General Purposes

About this grant

This grant provides continued general purposes support to Community Foundations of Canada, an association of 155 community foundations which collectively hold about $2.5 billion in assets and award grants totaling more than $140 million annually. The association’s three key goals are to: (1) support established and developing community foundations in their endowment building and donor services, grantmaking, and community leadership; and as accountable stewards of community assets; (2) promote and advance philanthropy and community foundations; and (3) model philanthropic leadership in Canada and internationally. Recent programming has included the release of national marketing materials adapted from those developed by the Council on Foundations in the United States; the launch in four major Canadian cities of "Vital Signs", a community assessment report commissioned by community foundations; and national initiatives in the areas of youth in philanthropy, environment, social justice, community leadership, and donor engagement. In the upcoming two years, Community Foundations of Canada will focus on positioning and branding community foundations as philanthropic leaders, strengthening its organizational effectiveness and excellence, and ensuring sustainability.