Support Your Local Community Foundation

Community foundations are often misunderstood. They’re not private foundations or issue-specific nonprofits. They’re something different—and in this moment, something essential. They are trusted, place-rooted institutions that listen to local needs, move resources to the organizations doing the work, and strengthen the systems that help a place thrive.

They’re also wide-reaching. According to the Council on Foundations, more than 900 community foundations operate in every U.S. state (scroll to the bottom for links to over 200 of them), with assets ranging from under $100,000 to several billion. That scale means there’s almost certainly one serving your community.

They function a bit like financial advisors for local social good. Instead of managing stock portfolios, they help people invest in their community—guiding donors toward the greatest social return on investment. As the Aspen Institute notes in its 2025 report Evolving the Community Foundation Business Model of the Future, community foundations are “a financial-services institution meets nonprofit”—built to steward long-term resources while responding to changing needs.

I’ve seen this up close. I serve on the board of Brooklyn Org, and Hyperakt had the honor of rebranding The New York Community Trust, one of the most respected community foundations in the country. We’re supporting others today, each fueled by pride in place and a belief in what neighbors can build together.

Community foundations help people who want to contribute but don’t know where to start. They listen to local needs and build relationships with nonprofits, organizers, and cultural leaders doing the work. They see what’s working, what’s missing, and where attention is needed.

They usually don’t run programs themselves. Instead, they pool donations from across the community and invest those dollars strategically. In 2017 alone, U.S. community foundations granted $5.48 billion to nonprofits across education, health, arts, environment, and disaster relief (Council on Foundations). And they do more than give grants. A 2024 CFLeads report, Community Foundations as Leaders of Place-Based Equity Work, shows many now act as civic conveners and equity advocates—roles that reach far beyond traditional philanthropy.

They also help people build the muscle of civic participation. They lower the barrier to entry: “You don’t need to know everything. You can start here.” They give people ways to learn, connect, and grow their ability to support the place they call home.

They bring stability in unstable times.
Community foundations keep communities resourced, connected, and grounded.

They correct inequities in how philanthropy flows.
Many places with the most nonprofits and the most need receive the fewest dollars. Community foundations help fix that imbalance.

They rebuild trust.
People want transparency, belonging, and confidence that their giving matters. Community foundations offer all three.

They center changemakers, not donors.
Their focus is on the people doing the work—not the wealth funding it.

If you’re unsure where to give today, start where you live. Support your local community foundation. Strengthen the place you call home. And invest in the institutions that still believe—fiercely—in what communities can do when they show up for one another.

Not sure what your local community foundation is? No worries. We’ve gathered a list below of community foundations in all 50 states. It’s not exhaustive, but it’s a great starting point.