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.
Council on Foundations Applauds Re-Introduction of the “Workforce Development through Post-Graduation Scholarships Act”
The Council on Foundations applauds the reintroduction of the Workforce Development Through Post-Graduation Scholarships Act (S.2191/ H.R4095) by Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), and Representatives Darin LaHood (R-IL) and Terri Sewell (D-AL). The bill would allow…
Unexpected Partners and Unlikely Allies: Seeking Common Ground at Leading Together 2021
When I formally entered the field of philanthropy, I was certain of my commitment to improving the overall quality of life for children and families. But to be frank, what I was not certain of was the full scope of the vast and unique role philanthropy could play in facilitating such change. As a…
Normal Wasn’t Working: Raising the Bar at Leading Together 2021
The idea of raising the bar in the philanthropic sector is a great one, but we need to acknowledge some potentially hard truths first: a) the bar is actually set pretty low, so the idea of raising it shouldn’t be the pinnacle of our aspirations; b) we haven’t reached the goals represented by the…
Storytelling as a Pathway to Equity: Leading Together 2021
Like many of us in the philanthropic sector, I have, over the past year, been to more than a few webinars and conferences on philanthropy’s role in advancing equity. It can often feel like we’re all following a standard script. We acknowledge that racism exists, and has in fact existed for a while…
Reinventing Our Battered World through Kindness and Curiosity at Leading Together 2021
I came away from the second day of the Council on Foundations’ Leading Together 2021 conference with an enormous amount of hope. Hope in humanity and in the kind and equitable future we will create together, if we challenge ourselves to do better and shift many of our sector practices.
The…
The LA Story: Bringing All Voices to the Table at Leading Together 2021
Over the past year, the COVID-19 crisis and violent racism against the Black and AAPI communities provided a moment of reckoning for philanthropic practitioners across the United States. We can capitalize on this moment if we work together, and if we understand that the greater good is more than a…
Knowing Yourself to Better Know Others: Advancing Equity at Leading Together 2021
During sessions on the first day of Leading Together 2021, three words resounded in the conversations: respect, trust, and equity. These three words have tremendous importance, both in our lives as individuals and as philanthropy professionals, and they have the power to reshape the ways that we…
FCAA Connect Webinar: How to Build Resilient and Strong Organizations
Lessons Learned from the Ford Foundation and the Treatment Action Campaign
The COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare the consequences of siloed philanthropy and the imperative to accelerate intersectional, multi-level work, with particular attention to integrating the HIV and COVID-19 responses with…
Reflective Break: Summarize It
Join your fellow conference attendees for a fun activity to exchange thoughts and lessons learned from Leading Together 2021. We will utilize a Jam Board to help attendees visualize concepts and takeaways to ensure you can continue to share the knowledge you gained with your colleagues and networks.
Pop Up Session: Accelerating Charitable Efforts Act (ACE Act)
On June 9, Senators King (I-ME) and Grassley (R-IA) introduced the Accelerating Charitable Efforts Act (ACE Act) — a bill that would have far reaching impacts on the philanthropic sector. In this conversation, we will share what’s in the ACE Act, talk about why the Council is opposed,…
Summary of Accelerating Charitable Efforts Act ("ACE Act")
The ACE Act, sponsored by Sen. Angus King (I-ME) and Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), would modify existing rules relating to donor advised funds (“DAFs”), make certain changes to the rules for the excise tax on undistributed income of private foundations, and exempt certain private foundations from the…
Council on Foundations Opposes the Accelerating Charitable Efforts Act (ACE Act)
On June 9, 2021, Senators King (I-ME) and Grassley (R-IA) introduced the Accelerating Charitable Efforts (ACE) Act. The Council on Foundations opposes this legislation.
The bill has several provisions that would negatively impact the philanthropic sector, including:
Establishing new and unnecessary…
2021 HR Retreat
Reopening Strong
Re-Establishing Relationships, Re-Envisioning Equity, Re-Imagining the Workplace
September 8-10, 2021 | Virtual
Over the past year, employers and HR leaders have stepped up in new and different ways to support the many dimensions of employee wellness, from occupational to…
HIGHLIGHTS - Racial Equity: Moving Companies from Promise to Action
How do companies address racial equity and expand their role in driving impact within communities?
To accelerate the progress and impact of business efforts to address racial equity, Association of Corporate Citizenship Professionals (ACCP), Chief Executives for Corporate Purpose (CECP), The…
Reflective Break: Summarize It
Join your fellow conference attendees for a fun activity to exchange thoughts and lessons learned from Leading Together 2021. We will utilize a Jam Board to help attendees visualize concepts and takeaways to ensure you can continue to share the knowledge you gained with your colleagues and networks.
Reflective Break: Goal Setting
It’s always a good time of year to set goals! Whether you’ve kept up with your professional or personal goals or need a reset (no judgment!), join us for this quick session to get you back on track with your goals for 2021 and beyond.
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