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. 

Sample Docket Format

Sample Completed Docket Write-up

A Colleague's Perspective on Trustee Orientation

External Resource
By Anne H. Morgan Becoming a trustee of a family foundation can be a complex, confusing, and confounding experience. Suddenly you are thrust into a room full of persons whom you thought you knew, but now they are all in different roles. Your favorite aunt, who has always seemed so demure and self…

A Colleague's Perspective on Mission and Vision Statements

Fundamentals
This perspective offered by William Graustein of the William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund in 2013 provides useful context on creating your own foundation's mission and vision statements.  When you get down to it, the reason a charitable foundation exists is to change the world or, at least…

Closing Documents Checklist

Sample Document
As you prepare to close out grants, this customizable checklist can help ensure that you've received the appropriate documents from grantees.

Sample Grant Closing Letter

Sample Document
You can send this customizable sample closing letter to grantees upon the conclusion of their grant.

Sample Grant Close-Out Form

Sample Document
This sample grant close-out form can help you wrap up outstanding grants.

Board Member Orientation Materials

Sample Document
This resource outlines the onboarding process for a new board member.

Providing Relief in Times of Disaster - Gifts from a Public Charity

Legal Compliance Guidance
Grants to Public Charities from a Public Charity Unless from a donor-advised fund, disaster relief grants to domestic section 501(c) (3) public charities do not present special issues. Grants from a Donor Advised Fund Disaster relief aid can be provided through a donor advised fund…

Providing Relief in Times of Disaster - Matching Gifts

Legal Compliance Guidance
Public foundations, community foundations and corporate giving programs may establish a matching gifts program that will match disaster relief gifts made by employees or other donors living in the U.S. or anywhere in the world, provided the grantees are public charities based in the U.S., and gifts…

The Savvy CEO

Publication
The role of the foundation CEO is pivotal to the success of a foundation’s goals. Even at foundations without staff, the tasks of the CEO do not disappear, but rather are carried out by board members. In this publication, we explore some of the critical issues and challenges that foundation CEOs…

Principles of Accountability for International Philanthropy

Publication
While cross-border philanthropy has much in common with domestic giving within a country, it also differs in significant and challenging ways. Language differences, communication across vast distances, unfamiliar cultural values and perspectives, multiple legal systems, and disparate accounting…

Sample Foreign Grant Expenditure Responsibility Letter

Sample Document
Sample foreign grant expenditure responsibility letter. This sample document is being provided for informational purposes and is not to be shared without the permission of the Council on Foundations. Use of the sample document does not create an attorney-client relationship, and the information…

Sample Expenditure Responsibility Grant Agreement

Sample Document
Editable grant agreement for grants requiring expenditure responsibility. This sample document is being provided for informational purposes and is not to be shared without the permission of the Council on Foundations.  Use of the sample document does not create an attorney-client relationship…

Should CEOs Be on the Board?

Fundamentals
This briefing will help your board consider three main questions: what are the advantages and limitations of CEOs on boards? If the CEO is on the board, should they have full voting rights? How do your colleagues approach this decision?

What is the Best Size for Your Board?

Fundamentals
This article will help your board consider three main questions: What are the advantages and limitations of large versus small boards? What size will help us best accomplish our mission? How do our colleagues approach this question? Although board size varies significantly among different…
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