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. 

CFGRB builds the next generation of philanthropists

This post is part of the #CF100 Series of blog posts. The Council on Foundations is marking the 100th anniversary of the nation’s first community foundation, The Cleveland Foundation, by highlighting the roles of community foundations with this series. Think back to high school. Senior year,…

What's Next for Community Philanthropy Toolkit

On Monday, June 9, at the Council’s 2014 Annual Conference: Philanthropy Exchange, Monitor Institute announced a new resource for community foundations, the What’s Next for Community PhilanthropyToolkit. The What’s Next Toolkit features nearly a dozen interconnected essays, exercises, and games…

Doing Right By Veterans On Memorial Day And Beyond

The following piece originally appeared on Forbes.com. It is written by Brad Phillips of the Institute for Evidence Based Change, a Lumina Foundation grantee. The largest influx of veterans since the end of World War II will return to the workforce and college in the next several years. The surge…

A Minnesota Yankee in King Arthur’s Court? Questions on Regional Cultures and Philanthropy

During the 2014 Annual Conference - Philanthropy Exchange - we will be posting blogs written by speakers and attendees. If you are interested in blogging with the Council, contact john.cochrane@cof.org. Can you be part of Yankeedom if you live in Minnesota? Have you ever been to “New France?” Are…

Vikki Spruill Remarks on the State of American Philanthropy

Thank you, Good afternoon. I think we all have a thing or two to learn from amazing students like these.  I’m grateful to Gwen and the News Literacy Project for an enlightening discussion and for joining us here today. And, thanks to all of you for joining us at the 2014 Annual Conference…

Washington Snapshot - June 6, 2014

Community Foundation Survey Last week, your community foundation may have received a survey on donor advised funds (DAFs) from Elizabeth Boris of the Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy at The Urban Institute. As the Council and our colleagues address critical issues of concern to community…

Engaging Donors as Co-Investors

This post is part of the #CF100 Series of blog posts. The Council on Foundations is marking the 100th anniversary of the nation’s first community foundation, The Cleveland Foundation, by highlighting the roles of community foundations with this series. At the Council on Foundations’ (COF)…

2014 Fall Conference Registration

Registration Preconference online registration is now closed. You can bring a registration form to the Grand Ballroom Foyer of the Cleveland Convention Center and register onsite during these times: Sunday, October 19, 2014 — 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. Monday, October 20, 2014 — 7:00 a.m…

Remembering Quran Burning Day as a Win for Religion

I love my city of Chicago. One of my prouder moments occurred in 2010 which, to me, witnessed the manifestation of about ten years of outreach, communication, and deepening mutual respect across normative borders. It came out of years of interfaith dialogue and growing friendships. At the end of…

Report Provides Key Metrics for Philanthropic Sector

The Council on Foundations today announced the release of the 2013 Grantmakers Salary and Benefits Report, the most comprehensive information available on staff composition and compensation for U.S. foundations. This year’s report benefited from an increased response rate and will now provide…

The Fourth Dimension of a Great Idea

“The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once.” Albert Einstein Imagine this: a well-intended, charitably-inclined person of wealth creates a trust in the year 1514. This generous benefactor, deeply committed to an altruistic objective, funds the philanthropic cause without…

Outreach and Engagement Opportunities

Fundamentals
Proposals being considered in Congress often have implications for philanthropy and its effectiveness in addressing some of our most pressing challenges. In addition to educating lawmakers in Washington, D.C., communicating the impact locally is just as important. Here are some ways your…

Washington Snapshot - May 30, 2014

Last Chance: Public Policy Preconference We are delighted with the level of interest we’ve received for our inaugural Council on Foundations Public Policy Seminar! The event, which takes place on Saturday, June 7th, from 9:30 am-4:30 pm at the Washington Hilton in Dupont Circle, is a preconference…

House Ways and Means Committee Passes Key Measures in Support of Philanthropy

Today, the House Ways and Means Committee met to markup several important bills focused on the charitable sector. One bill would make the charitable “tax extenders”—including the IRA charitable rollover—permanent law. Another would simplify the private foundation excise tax on investment income to…

Strategy for Success

The following infographic was prepared by Mark Neithercut, of Neithercut Philanthropy Advisors. You can also see his earlier graphic, Six Misconceptions About Family Foundations.

StoryCorps is Coming to the Council on Foundations 2014 Annual Conference

What was your life path that led you to philanthropy? What do you count as your biggest accomplishment in this field? Can you describe the greatest obstacle you have had to overcome in your career? StoryCorps, a national oral history project, is coming to the Council on Foundations' 2014…
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