Since the creation of the first community foundation in America in 1914, the concept of contributing resources to a permanent community improvement fund has been adopted and adapted by citizens on every continent except Antarctica. As local people everywhere seek a greater say over their destinies, this philanthropic movement continues to grow. Today, more than 1,800 place-based foundations are empowering people to address local challenges and opportunities. By strengthening civil society, community foundations are helping to fill voids in global leadership and build a better world, place by place by place.

The website provides interesting information on community foundations in different countries and regions on an interactive map and provides a comprehensive directory for organizations of particular interest (http://communityfoundationatlas.org/explore/#directory=1). The Facts page on the website (http://communityfoundationatlas.org/facts/) provides valuable information and overview of the rich diversity and collective impact of the community foundation movement. For example there are 1,839 community foundations across the world that give annually more than $5 billion in grants. There are 1,031 community foundations in North America, 650 in Europe, 60 in Asia, 56 in Oceania, 30 in Africa and 11 in South America. 

Place-based foundations are helping to make their communities more vital, vibrant and just. From the prosperous cities of Canada to the culturally rich matriarchal villages of rural India, community foundations have demonstrated an unparalleled ability to connect people to resources to effect positive change. Often, philanthropic initiatives have to overcome stiff odds or break new ground. Indeed, willingness to take risks is a hallmark of the 50 foundation-backed partnerships and programs highlighted here. Additional first-person accounts of civic improvements catalyzed by the narrators’ organizations contribute to a deeper understanding of the wide-ranging influence of the community foundation movement. These stories are shared on the website pages that highlights the community foundation movement’s global influence (http://communityfoundationatlas.org/stories/).

Christians can learn from what is happening in the secular community foundation movement. There are a number of Christian community foundations in especially North America. There are 29 Christian community foundations in the USA that are linked to the National Christian Foundation (https://www.nationalchristian.com/about#leadership) but this movement could be expanded much more.