Community Foundation Membership
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.
Need more information? A member of our team is available to assist at membership@cof.org.
Join Now as a Community Foundation Member
Member Benefits
Our community foundation members value these benefits and services most:
Connections to peer community foundations and leaders from across the philanthropic sector, online and in-person.
Free access to our regularly expanded Legal Compendium including An Overview of the Law Governing Community Foundations.
Providing Legal Matters trainings specifically for community foundations across the country, in partnership with regional philanthropy networks.
Community Foundation Excellence trainings across the country, in partnership with regional philanthropy networks.
Access to research and reports relevant to community foundations, including our joint Study of Investment of Endowments for Private and Community Foundations Report.
$250 Council membership discount with National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations certification.
Membership Contribution
Community Foundations self-report the Management and General Expenses portion of their Total Functional Expenses from their most recent completed fiscal year to determine their annual Council membership contribution. This is often equivalent to Section IX, Line 25, Column C in completed 990 forms.
| Management & General Expenses | Annual Contribution |
|---|---|
| $149,999 & under | $1,000 |
| $150,000-$349,999 | $2,500 |
| $350,000-$699,999 | $4,000 |
| $700,000-$999,999 | $7,000 |
| $1,000,000-$1,999,999 | $10,000 |
| $2,000,000-$3,999,999 | $15,000 |
| $4,000,000-$6,999,999 | $20,000 |
| $7,000,000-$11,999,999 | $25,000 |
| $12,000,000-$24,999,999 | $35,000 |
| $25,000,000 & over | $45,000 |
For more information about Council policies and member eligibility, please reference our Membership Policy.
If you do not want to use our online application system to join, you can download and complete the pdf membership application for Community Foundation Members.