CF Toolkits

Browse the many toolkits we have available and designed specifically for Community Foundations. Recent Toolkits include the Navigating the New Social Economy, CF Insights' Seeking Shared Success and Fueling Impact, Charitable IRA Portfolio 2010-2011, the Irvine Series (Growing Smarter, Reaching Out, The 4Ps of Marketing). Check here frequently as this list will continue to grow throughout the year!

Please download and review the following toolkits.  Each toolkit has been combined into one easy to download ZIP file and contains all the tools you will need for your Community Foundation.  Click on the toolkit title or image to download the files.

CMF Members: please note that you must log in to download these documents.

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Transfer of Wealth in Rural America

In the book, Transfer of Wealth in Rural America, Don Macke, Deborah Markley and Ahmet Binerer share the Center for Rural Entrepreneurship’s new transfer of wealth scenarios for the U.S. – a remarkable $15.4 trillion could be passed from one generation to the next over the next 20 years. What might this mean for communities and foundations, particularly in rural America?

This toolkit, created by the Center for Rural Entrepreneurship in partnership with the Council of Michigan Foundations, was created to help foundation leaders present the transfer of wealth opportunity to board and community leaders and to begin the tough but important conversations about capturing and investing wealth for the future. The timing of wealth transfer and constrained public sector resources mean we need to begin these conversations…today!

Navigating the New Social Economy: Making Sense of Philanthropy's Future

The toolkit includes electronic copies of Lucy Bernholz’ acclaimed Philanthropy and Social Investing: Blueprint 2012 and Blueprint 2011 publications*, as well as a customizable PowerPoint and a detailed facilitator’s guide for use with your foundation trustees, staff or community partners.

Navigating the New Social Economy: Making Sense of Philanthropy’s Future was created to help us think about how philanthropy is changing and about what these changes mean for our foundations.

Ready for Success

What does college access leadership look like? The short answer: It depends—on what your community needs, what your foundation has to offer, and the strength and status of your existing LCAN.

Through the generous funding of The Kresge Foundation this brief and its companion toolkit prepare community foundations to define a leadership role in the context of a Local College Access Network (LCAN), a high-quality, community-based college access initiative, and to act on four leadership strategies based on the experiences of community foundations already immersed in this work.

For more information on the Kresge Challenge grant and how Community Foundations can participate, click here.

Irvine Community Foundation Series

The James Irvine Foundation has a long history of partnering with community foundations to support their ambitions for growth and leadership. This work has resulted in more philanthropic resources to underserved regions in all parts of the state and helped create healthier, thriving communities.

The work of initiative participants has generated a significant body of knowledge that can benefit the larger field of community foundations and that holds particular relevance for the youngest and smallest members of the field. This information is captured and shared through the Irvine Community Foundations Series of reports.

CF Insights - Seeking Shared Success

The challenges of the recent financial downturn inspired many community foundations to find new paths to business model innovation. Alliances, affiliations, and mergers offer an intriguing way to innovate and change the business model equation. While cost savings may seem a reasonable motivation to engage in structural changes there are other benefits to consider. Specifically, new structures can offer a way to leverage expertise, promote philanthropy, and amplify community leadership and program strategy.

Learn how alliances, affiliations, and mergers offer a path to enhanced sustainability and greater impact for community foundations. Read perspectives from community foundation leaders, access tools to help you consider a new structure, and learn from the experience of others through case studies from six community foundations.

“Seeking Shared Success: Business Model Innovation through Mergers, Affiliations, and Alliances” is a partnership between the Council on Foundations’ Community Foundations Leadership Teamand CF Insights and can be accessed by clicking here.

View this Webinar

• Recording: Watch Here
• Download the Seeking Shared Success webinar slides.

Fueling Impact - Provided by CF Insights

Getting to Fueling Impact
Pathway to Business Model Innovation for Community Foundations

How can community foundations find innovative new sources of support and diversify their revenue base?

Download “Fueling Impact: A Fresh Look at Business Model Innovation and New Revenue Sources” for insights and stories focused on strengthening community foundations’ differentiation and sustainability.

Join us for Getting to ‘Fueling Impact’ a February 22nd webinar that will explore the resources available through CF Insights and the Community Foundations Leadership Team to help community foundations chart a course to a more sustainable business model. Community Foundation executive directors, finance, development/donor services, and communications officers are encouraged to take part.

The Magic of Match Day

As communities across the country face growing and urgent needs, community foundations have new opportunities to fulfill their roles as community leaders and conveners and quickly draw on their vast experience, local expertise and key partnerships to address these needs, here and now.

In a single day—Match Day—a community foundation can generate urgency around focused giving, expand engagement among nonprofit partners and donors, spur greater interest in the community foundation as a local resource, and involve hundreds of individuals in response to pressing community needs.

The Magic of Match Day features techniques, tips and tools from seven community foundations familiar with the power of a Match Day. Use the planning brief and tools to design your own Match Day.