Energy, Ideas and Renewed Conviction – A Spontaneous Reflection After the 4th Meeting of Community Foundations in Spain
The 2025 Spanish Community Foundations Meeting in Madrid brought together foundations, universities, support organisations and international guests to exchange ideas, strengthen networks and celebrate impact. Over two days of dialogue, reflection and workshops, participants reaffirmed the growing movement in Spain, highlighted the power of collective intelligence, and welcomed the launch of the country’s tenth community foundation —the first in Madrid, the Hortaleza Filanda Community Foundation.
Community Foundations in Ukraine: Resilience in Times of War
Despite the ongoing war, Ukrainian community foundations continue to play a crucial role in supporting local populations, adapting to new
challenges, and fostering resilience. Viktoriia Zablotska from the National Network of Local Philanthropy Development shares insights into their efforts, highlighting the experiences of three foundations operating under extreme conditions.
Generating the will to give
The Novarese Community Foundation has embraced fund development by thinking long term and by getting out into the territory. Here, Gianluca Vacchini, describes their approach of asset building through generating knowledge and trust. This has resulted in over 100 active funds, and importantly created the opportunity for attracting the ‘unexpected’ donor.
Community Foundations and Artificial Intelligence (AI)
This report reflects on the proceedings of an online meeting that explored the opportunities and challenges, for wider society and community foundations specifically, associated with evolving developments in, and the application of, Artificial Intelligence (AI). The meeting, hosted by ECFI on 20th March 2024, convened representatives from community foundations and support organisations across Europe. Chris Worman, Co-founder and Strategic Advisor at Connecting Humanity and Alex Tveit EmergingTech Fellow, Community Foundations of Canada, initiated discussions, sparking a lively exchange.
Local Philanthropy and Community Foundations in European Capital Cities. Challenges and opportunities.
This report explores the challenges and opportunities faced by community foundations in European capital cities, focusing on local development and philanthropy. Drawing on case examples and wider experience brought by participants, it underscores key learnings related to scalability, meaningful partnerships, and social innovation. The exploration of a variety of locally oriented approaches aims to contribute to the promotion of sustainable urban development.
Guide to Italian Community Foundations 2nd Edition 2023 ABSTRACT
This abstract introduces the second edition of the Guide to Italian Community Foundations (2023), presenting an overview of the field’s development, scale and diversity. It highlights how community foundations operate across different regional contexts, fulfil varied roles and contribute to addressing social challenges. The guide combines data, practitioner insights and external perspectives to illustrate the added value of community foundations and the importance of networking and support infrastructure in strengthening the movement.
COVID-19 Community Foundations in Action: Romania – Adapting to bring back quality of life
This case from Romania shows how the Bucharest Community Foundation adapted rapidly to the COVID-19 crisis by setting up emergency funds for healthcare and vulnerable groups, while also transforming its flagship fundraising event into a successful online campaign. It highlights the importance of flexibility, local partnerships and maintaining community connection—even through small acts that restore dignity and quality of life.
COVID-19 Community Foundations in Action: Russia – New demands, new ways of working
This case from Russia shows how the Community Foundation Garant adapted its role during the COVID-19 crisis by moving beyond grantmaking to direct support and coordination. Faced with rising social needs, it strengthened collaboration with partners, mobilised a large volunteer base and combined funding with hands-on delivery of aid, demonstrating flexibility and responsiveness in a rapidly changing context.
COVID-19 August 2020 Community Foundations in Action: UK – Maintaining relationships with new donors
This case from the UK highlights how the Northamptonshire Community Foundation significantly expanded its donor base during the COVID-19 crisis while rapidly distributing funds to address urgent and emerging needs. It shows how strong local knowledge, agility and communication enabled effective support—from basic needs to mental health and culture—while also emphasising the importance of maintaining relationships with new donors beyond the crisis.
COVID-19. Community Foundations in Action Italy – Recovery time will be long
This case from the Community Foundation of Messina illustrates how community foundations can respond to crisis while addressing deeper structural challenges. Beyond immediate relief, the foundation developed financial instruments such as microcredit and grants, built local production networks and strengthened partnerships to counter poverty and economic vulnerability. The publication highlights how crisis response can intersect with long-term goals such as social innovation, human rights and resilience against systemic risks.
