 4966(d)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code as a “fund or account which is separately identified by reference to contributions of a donor or donors, which is owned and controlled by a sponsoring organization, and with respect to which a donor…

2015 Endowments and Financial Services Summit - Partners

Summit Partners The Council would like to thank all of our partners for their support of the 2015 Endowments and Financial Services Summit. Education Partner TIAA-CREF Institute https://www.tiaa-crefinstitute.org/public/institute Leadership Partner Annie E. Casey Foundation www.aecf.org…
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