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.

2025 Tax Reform

With numerous provisions from the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act expiring at the end of 2025, Congress is working towards passing a tax package this Congress. This page serves as a landing page for key Council resources related to the forthcoming tax package. For the most up to date information, join…

Federal Partnerships

The History In 2008, incoming Obama Administration officials signaled to foundations that the Administration would be seeking partnerships with the philanthropy sector to realize the President's social innovation agenda across the federal government. In response to this outreach, and with the…

The Urban Institute Community Platform: Tools for Building Civic and Nonprofit Capacity

This webinar shows how 10 states are implementing a web-based platform to help foundations and other community organizations respond effectively to civic challenges. The Urban Institute's system includes tools community foundations can use to: map nonprofit organizations and areas of need…

Sizing Up: Strategies for Staffing Emerging Community Foundations

This webinar addresses the core question: How can emerging community foundations staff at small scale for big results? It presents principles employed by a group of small, growing community foundations in California, and illustrates the priorities and personalities that were drivers of specific…

Public Policy Webinar: Effective Communications to Congress in the Age of Social Media

This webinar covered effective ways of communicating with members of Congress using the Internet and social media. Featured Speakers: Bradford Fitch, President and CEO, Congressional Management Foundation Susie Gorden, Vice President, Congressional Management Foundation Andrew Schulz, Former…

Learning to Lead: The Journey to Community Leadership for Emerging Community Foundations

When done well, community leadership can provide enormous benefit for both a community foundation and the community it serves. During this webinar, you will hear how emerging community foundations define their leadership opportunities. Featured Speakers and Commentators: Beth Freeman, Director…

Improving Internal Practices in Philanthropy

Is your foundation using best practices for internal processes? Hear how the Archstone Foundation addressed the various needs of a multigenerational workforce that values its employees and offers incentives to increase motivation, productivity, and employee satisfaction. You will also learn how The…

Improving Effectiveness in an Age of Uncertainty

In this age of austerity, it is more important than ever to ask and answer how foundations' decisions impact the fields they work in. Join foundation grantmakers for this two-part webinar as they share lessons learned from grantee budget reductions and business model changes. Featured Speakers…

Becoming a Web 2.0 Philanthropy

Special thanks to Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for sponsoring this webinar. Representatives from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation discuss how their foundation became a Web 2.0 philanthropy and the effects it had on their employees, grantees, and programming. Featured Speakers: Steve Downs,…

Public Policy: Another Way to Serve your Community

Why should my community foundation care about public policy? Community foundations have a unique philanthropic voice in to bring to policymakers in Washington D.C. You are fully integrated into the lifeblood of your communities, and are intimately familiar with the urgent needs of those you serve.…

Community Foundations National Standards: Commitment to Integrity, Effectiveness, and Transparency

With competition from other charitable options and heightened scrutiny of charities in the media, National Standards set our field—and your community foundation—apart and underscore your commitment to integrity, effectiveness and transparency. In 2000, a group of respected community…

Analyzing Complex Nonprofit Laws for Members Since 1957

Gifts to community foundations have long been used as planning tools by individuals with philanthropic goals. Apart from qualifying for the maximum income tax deduction and the estate tax deduction, the community foundation is a vehicle that provides donors a variety of opportunities for fulfilling…

Worker training helps strengthen a region’s manufacturing sector

As the Council on Foundations observes Community Foundation Week, this November 12-18, we will be posting stories from across the country of members who exemplify the ability of place-based philanthropy to drive innovation and strategy. If you would like your organization featured here, contact…

Philanthropy Exchange Basics

Leading Locally 2025

Register Now!