We are there: community foundations in emergency response and recovery
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.
Fostering the Active Engagement and Civic Participation of Young People: Community Foundation Exchange Report
This exchange report shares learning from a peer visit between Sibiu Community Foundation and Assifero, joined by several Italian community foundations and youth-focused organisations. It explores how community foundations can involve young people in local action, organisational leadership and decision-making. The report highlights practical examples, including Future Chair, MIRACHALLENGE and the Urban Leadership Academy, while reflecting on youth brain drain, intergenerational spaces, shared ownership and the need to treat young people as active community participants.
First community foundation in Andalusia
This blog introduces Fundación Almería Tierra Abierta, the first community foundation established in Andalusia. Created by more than 45 founders from business, civil society and other local institutions, the foundation aims to address the province’s social sustainability challenges, particularly the living conditions of migrant workers. The article highlights the importance of broad local participation, diverse governance and long-term support from the Spanish Association of Foundations in developing the initiative.
The regeneration of our communities through community foundations and the SDGs
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.
The New Italian Kid on the Block
This blog introduces Fondazione Comunità di Benevento, the ninth community foundation established in southern Italy. Through an interview with its chairman, it traces how cooperation around disability support, flood response and social capital led to the foundation’s creation. The article also explains its participatory governance model and its ambition to strengthen community welfare, civic engagement and inclusive local development, with current priorities including health poverty, education, climate action and the circular economy.
Creating the standards of the Federation of Community Foundations in Poland
This blog describes how the Federation of Community Foundations in Poland revised its membership standards to reflect the changing needs of the field. It traces the Federation’s development, its growing national role and the influence of international learning on the new framework. The article also explores two key debates: whether endowment capital should remain a membership requirement and whether organisations using community foundation principles should be eligible to join even without formally identifying as community foundations.
Community Foundations and Refugees
This report captures learning from an ECFI meeting on how community foundations responded to the refugee crisis following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Drawing on experiences from Romania, Poland and Germany, it examines operational pressures, volunteer mobilisation, fundraising, cooperation with public bodies and the need for long-term integration strategies. It also highlights the distinctive value of community foundations as trusted local institutions able to act quickly, connect stakeholders and combine local knowledge with national and international support.
Learning Lab paper 2021 – Community foundation resilience in response to the Covid-19 pandemic
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.
Community Foundations Embracing the SDGs
This publication presents four examples of how community foundations are using the Sustainable Development Goals to guide local action and strengthen their role as community leaders. Featuring initiatives from Scotland, Italy, Russia and Germany, it illustrates different approaches to impact investing, sustainable local development, organisational strategy and public engagement. Together, the case studies demonstrate how the SDGs can provide a practical framework for philanthropy, cross-sector collaboration and long-term community development.
SDGs – Tools for business practice: A view from Moscow
The Forum of Partnership in Moscow brought together representatives from business, civil society and philanthropy to discuss the role of the Sustainable Development Goals in strengthening cross-sector collaboration. This article reflects on the discussion, showing how the SDGs can provide a shared language for partnerships, help community foundations communicate their impact more effectively, and connect local action with broader sustainable development objectives.
