| Council on Foundations

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In 2020, the median community foundation saw gift and grant totals both increase by double digits, and nearly a third of survey respondents reported a fundraising total increase of more than 50 percent over 2019, reflecting a field that was particularly well-positioned to be among the most active philanthropic institutions as the COVID-19 pandemic emerged.

Longitudinal tracking of growth in assets, gifts, and grants is done using a consistent sample of the largest 100 community foundations by asset size, who together hold over 90 percent of the dollars in the field. This group's collective asset total grew by more than 11 percent over 2019. After 2019 saw decreases in both, grantmaking increased by 38 percent in 2020, while fundraising increased by 42 percent.

Staff and financial resources are important to monitor for smaller foundations who are looking to grow, and for larger foundations who are looking for the flexibility to diversify their offerings.

Differences in community foundation size are reflected in their different operating models and product focus.

There was a slight uptick in asset growth across the field after a virtual flattening in FY 2015, though the growth rates of individual community foundations remain relatively neutral.

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