Community Foundations

In every part of the USA, some 700 Community Foundations act as a focal point, magnet, convener and enabler for philanthropic activities in the regions they serve.

A Community Foundation is comparable to other substantial institutions in the community that offer centralized and cost effective services to improve the quality of life of the people they serve, such as schools, hospitals and banks. Like these other institutions, a Community Foundation needs to build a lasting infrastructure to be able to continue to provide and expand the services offered.

The building blocks that a Community Foundation uses are donor funds, named by the donor. Donors invest in a Community Foundation by establishing their own funds. Those funds can be used to perpetuate the donors’ charitable support for their particular community. They become, in fact, a wonderful and important investment in the community itself.