What Is a Community Foundation?

Community foundations act as stewards, protecting your charitable dollars and watching out for your interests even after you’re gone. Community foundation professionals get to know you, as well as your philanthropic interests and concerns, in order to ensure that the gift you leave to your community through the foundation is always used in the manner you intended, and to the best possible effect.

Community foundations provide:

  • Personalized services, tools and resources that fit donor aspirations and community needs;
  • Solutions to make giving an easy, flexible and effective process;
  • Local expertise and in-depth understanding of community challenges and needs; and
  • Community leadership in meeting those challenges and needs.

The long-term goal of a community foundation is to build permanent funds supported by many donors. Currently, the 72-and-counting members of the Kansas Association of Community Foundations have more than $2.1 billion in assets. In 2012 alone, foundation professionals and board members oversaw the reinvestment of $245 million into communities across the state. Through grants to various organizations and causes, community foundations truly make a difference in the lives of Kansans. 

Please use the online map and directory of members of the Kansas Association of Community Foundations to contact the foundation nearest to you.