The first community foundation was started in Ohio in 1914 by Frederick Goff, president of the Cleveland Trust Company.

 

Interest in community foundations slowed during the Great Depression, but was revived with the implementation of US tax reform, which gave greater tax advantages to 'public' foundations such as community foundations, than to private foundations.  In the 1970s and 1980s, large private foundations began to champion and support community foundations as a means of responding to local community needs and serving as catalysts and resources within communities.

 

In 2000, there were estimated to be 664 community foundations in the US, a 150% increase since 1990.  In 2000, the top 20% of community foundations controlled more than 88% of the sector's assets; the top 5% of community foundations held 60% of assets.  The bottom 60% of community foundations in the US hold 3.5% of assets.  This disparity in assets is significantly related to geographical disparities in wealth, with California receiving over 25% of total gifts to community foundations.

 

Australian growth of community foundations has been slower than that in the US, due to a number of cultural and legal factors including different cultural attitudes towards wealth and the dominance of trustee companies in the establishment of foundations.

 

The first "US style" community foundations in Australia were started by the ANZ Bank in the 1980s following a visit by an ANZ staff member to the US.  The first Australian community foundation was the Victorian Community Foundation, established in 1983, followed by the Queensland Community Foundation in 1986.

 

By 2000 there were still only five community foundations in Australia, two of which were inactive; by 2003, however, there were over 20 community foundations in various stages of development.  There are currently 26 established community foundations; 2 incorporated community foundations; 1 in the process of incorporating and at least 10 more communities in the process of conducting feasibility studies.  A list of current Australian Community Foundations, with links to their websites where applicable and information on their legal status, is available from the Community Foundations Gateway.

 

Western Australian Community Foundation is the first of its kind in our state.

 

 

* Historical information courtesy of PhilanthropyWiki, developed and maintained by Philanthropy Australia.