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. 

Bringing a Racial Equity Lens to Foundation Strategy

Shifting Practices, Sharing Power: Moving From Vision to Reality     Bringing a Racial Equity Lens to Foundation Strategy session co-led by Dalberg Advisors and Common Future, shares reflections and best practices from the field based on their work with different…

Exploring New Spaces: A Quick Guide to Evaluating Potential New Programmatic Areas

Shifting Practices, Sharing Power: Moving From Vision to Reality Many foundations are exploring potential new programs in response to the pandemic, racial reckoning, and threats to our democracy, among many other challenges. This workshop will introduce a structured, efficient process that…

Future-Proofing Your Portfolio: A Quick Guide to Scenario Planning for Foundations

Shifting Practices, Sharing Power: Moving From Vision to Reality As our world becomes more uncertain, planning for the future becomes more important, but also more difficult. This interactive workshop will introduce fundamental tools used in scenario analysis and risk management and show how…

Ask the Council: The Initiative to Accelerate Charitable Giving

Thank you for joining David Kass, the Council's Vice President of Government Affairs, for a members-only discussion on the Initiative to Accelerate Charitable Giving draft policy proposal. The discussion focused on what was included within the proposal and what we are hearing from the Hill. …

Granting to India: How to Best Support Indian Non-Profits - POSTPONED

This event has been postponed. We will update this page with the new date and time soon.   With the recent FCRA amendments passed late in 2020, global foundations working in or granting to India continue to face challenges to their work. While Indian…

Humanitarian Crises Around the World

Natural disasters have a way of grabbing media attention and the public’s interest. The visuals of people wading through chest-deep water or picking up the pieces of tornado-ravaged homes are eye-catching. They draw attention and money from philanthropy and everyday donors. However, there are…

Legal Matters for Community Foundations - Virtual - June 2021

Virtual Format of Legal Matters for Community Foundations! Limited Size ensures peer interaction and direct question sessions.   Led by the Council on Foundations Legal Team, Ben McDearmon and Bryan Del Rosario, this workshop is flexibly organized to ensure that your broad legal questions…

Legal Office Hours for Community Foundations: April 2021

Thank you for joining Council attorneys, Bryan Del Rosario and Ben McDearmon, for Legal Office Hours for Community Foundations: April 2021, a members only Q&A discussion that addressed emerging legal questions. The discussion focused on the top questions and concerns within the nonprofit sector…

Community Foundation CEO Virtual Roundtable: Returning to the Workplace - May 2021

May's Roundtable Focus: Returning to the Workpalace As we contemplate what returning to the workplace looks like for our organizations, Community Foundation CEOs face decisions about how their workplaces, routines, and how people will adapt. Join us to learn from colleagues about what workplace…

Nonprofit Law in Tanzania

Legal Compliance Guidance
Current as of May 2023 | Download print version (PDF) This section describes the legal framework governing nonprofit organizations (also known as non-governmental organizations or NGOs) in Tanzania, and includes translations of legislative provisions relevant for a foundation or advisor…

One Year Later: How Has COVID-19 Reshaped Philanthropy?

  Philanthropy has responded to COVID-19 like no other crisis in recent memory. Through increased giving, reduced restrictions, and a deeper focus on listening to communities and partners, foundations, many of whom signed the Pledge, have stepped up in this moment of crisis. Now, a year…

Field Research: Philanthropy's Response to COVID-19

Lessons and data from the field on philanthropy's response to the pandemic, plus examinations of foundation practices that may become the new normal. Foundation Practices Philanthropy and COVID-19: Measuring One Year of Giving - Center for Disaster Philanthropy & Candid (February 2021)…

Letters to Government Officials

At the Council, we leverage our voice on behalf of the philanthropic sector and on issues affecting our members. We reach out to Congress, the White House, and federal agencies when necessary to ensure governmental leadership understands the priorities of philanthropy—and, when appropriate, we…

Philanthropy's Response to 2021 Severe Winter Storms

OVERVIEW In February, states across the United States saw extreme cold, snow, and ice in many areas unaccustomed to this type of weather. Southern states have seen the largest impact with large-scale power outages, boil water advisories, food shortages, extensive road closures, and deaths. A…

Impact Investing Handbook: An Implementation Guide for Practitioners

External Resource
Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors published the "Impact Investing Handbook: An Implementation Guide for Practitioners"—180 pages of helping asset owners turn interest into action. Two years in the making, this practical publication features case studies and detailed guidance for individuals,…

COVID-19 Philanthropy: Measuring One Year of Giving

The COVID-19 global pandemic defined 2020, and it will continue to impact much of the world in the foreseeable future. How did grantmakers and donors respond as communities worldwide struggled – especially Black, Indigenous and people of color as well as other populations that have been…
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