Community foundations are instruments of civil society designed to pool donations into a coordinated investment and grant making facility dedicated primarily to the social improvement of a given place.

Families, individuals, businesses, and nonprofit groups establish funds within community foundations into which they can contribute a variety of assets to be used for charitable purposes. The people or organizations that establish the funds can then recommend that grants be distributed, in the name of the fund or anonymously, to qualified nonprofit groups and schools. The donor receives a charitable deduction in the year that gifts are made into their funds.

The assets of community foundations are pooled and invested, with donors typically having a choice of investment products.

The funds established at community foundations can be expendable funds (i.e., grants can be made in any amount at any time) or they can be endowments, which limit distributions to the interest earned on the assets. Endowments last in perpetuity.

The first community foundation was set up in Cleveland in 1914 by Frederick Goff and operating now as the Cleveland Foundation. Others soon followed including the California Community Foundation and the Chicago Community Trust.

Community foundations are now a global phenomenon. There are at least 700 in the United States and perhaps 1000 more around the world with numbers
growing rapidly.

The above definition is from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_foundation

The following is a list of community foundations in Alabama:

Autauga Area Community Foundation
c/o Central Alabama Community Foundation, Inc.
434 N. McDonough Street
Montgomery, AL  36104
Phone: 334-264-6223

The Community Foundation of Baldwin County
c/o The Community Foundation of South Alabama
P.O. Box 990
Mobile, AL 36601
Phone: 251-438-5591

Black Belt Community Foundation
609 Lauderdale Street
Selma, AL 36701-4555
Phone: 334-874-1126     Fax: 334-874-1131
Contact: Felecia L. Jones, Executive Director

The Greater Brewton Foundation
P.O. Box 87
Brewton, AL 36427
Contact: John David Finlay, Jr., Pres.

Community Foundation of Northeast Alabama
1130 Quintard Avenue, Suite 100
P. O. Box 1826
Anniston, Alabama 36202
Telephone: 256-231-5160     Fax: 256-231-5161
Contact: Wayne Carmello-Harper, President and CEO

Central Alabama Community Foundation, Inc.
434 N. McDonough Street
Montgomery, AL  36104
Telephone:334-264-6223     Fax:334-263-6225
Contact: Carol W. Butler, President
Website: http://www.cacfinfo.org

Community Foundation of the Chattahoochee Valley
11 10th St.
P.O. Box 1620
Columbus, GA 31902-1620
Telephone: 706-320-0027     Fax: 706-320-9331
Contact: Betsy W. Covington, Exec. Dir.
Website: http://www.cfcv.com

Elmore County Community Foundation
c/o Central Alabama Community Foundation, Inc.
434 N. McDonough Street
Montgomery, AL  36104
Phone: 334-264-6223

The Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham
2100 First Ave. N., Ste. 700
Birmingham, AL 35203
Telephone: (205) 328-8641     Fax: (205) 328-6576
Contact: Kate Nielsen, President
Email: knielsen@foundationbirmingham.org
For general information: info@foundationbirmingham.org
Website: http://www.foundationbirmingham.org

The Community Foundation of Greater Decatur
P.O. Box 2003
Decatur, AL 35602
phone: 256/353-5312
Contact: Arthur W. Orr

Greater Huntsville Foundation
P.O. Box 507
AmSouth Bank
Huntsville, AL 35804-0507
Phone: 256-535-6837

Limestone Area Community Foundation, Inc.
P.O. Box 1346
Athens, AL 35612

Riverbend Community Foundation
201 South Court Street, Fourth Floor
Suntrust Bank Building
Florence, AL 35630
Phone: 256-767-7878     Fax: 256-767-7878

Shelby County Community Health Foundation
1000 First Street North
Alabaster, AL 35007
Phone: 205-620-8400     Fax: 205-620-7187
Contact: Holt Cloud, President of Board

The Community Foundation of South Alabama
154-A St. Louis St.
Mobile, AL 36602
Telephone: 251-438-5591     Fax: 251-438-5592
Contact: Thomas H. Davis, Jr., Exec. Dir.
Website: http://www.communityendowment.com

Community Foundation of Southeast Alabama
179 Honeysuckle Rd., Ste. 5
P.O. Box 1422
Dothan, AL 36302-1422
Phone: 334-671-1059     Fax: 334-793-0627
Contact: David C. Jamison, President and CEO

Community Foundation of West Alabama
P.O. Box 3033
Tuscaloosa, AL 35403
Telephone: 205-336-6098     Fax 205-366-0813
Contact: Glenn Taylor, Exec. Dir.
E-mail: CFOWA@bellsouth.net
Website: http://www.thecfwa.org

Walker Area Community Foundation
P.O. Box 171
Jasper, AL 35502-0171   
Telephone: 205-302-0001     Fax: (205) 302-0424 
Contact: Carol Savage, Exec. Dir.
Website: http://www.wacf.org