Common Ground Community foundations and the infrastructure of local democratic resilience
This report draws together what ECFI has learned about local democratic resilience through three strands of
work: a three-day gathering of Community Foundation Movement Leaders in Piemonte in October 2025, who
reconvened in Edinburgh in June 2026; two meetings of our Foresight Group; and three linked webinars under
the heading Holding Ground in Times of Shrinking Space, with contributors from community foundations and
partner organisations across Europe.
This report deliberately avoids easy recommendations and serves primarily as a starting point for thinking
about the role of community foundations in protecting democratic values and principles at the local level. It
sets out what we are hearing from the field, and the larger patterns those accounts point to. It looks at what
community foundations are up against, which an abstract framing of polarisation and shrinking space does
not capture, and which is better understood as a strategic and organised backlash against open societies.
And it asks what community foundations can specifically contribute to local democratic resilience: the value
they add that other institutions cannot, and the limits of what this work can reach.
Global Thinking – Local Acting: A reflection on the 2026 WINGS Forum
Opportunities to find and explore the nexus between global and local are rare. With the invitation to Activate-Collaborate-Transcend, the WINGS Forum (the tri-annual global convening of support organisations and others committed to strengthening philanthropy) connected the two dimensions across continents, issues and stakeholders. A notable common thread – the importance of proximity – was evident from inputs of keynote speakers, through discussions in interactive sessions, to the artistic and playful contributions in the garden of experimentation. In this piece, James Magowan reflects on some of the high-level challenges posed, highlighting where community / territorial foundations offer solutions.
ECFI Youth Fest 2026 Report
In September 2026, over 40 young people from across Europe came together in Halle (Saale), Germany, for the ECFI Youth Fest: “It’s All About You(th) – Bridging Generations, Powering Participation and Voice for Democracy.” Over three days, community foundation practitioners explored what meaningful youth participation looks like in practice and what it takes to create organisations and communities where young people have the agency, resources and space to shape decisions and drive change.
Different Contexts, Shared Questions: Reflections from the Community Foundations Leaders’ Summit
Community Foundation Ireland recently celebrated its 25th anniversary. To mark the occasion, it convened a summit of community foundation leaders from across continental Europe, the UK, the US, Canada and Palestine. This article reflects what emerged from the gathering and shares some of the insights and reflections of European participants.
Looking back and looking ahead: five years of Boyarka Community Foundation
Over five years, Boyarka Community Foundation has evolved from a local grant-maker into vital community infrastructure, adapting its role through the pandemic and Russia’s full-scale invasion. Its experience shows how community foundations can sustain local initiatives, trust and wellbeing even amid profound uncertainty. Above all, it makes the case for long-term investment in locally rooted organisations as partners in the resilience and future of Ukrainian communities.
From Recognition to Action: Community Foundations in Italy’s Social Economy
Community foundations are explicitly mentioned for the first time in an official Italian Government policy document as part of philanthropic fabric – specifically as a structural and enabling components of the social economy. Furthermore, the Italian National Action Plan for the Social Economy repeatedly emphasises the territorial dimension of the social economy thus reiterating the role of community foundations as connectors between a national policy framework and the realities of individual places. It provides Assifero and its community foundation members an opportunity to convert policy into practice.
Reflections from Almería: Community Foundations as the Infrastructure of Local Change
The Spanish community foundation movement, international representatives of community foundations, funders, partners & universities gathered together for AEF’s annual conference. What emerged was much more than the annual gathering of Spain’s community foundation movement. It became a moment to take stock of how far the movement has come and, perhaps more importantly, where it is heading.
Engaging the Next Generation – Enabling Participation
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.
Growing the Field: Philanthropy through a rural lens
What do we know about the philanthropic funding flowing into rural communities? How do the levels of funding and how the money is used compare with urban contexts? How might a better understanding of these aspects support more focused efforts to boost rural philanthropy? These are the questions being asked by a new Rural Philanthropy project recently launched in the UK. Its approach and early findings offer valuable insights for anyone interested in rural philanthropy and the role community foundations can play in supporting rural communities across Europe.
Curiosity and Enlightenment in practice: A Scottish fling
Foundation Scotland is asking itself ‘What can we do over the next 10 years that will have an impact over 100?’. A European delegation of Community Foundation Movement Leaders were invited to participate in a process to explore how to bring about systems change for lasting impact.
