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.
U.S. Government Action on COVID-19
Letter to Secretary Ross and U.S. Census Bureau
On August 5, 2020, the Council on Foundations joined more than 500 philanthropic leaders to urge Secretary Ross and the US Census Bureau to maintain their original plan to continue counting households through the end of October and ensure everyone…
Top Foundations Pledge Flexible Funding to Grantees in Wake of COVID-19 Crisis
New York, March 19, 2020 — More than 40 major US-based and international foundations announced today to pledge their commitment to more flexible funding to help grantee partners meet emergency needs prompted by the COVID-19 crisis. Signatories include The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation,…
A Call to Action: Philanthropy's Commitment During COVID-19
Join the 806 Organizations who have Signed the Pledge!
The rapid spread of COVID-19 has created a global health and economic crisis that is testing every one of us. We know that the shocks of this “new normal” are severe and unanticipated for our sector and grantee partners.
As leaders in…
How Philanthropy Can Best Support Nonprofits in a Pandemic
COVID-19 has rocked the United States and threatened the safety, health, and financial security of our communities and the nonprofits that support them. As communities across the US experience the impact of this pandemic to varying degrees, they are also facing different needs. Some, in the…
Community Foundation CEO Roundtable: The New Normal - COVID-19
Council on Foundations and re-constituted affinity group, CEONet, invited CEOs and Executive Directors of community foundations to join a virtual roundtable in response to the growing challenges of COVID-19. In an open exchange of ideas, executives shared perspectives, experiences, and…
Washington Snapshot: Coronavirus Emergency Legislation in Negotiation
The Coronavirus - THE MORE YOU KNOW
World Health Organization: Situation Dashboard
How Philanthropy Can Respond:
Center for Disaster Philanthropy
NEW! Council on Foundations:
COVID-19 Resource Hub
In This Week's Edition of Snapshot...
News from the Council
News from the Hill…
Funder to Funder Call: Sharing Approaches to COVID-19 Community Response
View the slides
The Council on Foundations hosted a Funder to Funder Call: Sharing Approaches to COVID-19 Community Response on Thursday, March 12 at 2:00 p.m. ET | 11:00 a.m. PT to discuss the emerging challenges of the coronavirus and philanthropy’s response.
This conversation featured…
COVID-19 Resource Hub
As COVID-19 continues throughout the world and in the United States, the Council remains committed to helping our members and the philanthropic sector respond to this global health pandemic. We continue to update this Hub with resources from our team and partners across philanthropy and the…
Washington Snapshot: Senate passed $8.3 billion emergency coronavirus funding package
The Coronavirus - THE MORE YOU KNOW
For Global Updates: World Health Organization
How Philanthropy Can Respond: Center for Disaster Philanthropy
In This Week's Edition of Snapshot...
The White House
House Ways and Means Committee
Department of the Interior
Department of Commerce…
Council News & Announcements Regarding COVID-19
Council Commitments during COVID-19
Updated February 24, 2021
This is an important time to leverage our leadership voice on behalf of our sector. Alongside partner philanthropy networks, we’ve lifted our voice throughout the pandemic in calls to action around policy and philanthropic practice,…
External Resources for Responding to COVID-19
Updated November 9, 2021
Access Council legal, FAQs, public policy resources and more on the Council Resources for Responding to COVID-19 page.
Reopening the Workplace
Cushman & Wakefield – Recovery Readiness: A How-To Guide for Reopening Your Workplace
Organizational Operations
Council of…
Connecting Community Foundations with the SDGs (Europe)
External Resource
The European Community Foundation Initiative report provides in-depth examples of community foundations throughout Europe adopting the SDGs and how they can work towards achieving the goals.
SDG Partnerships Agenda 2030: Accelerating Progress
External Resource
Philanthropy University, the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, and GSVlabs published a new report on the SDGs and how the various sectors, including philanthropy, can drive progress towards achieving the SDGs.
Strategic Use of IT for Community Foundation Success
Designed to inform foundation executives as well as IT leaders on the strategic role technology can play in your organization's roadmap. Learn how a strategic IT roadmap from technology selection and implementation to internal governance and process design can play a strategic part in your…
FOTH Congressional Reception
The FOTH Congressional Reception is being hosted by the Council on Foundations for friends of the philanthropic sector in Congress, FOTH attendees and philanthropic colleagues in Washington. Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL) and Rep. George Holding (R-NC) will be recognized for their legislative leadership…
Webinar Recording: Mo Data Mo Problems
When the credit reporting agency Equifax announced in 2017 that it was breached, the personal data of 143 million people was exposed. The company subsequently agreed to a global settlement worth up to $425 million. Cyber attacks do not only occur in the private sector. Cybercriminals simply…
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