Iowa Community Foundations

A community foundation is a tax-exempt, charitable nonprofit organization established to serve a specific geographic region. Community foundations build funds that support community needs, with a focus on creating endowment funds for the long-term benefit of local charitable projects and programs.

Community foundations are trusted and valuable resources for individuals, families, businesses, nonprofit organizations and professional advisors. Community foundations work to build local philanthropy and are a vehicle for people of all means to make a lasting difference in their community.

These three roles guide the work of community foundations:

1. WORKING WITH DONORS A community foundation grows assets through contributions from donors. A variety of fund types allow donors to make contributions to the causes they care about most. These funds are invested by the community foundation and, over time, grow to produce greater philanthropic good.
2. PROVIDING GRANTS Community foundation funds annually distribute grants to support nonprofit and charitable causes in the community. These grants support a broad range of community needs such as arts and culture, health, human services, the environment, education and community development.
3. SERVING AS COMMUNITY LEADERS Community foundations engage in community leadership work to help address some of their region’s most pressing issues. This often involves working with other leaders from the business, education and government sectors to align efforts and leverage resources.

Community foundations benefit the state of Iowa and the communities they serve in a variety of ways. Iowa community foundations:

• Are local organizations with a commitment to their community.
• Improve the quality of life and build on the strengths of their communities.
• Have staff members and volunteers who hold community knowledge about local issues and needs.
• Offer maximum tax advantages, including access to the Endow Iowa Tax Credit.
• Support their local communities now, and will continue to forever.

The National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations accreditation program certifies U.S. community foundations that meet and exceed federal and state law requirements in practice and by policy. The accreditation process is rigorous, and undertaking it demonstrates a community foundation’s commitment to accountability and excellence to its donors, its community, policymakers, and the public.

The Accreditation Seal is only awarded to those community foundations that continue to meet comprehensive standards. Those receiving the Accreditation Seal have demonstrated their commitment to the success and well-being of every cause and person they support, and are willing and able to stand by every grant they have made. The Accreditation Seal signals to donors and to their professional advisers that a community foundation is a sound place to give and make a difference.

Learn more about the National Standards Accreditation Program here.

To participate in the Endow Iowa and/or the County Endowment Fund Program, a community foundation in Iowa must be a nationally accredited community foundation or be affiliated with a nationally accredited community foundation.

From 2004-2025, the Iowa Council of Foundations served as the State of Iowa’s Lead Philanthropic Entity (LPE), until the conclusion of that contract in 2025.

The Iowa Community Foundations Initiative supported the network of community foundations and affiliate community foundations across the state. Although the funding for this particular initiative has concluded, the ICoF continues to lead the state in strengthening, guiding, and growing philanthropy in Iowa.