Global Fund for Community Foundations (GFCF)
A global grantmaker for community foundations and local philanthropy organisations, originator of the #ShiftThePower movement.
About the fund
The Global Fund for Community Foundations (GFCF) is a grassroots grantmaker supporting community foundations and community philanthropy organisations worldwide. It began in 2006 as a pilot project of WINGS, supported by the World Bank, the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation and the Ford Foundation, and became an independent organisation in late 2009.
GFCF operates as a small global 'virtual' team headquartered in Johannesburg. It makes grants, builds a network of community foundations, generates knowledge about community philanthropy and promotes people-led development based on local resources and local decision-making.
In Ukraine, GFCF supports community foundations and local philanthropy networks: after the full-scale invasion it channelled funds, including core support, to the National Network of Local Philanthropy Development and to community foundations running small grant programmes and helping people affected by the war.
Focus areas
- Community foundation development
- Local philanthropy and local resource mobilisation
- The #ShiftThePower movement and people-led development
- Institutional support for civil society organisations
- Community crisis response and recovery
- Networking and knowledge sharing
Interesting facts
Launched in 2006 as a WINGS pilot project; independent organisation since late 2009.
In 2016 it launched the #ShiftThePower hashtag for the Global Summit on Community Philanthropy in Johannesburg, which brought together around 400 people from 70 countries.
Since 2022 it has supported Ukrainian community foundations and the National Network of Local Philanthropy Development.
How to apply
Supports community foundations, charitable organisations and NGOs developing local philanthropy; grants of up to around USD 20,000. Some calls are open, others by invitation; announcements at globalfundcommunityfoundations.org.
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