Council on Foundations Launches Grantmaking Program to Support Community Foundations Working Across Differences

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Council on Foundations today announced the launch of the Community Foundations Working Across Differences Accelerator, a direct investment in the community foundations working to bring people together across divides.

The accelerator helps community foundations design and implement strategies for working across differences in their own communities — supporting them through both the planning and the early implementation of that work. The accelerator provides three forms of support:

• Direct funding. Financial support to power local work, including a $20,000 planning grant and the potential for $45,000 in follow-on funding for early implementation.
• Capacity building. Wraparound support from expert coaches and a structured learning agenda to develop the heartset, mindset, and skillset the work requires.
• Peer collaboration. Dedicated spaces for community foundation leaders to build relationships and share strategies with one another.

Applications open Tuesday, July 28 and are due September 4, 2026. Organizations selected to participate will begin in November 2026 with a $20,000 planning grant. Following a six-month planning phase, successful participants will be eligible for up to $45,000 in follow-on funding to support early implementation over the course of the following year.

Selected organizations will nominate staff to a virtual peer learning circle meeting every other month, receive coaching from the Council's Working Across Differences network of partners, and participate in at least one additional capacity-building opportunity, such as the Council's Bridging Differences Leadership Cohort or a Building Cultures of Dialogue workshop.

The accelerator is generously supported by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation and the Walmart Foundation. For more information and to apply, visit the Council on Foundation’s website. Questions about the program and the Council's Working Across Differences initiative may be directed to knowledge@cof.org.

About the Council on Foundations

The Council on Foundations is a nonprofit membership association that serves as a guide for philanthropies as they advance the greater good. Building on our 75-year history, the Council supports over 1,000 member organizations in the United States and around the world to build trust in philanthropy, expand pathways to giving, engage broader perspectives, and co-create solutions that will lead to a better future for all. Learn more about the Council and become a member by visiting www.cof.org.