About ECFI
The European Community Foundation Initiative (ECFI) is a collaborative initiative committed to strengthening and promoting the community foundation movement in Europe.
We connect people and organisations, build knowledge, and promote the ability of community foundations to drive inclusive and lasting change.
ECFI is hosted by the German Association of Foundation and is a member of Philea and WINGS.
What we do
We work with community foundations (CFs) and community foundation support organisations (CFSOs), primarily through facilitating and stimulating transnational interactions and dialogue to enable learning, knowledge building, and the sharing of experiences and practices among community foundations and other philanthropy practitioners.
We produce practice based evidence and tools to empower practitioners to address challenges in their communities and organisations – such as sustainability, climate action, and civic engagement – and to grow mutual solidarity. We are engaged in ongoing mapping and analysis of CFs across Europe and in disseminating information that encourages the development of the field.
We also curate a Knowledge Centre, containing information about the community foundation field and its impact, along with practical tools and guides. Finally, ECFI serves as the primary contact point for the community foundation movement in Europe.
Foresight Group
The Foresight Group is a consultative body that brings together community foundation practitioners, funders, and external experts to guide ECFI’s strategic direction and innovation. It provides a space for accountability, impact learning, and futures thinking, helping ECFI anticipate challenges and opportunities for communities. Meeting twice a year, the group enhances ECFI’s role as a thought leader in community foundation development.
ECFI’s Theory of Change
Context
ECFI operates in a complex environment characterised by challenges such as the closing space for civil society, economic and demographic changes, reduced state involvement, low confidence in institutions, and diverse cultural, linguistic, and operational contexts.
Assumptions
ECFI believes that community foundations and the supporting infrastructure at national level can drive positive social change and cohesion, and that there is considerable untapped potential.
Actions
In order to accelerate development of the movement across Europe ECFI will:
- Provide connections for community foundations and the supporting infrastructure to foster collaboration and networking
- Facilitate peer learning opportunities to share experiences and best practices
- Serve as a knowledge hub, offering resources, thematic insights, and mapping of the field
- Stimulate thinking and action through thematic meetings, study visits, and other initiatives
- Convey success stories to a wider audience to raise awareness and inspire and build trust
- Help create a favourable operating environment in which community foundations can thrive
Outcomes
Through these actions, ECFI aims to achieve:
- Increased leverage of financial and other resources for community foundations
- Enhanced capability and capacity of community foundations and national support organisations
- A stronger and better connected European movement of community foundations
Impact
- Enhanced trust at personal and institutional levels
- More self-determination and empowerment
- Greater effectiveness in addressing social challenges and fostering cohesion
Behind every initiative, there’s a passionate team making it happen.
Experts working to anticipate future challenges and opportunities for communities.
