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.
Reimagining the Council on Foundations: Visioning Session with Kathleen Enright - Growing Community Foundation Conference
What is the highest and best role for philanthropy? And how can the Council on Foundations support its members and the field to be a strong and trusted partner in advancing the common good?
How are community foundations evolving within a changing charitable landscape? Kathleen Enright, president…
Global Philanthropy Update - August 2019
We’re only a month away from the 74th UN General Assembly (UNGA) – and the world still has significant work to do if we are to meet the development thresholds set in the SDGs.
This slow progress combined with a new wave of gun violence and hate crimes in the United States, alongside civil unrest…
Community Philanthropy Update - August 2019
Like many of you, I am deeply saddened by the mass shootings that have gripped our nation. The gun violence and misguided hate is heartbreaking.
But those shootings, which rocked the nation, were not the only incidents of gun violence last weekend. Individuals were killed in Chicago; a child was…
Advice from the Field: Responding to Mass Casualty Events
Fundamentals
It is an unfortunate reality of our times that foundations must respond all too often to mass casualty events in their communities. There are immediate questions that need to be addressed and an ongoing crisis to manage if your foundation is going to raise and deploy philanthropic capital in…
More Than Just Disasters: How Natural Hazards Exacerbate Racial, Gender, and Wealth Inequalities
Philanthropy has responded generously to a range of extreme natural events over the past few years, from wildfires to earthquakes to floods to hurricanes and to heatwaves. Recent extreme natural events have exposed the vulnerability of marginalized communities – especially low-income communities…
2019 UN General Assembly Philanthropic Side-Events
In September 2019, representatives from government, civil society, and the corporate sector will come together at the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York City to discuss important global challenges, from hunger and poverty to climate change and natural disasters…
Developing an Investment Strategy
This webinar on investment management is presented by Jeff Davis, CAIA, Consultant at FEG Investment Advisors and co-lead of FEG’s 2019 Community Foundation Survey, and is part of the Community Foundation Excellence (CFE) Finance Course. For this particular webinar, objectives include increasing…
Washington Snapshot: Budget Agreement Passed by House; Moving onto 2020 Appropriations Bills
In This Week's Snapshot...
Budget Agreement Passed by the House
Moving onto 2020 Appropriations Bills
Senate Approves New Defense Secretary
Student Loan Debt Legislation Unveiled
USDA Proposes to Narrow Food Stamp Eligibility
Department of Labor Resources for Hurricane Recovery
States Bring…
2019 Endowments & Finance Summit - Plenary Sessions
Plenary Sessions
Check back here often for updates.
Opening Plenary — Meeting Obligations in a Time of Financial Volatility and Uncertainty
Thursday, September 19 | 9:15-10:30 a.m.
None of us can see into the future. But for foundation leaders, having that unique ability would be…
Community Philanthropy Update - July 2019
The Council is excited to work with our partners—the community foundation affinity groups AdNet, Comma, and ProNet—to host the 2020 CFUnited, Community Foundations: Power of Place, Conference.
Designed as an immersive experience for all staff at community foundations regardless of size, scale, and…
Global Philanthropy Update - July 2019
The United Nations' annual mid-year High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) finished earlier this week. I was in New York to join several events and enjoyed connecting with a broad variety of organizations and people working to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, including many…
Washington Snapshot: A Budget Deal Could Be Reached Before August Recess; States Sue to Challenge IRS SALT Workaround Rule
In This Week's Snapshot...
A Budget Deal Reached?
House Repeals the ACA Cadillac Tax
Department of Agriculture Scientists Relocated from DC
Federal Reserve Board Beige Book Published
States Sue to Challenge IRS SALT Workaround Rule
Most Legislative Sessions End, Budget Crises Emerge
News…
Washington Snapshot: Talks About Raising the Debt Ceiling Resume; Judge Denies DOJ Bid to Swap Lawyers for Census Citizenship Question Case
In This Week's Snapshot...
Talks About Raising the Debt Ceiling Resume
Department of Education Invites Applications
EDA Prioritizes Applications for Projects Located in Opportunity Zones
IRS’ National Taxpayer Advocate Report: Recommended EITC Reforms
Judge Denies DOJ Bid to Swap Lawyers for…
Giving USA 2019
External Resource
Amid a complex climate for charitable giving, American individuals, bequests, foundations, and corporations gave an estimated $427.71 billion to U.S. charities in 2018, according to Giving USA 2019: The Annual Report on Philanthropy for the Year 2018.
Highlights from the Report
Giving by…
Programming
Thursday, September 19
Opening Plenary - 9:15-10:30 am
Meeting Obligations in a Time of Financial Volatility and Uncertainty
None of us can see into the future. But for foundation leaders, having that unique ability would be helpful in mitigating global financial issues and trends that force…
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