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. 

Coming Together, Not Apart - References

Table of contents: Part 1 | Part 2 Part 1 of 3: How Philanthropy Supports Connection in a Time of Dangerous Division See Kleinfeld, R. (2023). “Polarization, Democracy, and Political Violence in the United States: What the Research Says.” Working Paper. Carnegie Endowment for International…

Looking to 2025: What Does a New Congress Mean for Philanthropy?

In January the 119th Congress will be sworn in and take on the work of choosing leadership for the House and Senate, as well as for each of the 40+ Committees that make up Congress. Join this webinar to learn about the dynamics of the new Congress and how we expect the shifting policy environment…

Looking to 2025: Making Sense of the Elections

The 2025 Election results will alter dynamics in Washington, D.C. National political analyst and editor-in-chief of the Cook Political Report, Amy Walter, breaks down what the election results could mean for your work and for the U.S. broadly. In addition, government affairs experts provide…

Looking to 2025: What's at Stake?

As you know, most policy issues impacting philanthropy are tax policy issues. In December 2025, key provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) are set to expire, kicking off a race to develop new tax legislation. Even before we know the results of the 2024 election, Congressional…

Council & CEONet | Community Foundation CEO Roundtable - September 2024

Understanding the ALICE Reports September's Community Foundation CEO Roundtable intended to provide a range of information and discussion on a key population that community foundations are increasingly asked to serve — Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed…

Idaho Community Foundation Strives to Give More Than Funding

They were straightforward questions, added to provide greater help in a time of greater complication. "Aside from funding, what else do you need?" and "How else can we serve you better?" were simple additions to the grant application for Idaho Community Foundation (ICF) during the COVID-19…

Community Philanthropy Update - August 2024

The CF Insights Fiscal Year 2023 Survey is now open, and CF Insights has been back at the Council for one year!

Testimony for Senate Committee on Finance on “Tax Tools for Local Economic Development”

Thank you for the opportunity to provide written testimony for the record on the subject of “Tax Tools for Local Economic Development.” We commend the Committee for holding a hearing on this pivotal topic as communities around the country continue to recover from the pandemic, natural disasters,…

Meet the Council Expert! Q&A with Yoo-Jin Kang, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Programs

Yoo-Jin considers herself bi-coastal with roots in the Pacific Northwest and the D.C./DMV area. In addition to her work with the Council, she’s currently working towards a Master’s degree in Public Health at UC Berkeley. Her focus is on how racism impacts health, especially in the workplace. She…

Peer Benchmarking for Community Foundations: A Guided Tour of CF Insights

Since CF Insights went live at the Council one year ago, over 50% more community foundations have started using this peer benchmarking tool. Attendees watched a guided demonstration to learn how their community foundation could benefit from the only dataset of its kind.  During this…

Community Philanthropy Update - July 2024

Public-philanthropic partnerships exist in nearly every community in the country, helping us reach goals that we can’t achieve alone. To celebrate this, we recognized the winners of our twelfth annual HUD Secretary’s Award in partnership with the Department of Housing and Urban Development earlier…

2024 Advocacy Packet

Community Foundation Resources Find resources for private foundations instead. This packet contains what you need to set up, prep for, and attend a meeting with your Member of Congress and/or their staff. We’ve included resources about key legislation, data about the sector, and template letters…

August Recess 2024 - Additional Resources

Foundations work on a variety of issues, only some covered by this packet. Below, find additional resources on policy issues the Council has been working on this Congress. You may find them helpful to prep your team, bring to a meeting, or share with an office after the fact.  Understanding…

Retreat for New Community Foundation Executive Leaders - October 2024

This retreat is an opportunity to step away from the challenges of your day-to-day and find renewed energy and motivation in fellowship with other new CEOs. This event is the Council's annual retreat for early-tenure community foundation chief executives. Hosted by Fred Blackwell and the San…

2024 UN General Assembly Philanthropic Side-Events

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For Community Foundation of the Ozarks, impact lies in collaboration

In the heart of West Plains, Missouri, marked by its segregation-era past, stands a forgotten schoolhouse, the Lincoln School, that was once reserved for Black children. Today a community-driven effort is breathing new life into its weathered walls. Meanwhile, the emergence of the Springfield Daily…
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