What is a Community Foundation?

Making clay sculptures

A community foundation is a tax-exempt public charity that enables people like you to establish charitable funds. Your fund will be pooled with our other funds and managed professionally, allowing your assets to grow over time. You and your family are encouraged to continue giving to your fund to help it grow even more. Grants will be awarded from your fund to the charitable causes you care about.

Like all community foundations, we are governed by a volunteer board of leading citizens and run by professionals with expertise and knowledge of our community’s needs. We go beyond simply making grants that advance charitable activities; we also identify current and emerging issues, stimulate resources to address those needs, and help our region prepare for the future.

Community foundations have a long tradition of helping to create thoughtful, effective change. The first one was established in 1914 in Cleveland, Ohio and there are now more than 700 community foundations throughout the United States.