The Landscape of Community Philanthropy: Navigating Relationships between local United Ways and Community Foundations

Abstract

Community philanthropic organizations, those organizations like United Ways and community foundations, have traditionally played important roles by raising and distribute resources within a specific geographic place, increasingly play important roles in planning for and funding local public service delivery. Over the last two decades, the field of community philanthropy has experienced many shifts. Changing donor expectations, increased competition from other nonprofits and commercial funds, economic restructuring and demographic shifts have all pushed local United Ways and community foundations to rethink their roles and their business models. These changes also affect relationships between organizations.

This report summarizes the roles that United Ways and community foundations play in their local communities, their perceptions of the changes going on in the world around them and their perceptions of their relationships with each other.