Our Purpose
Community Foundations of Canada (CFC) is the national leadership organization for Canada’s over 200 local community foundations. Together with community foundations across the country, we help drive local solutions for national change on the issues that matter most to communities. We’re building a movement that connects community foundations, people and partners to create a just, sustainable future.
Our programming targets pressing social issues in Canada, including youth engagement, gender equality, support for entrepreneurship and social innovation, and community-level connections with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), among many other topics. We also host a bi-annual national conference for community and private foundations, run the country’s largest community-driven data program, and host The Learning Institute, a resource centre for local foundations which provides programming guides, webinars, and events. Explore our Initiatives and News & Journal to learn more about our work and the issues we care about.
At Community Foundations of Canada, our work is guided by a simple but powerful purpose:
Relentlessly pursuing a future where everyone belongs.
How We Work
This purpose is more than a statement. It’s a compass. It shapes how we build relationships, design programs, measure impact, and adapt alongside community foundations and community. To bring our purpose to life, four practices guide how we work—with each other, with community foundations, and with partners. These practices are mutually reinforcing, helping us stay responsive, accountable, and aligned in how we show up together.
1. Build Trust
We place trust in others and act in ways that build and sustain it—showing up consistently, listening carefully, and building relationships that are respectful, accountable, and grounded in community.
2. Work Together
Trust opens the door to collaboration—we partner with community foundations and others on shared initiatives, to advance new ideas, and co-create solutions that reflect community priorities.
3. Learn and Adapt
We listen, adapt, and evolve. Feedback and reflection help us stay responsive to changing priorities—within CFC, across the network, and in community.
4. Share and Advocate
We share what we’re learning—openly and transparently—and amplify community voices. Through storytelling and advocacy, we help raise awareness and drive change driven by community foundations and community partners.