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. 

Horizon Forum: What Do the Experts Say: Hate Funding in Philanthropy

Debates around hate funding have grown in multiple spaces as issues of social violence, extremist ideology, and organized hate come to the forefront of public conversations. Advocacy organizations are flagging such activities, along with their funding sources, and implementing high profile…

SDG Learning Community for Community Foundations - Local Government Collaboration

Join us for the January meeting of our new Peer Learning Circle dedicated specifically for community foundations who are working on advancing the Sustainble Development Goals (SDGs) or are open to learning more about how the SDGs can fit within their work. Meeting Topic: Local Government…

Philanthropy's Response to 2021 Tornadoes

OVERVIEW More than 50 tornadoes struck multiple states on December 11 and 12, causing devastation and significant loss of life. The states impacted include, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee, and Kentucky -- with the most significant loss of life occuring in…

Global Philanthropy Update - December 2021

Today is the second day of the 2021 Summit for Democracy, and the issues at hand are too urgent to ignore. While the world faces pressing humanitarian crises like climate change, COVID-19, and racial injustice that threaten global progress on the Sustainable Development Goals, the Summit…

Washington Snapshot: Details of a New Plan from the White House to Combat Human Trafficking

What You Need to Know About Public Policy This Week... News From the Council Congress Addresses End-of-Year Priorities IRS Releases Notice on ERTC Termination White House Announces Plan to Combat Human Trafficking Happening in the States News from the Council This will be the last issue of…

Washington Snapshot: New U.S. Census Bureau Data on the Socioeconomic Impact of COVID-19

What You Need to Know About Public Policy This Week... News From the Council The President's Democracy Summit: December 9-10 Congress Set to Keep Government Open Until February Yellen and Powell Testify on Economic Recovery U.S. Census Bureau Data on the Effects of COVID-19 on American…

Community Foundation Excellence (CFE) Fundamentals Course - Virtual - December 2022

A well-trained staff and an informed board are critical to the success of community foundations in our fast-changing world. This traditionally in-person, two-day course adapted to virtual in four, half day sessions helps new and growing community foundation staff build the essential skills they…

Community Foundation Excellence (CFE) Fundamentals Course - Virtual - October 2022

A well-trained staff and an informed board are critical to the success of community foundations in our fast-changing world. This traditionally in-person, two-day course adapted to virtual in four, half day sessions helps new and growing community foundation staff build the essential skills they…

Community Foundation Excellence (CFE) Fundamentals Course - July 2022

Created and led by experienced community foundation leaders and Council attorneys, this course includes: Basic information on governance, resource development and donor relations; Updates on key legal and legislative issues; Information on grantmaking; and Review of community leadership…

Legal Matters for Community Foundations - Virtual - November 2022

Led by the Council on Foundations Legal Team, this workshop is flexibly organized to ensure that your broad legal questions for administering funds, grants, and community foundation activities are addressed. The legal team will provide technical and practical understanding of complex rules and…

Legal Matters for Community Foundations - Virtual - June 2022

SOLD OUT!   Led by the Council on Foundations Legal Team, this workshop is flexibly organized to ensure that your broad legal questions for administering funds, grants, and community foundation activities are addressed. The legal team will provide technical and practical understanding of…

Legal Matters for Community Foundations - Virtual - February 2022

Sold Out!   Led by the Council on Foundations Legal Team, this workshop is flexibly organized to ensure that your broad legal questions for administering funds, grants, and community foundation activities are addressed. The legal team will provide technical and practical understanding of…

General Service Foundation and Tara McKenzie Sandercock Honored as 2021 Council on Foundations Awards Winners

The Council on Foundations (“the Council”) today recognized outstanding leadership in the philanthropic sector through its awards program. Tara McKenzie Sandercock, Senior Vice President of Grants and Community Partnerships at the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro, is this year’s winner of…

Community Foundation Excellence (CFE) Fundamentals Course - Virtual - May 2022

SOLD OUT!   Virtual Course-Live Instruction, Not Recorded May 4 | 5 | 11 | 12  1:00-4:30 p.m. ET A well-trained staff and an informed board are critical to the success of community foundations in our fast-changing world. This traditionally in-person, two-day course adapted to virtual…

How to Calculate the Public Support Test

Legal Compliance Guidance, Publication
A Chapter in Mastering Foundation Law: The Council on Foundations Compendium of Legal Resources In the United States, organizations that qualify to receive charitable tax-deductible contributions are described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Tax Code. These organizations are divided into two main…

Washington Snapshot: Passage of the Build Back Better Act in the House and new PPP guidance from the IRS

What You Need to Know About Public Policy This Week... News From the Council House Democrats Pass Build Back Better Act IRS Issues Guidance on Paycheck Protection Program New Funds for Community-Based Efforts to Address Barriers to COVID-19 Vaccination White House Tribal Nations Actions…
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