10 Ways Community Foundations Are Changing Lives

By Nicki Faircloth

Community Foundation Week offers a great opportunity to reflect on the important work of community foundations and their meaningful impact on cities and towns all over the U.S.

Here are just 10 examples that show how community foundations are making a difference:

1.  Closing the “Opportunity Gap”

A growing number of community foundations have joined forces to identify and carry out effective strategies that aim to support families, provide early education, and help students prepare for an evolving job market through the Community Foundation Opportunity Network. 

Ultimately, the community foundations that are part of the network are looking to attract national funders and other partners to bring proven strategies to scale. 

2.   Advancing the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals

The Pittsburgh Foundation is leading an effort in the Steel City to advance the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals for a more peaceful, prosperous planet with just and inclusive societies. To do that, it is  engaging youth and single women who are raising children-- two groups that are often left out of conversations about economy and finance. The foundation is also emphasizing affordable housing and basic needs that are otherwise going unmet in the city of Pittsburgh. 

3. Tackling Homelessness    

The Seattle Foundation has been leading an aggressive effort to tackle homelessness. Seattle struggles with the third largest homeless population in the U.S., and the foundation is working with nonprofits and the rock group Pearl Jam to raise money and support to local nonprofits tackling the issue. Many of the organizations the foundation is now able to support provide immediate services for the homeless, as well as connections to additional services. 

4.   Providing New, Affordable Housing

Foundation for the Carolinas is leading an innovative public-private partnership -- which to date has raised more than $53 million -- to expand affordable housing options for those living in and around Charlotte, N.C. Affordable housing is a pressing issue in Charlotte, which, to date, has not been able to create enough affordable units to meet the needs of its growing population. 

5. Bringing Communities Together    

Chicago Community Trust’s innovative “On the Table” program encourages individuals and organizations across Chicago to host small gatherings that are designed to bring people together over dinner to talk about local, pressing issues. 

The Trust’s 2019 On the Table brought residents together to create “Memos to the Mayor”, which helped raise issues of shared concern to residents across the city. On the Table has been replicated in dozens of communities across the United States -- as community foundations large and small seek to find opportunities to bring residents together to understand and discuss key issues. 

6.  Breaking Down Barriers for Youth in School   

The Cleveland Foundation recently granted $40 million to the nonprofit Say Yes to Education to provide scholarships to Cleveland high school graduates, as well as educational and social service support in classrooms. The large donation ensures that the students of Cleveland will have the support they need for the next 25 years. 

A similar effort led by the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo has helped increase graduation rates in that city from 49 percent six years ago to 65 percent today.

7.   Addressing Institutional Racism 

The Central Indiana Community Foundation hopes to transform Indianapolis into a more racially inclusive city with a new strategic plan entitled “Inclusive City.” The plan includes training 5,000 community leaders and residents about the harms of institutional racism.

The foundation recognizes that in order to tackle underlying race equity issues, it must also address criminal justice reform and the reinvestment into lower-income neighborhoods.

8.   Ensuring an Accurate 2020 Census

New York Community Trust is taking steps to ensure every resident in New York state is counted in the 2020 census through the New York Census Equity Fund. A correct head count for the census ensures that New York receives its fair share of the $700 billion set aside by the federal government for states over the next 10 years. 

The Trust is far from alone in this work. Community foundations across the U.S. are leading similar efforts in their home states.

9.   Rebuilding After Disaster

The Puerto Rico Community Foundation (Fundación Comunitaria de Puerto Rico) has been leading the charge to bring reliable power and infrastructure to Puerto Rico in the wake of devastating storms such as Hurricane Maria and Hurricane Irma.

The foundation has worked closely with isolated communities on the island to build their own localized aqueducts and solar power grids— efforts that will help communities be more resilient in the face of future disasters and will help fuel economic development. 

10.   Fighting the Battle Against Opioids

New Hampshire Charitable Foundation has developed an aggressive program to help combat the abuse of opioids across the Granite State. The foundation has worked to prevent youth substance abuse by supporting local programs already working on the ground. The foundation is also funding treatment centers that are able to care for more patients now under the Affordable Healthcare Act.