Community foundations are one of the fastest growing sectors of philanthropy in the United States today.  They build and strengthen communities by making it possible for a wide range of donors to create permanent, charitable endowments to meet local needs.  Community foundations, through philanthropy that is visionary, flexible, and inclusive, have become catalysts for improvement within both urban and rural settings.  They are uniquely positioned to evaluate and help coordinate services within their communities so that charitable gifts are used effectively to fulfill donors' wishes and to address the most critical needs in the community.

There are more than 700 community foundations in the United States.  Other countries catching the vision include Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, Great Britain, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand and Russia.

Community foundations in the United States currently hold nearly $50 billion in assets and are located in every state and major metropolitan area in the country.  Latest figures show community foundations giving more than $4.1 billion to a wide variety of nonprofit activities, including urban affairs, the arts, education, environmental projects, health, social services and disaster relief.

Community foundations offer donors many services and benefits by working with families, individuals, estate planners, and attorneys to design gift plans that fit each economic situation.  As a result, donors receive maximum benefit from their charitable contributions and can be sure that their philanthropic dollars are used to the fullest extent.

Gifts of various sizes and shapes are received from private citizens, local corporations, and other foundations or groups that want to help specific regions.  Nearly every type of gift - cash, real estate, stock, artwork, insurance - can be contributed to a community foundation.  Gifts are made by bequest and by living donors who want to be actively involved in local philanthropy.  Community foundations received more than $4.8 billion in gifts during 2009 according to the latest reports.

Community foundations range in size from more than $1.7 billion to smaller foundations with assets of $100,000 or less.  The funds are invested in diverse portfolios, and management of these funds is a major aspect of a community foundation's work.  All foundations share the common goal of serving donors, not-for-profits and their communities as a whole.