Community Foundations Across the Country and At Home

A community foundation is a special form of public charity, organized to channel gifts from individual and corporate donors to a variety of charitable organizations in the local community. It is a publicly supported philanthropic institution governed by a local board of private citizens. Community foundations are one of the fastest growing sectors of philanthropy in the United States.

According to the Council on Foundations, there are more than 700 community foundations across the United States. Most serve a specific geographic area. The Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne serves Allen County, Indiana, but individual donors who have established a fund within the Community Foundation may direct their gifts locally, regionally, or nationally. In the state of Indiana, there is a community foundation serving each county and we are grateful to Lilly Endowment for helping to grow Indiana community foundations.

The earliest community foundation was started in 1914 by Fred Goff in Cleveland, Ohio. The Community Foundation, in its present form, was formed in 1956 with an initial gift of $85. As of December 31, 2010, the Community Foundation’s asset level was $101.7 million with more than 322 separate funds.

Community foundations are probably best known for their grants to charitable organizations and scholarships to students. All over the United States community foundations are funding local projects, operating costs of nonprofits, and capital needs. Some community foundations focus giving on specific areas; however, the Community Foundation supports a variety of needs. In 2010, $8.8 million dollars in grants and scholarships were provided by the Community Foundation.

While most gifts to community foundations are given with the idea of leaving a legacy (in perpetuity), some donors choose to have their named fund last for a period of years; the first are endowed funds and the second are nonpermanent funds. Flexibility is one of the advantages of using a community foundation to address charitable needs. A donor may choose to give during his/her lifetime, through estate planning, or both.

Finally, the Community Foundation is governed by a diverse board of directors whose terms are limited. Board members first serve on one or more committees so that they are very familiar with our values of transparency, fair and impartial grantmaking, adhering to donor intent, and providing clear and helpful advice in the area of philanthropy.

If you would like information about the 2010–2015 Strategic Plan for the Community Foundation, click here.