Community Foundation Directory
Community Foundation Directory: Search Place-Based Grantmakers
Community foundations are some of the most reachable grantmakers in the country. They sit at the center of place-based giving. The CIFIS community foundation directory makes them easy to find, compare, and qualify. You get verified records, regional context, and partner signals. It helps nonprofits, consultants, and economic development groups connect with the right local giving partner.
What the directory covers
The directory includes community foundations in all fifty states. That ranges from large regional foundations with hundreds of millions in donor-advised assets to small county trusts. Each record is tagged with state and service area, asset class, recent giving level, and partner signals. We flag donor-advised funds, scholarship funds, and field-of-interest funds when the data allows.
- Community foundations in every state
- Service-area data at the county and city level
- Asset class and recent giving level
- Donor-advised fund and field-of-interest signals
- Partner readiness for nonprofits and grantees
Why community foundations matter for capital access
Community foundations often play many roles in their regions. They are grantmakers, donor hosts, convening tables, and capital partners. For nonprofits, they are often the most relationship-driven funder around. For economic development groups and CDFIs, they are key partners on shared local goals. The CIFIS directory makes these roles clear so you can decide how to engage: apply for a grant, propose a partnership, or refer a donor.
Built for nonprofits, consultants, and local partners
Nonprofits use the directory to find community foundations in their region. Consultants use it to map the philanthropic ecosystem around a topic or place. Economic development groups and cities use it to work with local donors. CDFIs and community capital teams use it to find community foundations open to capital partnerships. The same dataset powers each workflow.
- Nonprofits and grassroots groups
- Place-based consultants and advisors
- Economic development and city agencies
- CDFIs and community capital teams
- Researchers and philanthropy analysts
Verified, IRS-sourced, kept fresh
Every community foundation in the directory is reconciled against the IRS Exempt Organization Business Master File and enriched from 990 filings. Records carry a verification date so you can see how fresh the data is. When IRS sources publish changes, CIFIS reflects them and flags records that moved status. The directory is built to be defensible, the kind of record you can put in front of a board or a grant officer.
Frequently asked questions
What is a community foundation?
A community foundation is a public charity that pools donations from many donors and uses them to make grants in a set region. They also host donor-advised funds, scholarship funds, and field-of-interest funds.
How many community foundations are in the CIFIS directory?
The directory includes community foundations in all fifty states, with new records added as IRS sources update.
Can I search community foundations by state?
Yes. You can filter by state, service area, asset class, and giving level.
Do you include very small community foundations?
Yes. Small county foundations are first-class records next to larger regional ones.
Do profiles include grant history?
When 990 filings show grant detail, yes. CIFIS structures the history so you can compare across foundations.
Can I qualify community foundations for partnership, not just grants?
Yes. CIFIS tags partner readiness so you can find community foundations open to capital partnerships, not only standard grants.
See CIFIS for your organization
CIFIS is the funding intelligence platform connecting nonprofits, community foundations, CDFIs, and consultants to grants, funders, and verified opportunities, with explainable matching and readiness scoring.