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Foundations Play a Nationwide Role in Public Philanthropy
Community foundations are the fastest growing sector of philanthropy in the United States. The Council on Foundations estimates that there are currently over 900 community foundations across the country, and a 2022 survey by the Council revealed that the combined assets of 220 participating community foundations totaled a whopping $112 billion. Community foundations are a popular choice for donors because of the services we provide, connecting donor interests with community needs.
The Community Foundation of South Puget Sound is confirmed in compliance with the National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations.
A community foundation is a philanthropic organization dedicated to strengthening local communities.
Individuals, families, and businesses contribute to nonprofit organizations through community foundations, which accept donations and operate funds on their behalf. Donating or setting up a fund through a community foundation is a simple way to ensure that your contribution stays in and improves your own community.
Anyone can make a difference—now and for the future.
The Community Foundation of South Puget Sound manages charitable gifts from individual donors, families, businesses, and nonprofits. The proceeds from these funds generate grants and scholarships today, while preserving resources for tomorrow’s priorities across our region.
Partnering with our knowledgeable staff helps identify where your charitable gifts will have the most impact. Together, we co-create charitable funds that help meet community challenges. Then, guided by what you care about, we invest and administer those funds, awarding scholarships to local students and grants to organizations that do good work across Lewis, Mason, and Thurston counties.
Why give through a community foundation?
Giving through a community foundation, like the Community Foundation of South Puget Sound, has a number of benefits:
- You can make an immediate or a long-term impact—or both! A community foundation’s goal is to create lasting change by supporting effective local nonprofits. But they’re also connected to people who are doing the work every day, so they’re in a position to direct gifts to organizations meeting in-the-moment needs. The staff at a community foundation can work with you to ensure that your gift will help give immediate relief, be part of a long-range plan to make a difference, or both.
- Your giving experience is flexible. There are many paths to giving. You decide what stipulations will—or will not—apply to your gift, whether or not to remain anonymous, what kind of assets to give, and which organizations you’d like to partner with.
- Gifts may qualify for tax advantages. Because the Community Foundation of South Puget Sound is a nonprofit corporation under tax code 501(c)(3), your contribution is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.