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.
Legal Office Hours - November 2023
As part of our Member Week programming, Council staff counsel will host Legal Office Hours focused on the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on two cases: Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) v. Harvard and SFFA v. University of North Carolina (UNC), which have the potential to impact philanthropic…
Values-Aligned Philanthropy Peer Learning Circle - November Meeting
Join us for the November meeting of our Peer Learning Circle dedicated specifically to community foundation staff working on exploring, designing, or implementing organizational values-aligned grantmaking policies.
This event offers an opportunity to engage with fellow community foundation staff…
Philanthropy Can Further Social Cohesion: One Way to Get Started
This blog is part of the Council's Dialogue Across Difference series. In this space, we will share your viewpoints: In a time of polarization and mistrust, how can philanthropy bridge across difference?
The Constitution empowers us to create “a more perfect union.” Today, toxic polarization and…
Philanthropy's Response to the Israel-Hamas War 2023
Overview
Since October 7, 2023, thousands have been killed and more than a hundred thousand people have been displaced in Israel and Gaza. According to CNN, more than 1,400 Israelis were killed in the Hamas assault, and more than 240 were taken hostage, according to a count by Israeli officials. …
Philanthropy's Response to the Afghanistan Earthquake
Overview
More than 2,000 people have been killed and upwards of 11,000 affected after a powerful 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck Afghanistan, resulting in the deadliest earthquake to hit the region in nearly 20 years. Afghanistan’s healthcare system is heavily reliant on foreign aid and has faced…
CF Insights: Office Hours
What if each community foundation can know what all community foundations collectively know?
Data is a driving force behind effective decision-making, and in the world of philanthropy, it's no different. Through CF Insights, community foundations can access up-to-date, real-world data on…
Philanthropy Supporting Ukraine - November 2023
Supporting Media Coverage in Ukraine
This panel of distinguished speakers shed light on the challenges faced by Ukraine's media landscape and offered solutions to empower its resurgence and meet the needs of Ukraine's democracy. Through this discussion, participants fostered a deeper…
2023 Grantmaker Salary and Benefits Report
Publication, Research
The 2023 Grantmaker Salary and Benefits Report is updated with the most recent sector data. Information is presented by grantmaker type, foundation type, asset size, and geographic location. Additionally, 2023 report contents include:
Salary data on 10,733 full-time staff from 957 grantmaking…
2023 Grantmaker Salary and Benefits Report: Key Findings
Research
The 2023 Grantmaker Salary and Benefits (GSB) Key Findings is an illustrated, three-page document highlighting important trends shaping the philanthropic sector. Also available as a free PDF, the 2023 GSB Key Findings is a small part of the full dataset available in the 2023 GSB Report, which is…
Add Your Voice: Philanthropy’s Role in Bridging Divides
This blog is the first in the Council's new series, Dialogue Across Difference. In this space, we will share your viewpoints: In a time of polarization and mistrust, how can philanthropy bridge across difference?
In a staff training, the facilitators from Resetting the Table asked us to think of…
Council & CEONet | Community Foundation CEO Roundtable - November 2023
Students for Fair Admissions Inc. Court Decision:
Potential Impact on Community Foundations
The U.S. Supreme Court issued its ruling on two cases: Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) v. Harvard and SFFA v. University of North Carolina (UNC), which has impending impacts on philanthropic…
CF Insights: Access Shared Knowledge for Community Foundations
Members Access the Recording
CF Insights, the benchmarking platform designed specifically for community foundations, is now live at the Council! Council staff provided a deep dive into this powerful tool, informed by self-reported financial and operational data collected from the broader field.…
Leading Global Foundations Join Bilateral Donors in Commitment to Locally Led Global Development
Alongside the United States Agency for International Development at the United Nations General Assembly today, 15 global grantmakers joined with bilateral donors from around the world in endorsing a donor statement on committing to locally led development.
The statement, introduced at the 2022…
Community Philanthropy Update - September 2023
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How do you get your board to support Values-Aligned Philanthropy? Check out our new board discussion guide for answers!
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Philanthropy's Response to the Libya Flooding
Overview
Storm Daniel induced catastrophic flooding near northeast Libya, collapsing dams and sending water flowing into already inundated areas. Entire neighborhoods have been washed away, hospitals are no longer operable, and large parts of the region are inaccessible to emergency services. The…
Philanthropy's Response to the Morocco Earthquake
Overview
More than 2,600 people have been killed and thousands more injured after a powerful 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck Morocco, resulting in the deadliest earthquake to hit the region in more than century. Its epicenter was not far from the popular tourist and economic hub Marrakech.…
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