The habit of giving often starts at the local level—and that’s where community foundations come in. Whether small or large, these grantmaking public charities seek to improve the lives of citizens in a specific geographic area. In the U.S. alone, there are more than 750 community foundations that seek to coordinate the efforts of local businesses, non-profit leaders and individuals to help better the lives of their neighbors. Each foundation has its own set of principles and goals. Here are just a few across the country, along with an example of their biggest initiatives.

Boulder, CO

Top priority: Closing the achievement gap

The Boulder Valley School District has the biggest gap statewide in reading proficiency (51 percent of low-income students are proficient vs. 88 percent of the rest), so the Community Foundation Boulder County is mobilizing resources to help address this issue. The School Readiness Initiative alone has doubled preschool and full-day Kindergarten in Boulder County and raised $37 million for local schools.

 

Phoenix, AZ

Top priority: Advancing education reform

Arizona ranks 48th in the country in terms of education quality and results. The lack of state investment and the retention and pay for teachers within the system leaves a huge role for the local philanthropic community to play. Specific areas of work for the Arizona Community Foundation include the quality of preparation for early childhood and test results of middle school and high school students.

 

Los Angeles, CA

Top priority: Improving the economic outlook for underprivileged citizens

California Community Foundation’s Housing and Economic Opportunities program has granted more than $30 million since 2000 in support of low-income entrepreneurs, small businesses and nonprofits. To address the stark reality that 50,000 L.A. County residents are homeless on any given night, the foundation has helped leverage $65 million for supportive housing in the community, more than tripling current production.

Seattle, WA

Top priority: Promoting equity and opportunity for all

As part of the Seattle Foundation’s effort to make sure everybody in the community is heard, the Vibrant Democracy Initiative has established grants (ranging from $30,000 to more than $400,000) to promote leadership development, mobilize underrepresented communities and educate voters.

 

New York, NY

Top priority: Transforming lives through creativity and healthy living

The New York Community Trust, formed in 1924, helped fund early AIDS research, played a pivotal role in starting the Center for Arts Education and co-founded the September 11th fund. Among the biggest current grant efforts: funding the Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance’s affordable after-school program and building a regional food market near public housing.

 

Boston, MA

Top priority: Developing civic leaders

Impact giving is the name of the game for the Boston Foundation, while some of its biggest achievements include cleaning up Boston Harbor, reducing gang violence and improving the community college system.

 

 

Washington, DC

Top priority: Fighting against poverty

Grants from the Greater Washington Community Foundation have helped local workers find living-wage careers in the IT and health sectors, improved the lives of children from low-income backgrounds and helped immigrants navigate the challenges of new government policies.

 

Houston, TX

Top priority: Helping victims of Hurricane Harvey

While the broader goal of the Greater Houston Community Foundation is to help donors create “lasting legacies,” the focus in 2017 has been on the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund, which has raised over $93 million for those impacted by the storm this summer.

 

 

Orlando, FL

Top priority: Coming to the aid of Puerto Rican citizens

Orlando is the No. 1 in-migration point for people from Puerto Rico, and the Central Florida Foundation seeks to help restore services to the island and rebuild the communities after Hurricane Maria devastated the island in early October.

 

 

Baton Rouge, LA

Top priority: Providing flood relief

“Projects for civic good” for the Baton Rouge Area Foundation include a disaster relief fund for Puerto Rico and building a campus for scientists dedicated to solving coastal water issues.

 

 

Galveston, TX

Top priority: Protecting the environment

How has Hurricane Harvey affected the water supply? Are there sustainable solutions to protect the Bay habitat? How do young people connect with nature? These are the questions the Galveston Bay Foundation seeks to answer through its fund and grant efforts.

 

 

Southeast Michigan

Top priority: Investing in youth

Established in 1984, the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan seeks a permanent impact within the community, whether it’s bringing high-quality sports programs to children who wouldn’t normally be able to access them or creating initiatives such as On the Table, encouraging residents to gather in small groups to share a meal and address the needs of local youths.

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Original contribution by Gabe Guarente, Content Manager at Giving Compass.