Community Foundations

Community foundations are tax-exempt public charities with a common goal: improving the quality of life in the geographic areas they serve. Community foundations are funded by individuals, families, corporations, and nonprofit organizations who create permanent charitable funds to help meet the critical needs within a given region. Community foundations are a catalyst for change. They identify current and emerging issues, channel resources to address those community needs, and help prepare for the future.

Community foundations can accept a wide variety of gifts ranging from closely-held stock to real estate. Their professional staff members work closely with attorneys and financial advisors to ensure that donors receive maximum tax benefits from their philanthropic dollars. Overseen by a volunteer board of leading citizens, community foundations invest and administer these funds.
There are now over 700 community foundations in both urban areas and rural settings in the United States, holding approximately $44 billion in assets and granting over $3 billion annually to a wide variety of nonprofit organizations.

The Greater New Orleans Foundation serves 13 parishes in the southeast region of Louisiana.