Camilla Stenhaug & Martin Dahl
CEO & Former CEO
Gl. Skanderborg Fonden & Frederiksbergfonden
The debate about community foundations reveals a broader issue: Denmark lacks a comprehensive understanding of the place-based foundations that are already contributing to the development of local communities across the country.
This piece was originally published by Camilla Stenhaug, CEO of Gl. Skanderborg Fonden, and Martin Dahl, former CEO of Frederiksbergfonden in Danish on Filantropi - Udgivet af Danmarks Fonde Aps
Alliance of German Community Foundations
During its Spring 2026 Regional Meetings, the Alliance of German Community Foundations gathered a wealth of inspiring ideas and practical experiences on engaging the next generation. Together, they explored challenges, shared good practices, and exchanged valuable insights. The result is a digital booklet designed to inspire, inform, and be shared with others. This is the English version, translated by ECFI, to make the insights and recommendations available to community foundations across Europe.
Kamil Szlosek
Knowledge and Research Expert
ECFI
This practice-oriented publication explores how community foundations in Poland, Romania and Spain responded to severe floods in 2024. Through case studies and cross-cutting reflections, it examines how trust, proximity and long-term relationships shaped emergency response and recovery, highlighting the role of community foundations as locally rooted actors that coordinate support, sustain civic infrastructure and navigate difficult choices under pressure.
This publication positions community foundations as key actors in regenerating communities by aligning local action with the SDGs. Using the Raimat Lleida Community Foundation as an example, it shows how regeneration can be operationalised through interconnected focus areas such as social action, culture, innovation, and environmental sustainability. By mobilising local actors, fostering leadership, and building cross-sector partnerships, community foundations create collaborative systems that strengthen resilience, support local economies, and enable long-term, place-based transformation.
This publication explores how community foundations can use the SDGs as a practical framework for guiding strategy, grantmaking, and community engagement. It highlights that while awareness of the SDGs remains uneven, they offer a powerful tool to connect local action with global challenges. By integrating SDGs into everyday operations—through partnerships, education, and funding priorities—community foundations can strengthen their long-term impact and support more sustainable and inclusive community development.
Zuzanna Komornicka
This publication explores how community foundations can use marketing tools to communicate their work through the lens of the SDGs. It highlights practical approaches such as storytelling, visual identity, and campaign design to make local impact more visible and relatable. By aligning communication strategies with global frameworks, foundations can strengthen their positioning, engage broader audiences, and attract new partners and donors while keeping their work rooted in local realities.
Rosa Gallego
This article examines how the community foundation model can be adapted to Spain and identifies six capacities needed for its development. These include community leadership, listening and engagement, growing local philanthropy, strengthening local organisations, preparing for disaster response and adapting to territorial context. Drawing on literature, expert interviews and analysis of existing Spanish foundations, it also proposes practical tools and recommendations for organisations supporting new and emerging community foundations.
This peer evaluation assesses the European Community Foundation Initiative (ECFI) between 2020 and 2022, drawing on reflections from community foundation practitioners, support organisations and philanthropy experts across Europe. It reviews ECFI's work in learning, research, networking, capacity building, advocacy and movement development, highlighting achievements, challenges and strategic recommendations for strengthening Europe's community foundation ecosystem.
This research paper examines how community foundations are incorporating the Sustainable Development Goals into their strategies, programmes and grantmaking. Drawing on examples from North America, Europe, Asia and Africa, it highlights their role in generating local knowledge, educating and engaging communities, building cross-sector partnerships and connecting global goals with local action. The paper also considers the potential development of community foundations in Albania and their contribution to locally driven sustainable development.
This paper examines how community foundations adapted their strategies, operations and funding practices during the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing on interviews with practitioners and wider research, it highlights flexible grantmaking, digital transformation, community engagement, cross-sector cooperation and emergency response. The publication also considers the financial pressures faced by community foundations and shows how trust, local knowledge and strong relationships enabled them to respond quickly to changing social, health and economic needs.
