Community foundations have become one of the fastest growing forms of organized community philanthropy today. The total number of community foundations worldwide is over 1,450 in about 46 countries, and the concept is being explored in many others. Also, in countries where community foundations have had a long history, their numbers and assets have increased dramatically in the last 10 to 15 years.

The 2008 Community Foundation Global Status Report will be published in June, the fifth in a series of Global Status Reports on Community Foundations produced by WINGS. The findings of the 2008 WINGS survey on the status of community foundations was presented by WINGS consultant Eleanor Sacks at the recent Council on Foundations conference, Philanthropy’s Vision: A Leadership Summit.

The report has two parts. The first is an overview of the state of community foundations globally, including where community foundations are developing, the impact they are having on their communities, and the organizations and programmes that support their development. The second part consists of the country reports that community foundations and support organizations submit.

The Global Status Report, giving a full picture of the breadth and depth of the global community foundation movement, is a signature WINGS product. The publication is considered an authoritative source of information on community foundations and will be available on the WINGS website by June.

Three new members have joined the WINGS Coordinating Committee. They are Paavo Hohti, Managing Director, Council of Finnish Foundations; Ruth Jones, Executive Director, Social Venture Partners International (USA); and Atallah Kuttab, Founding Member, Arab Foundations Forum. WINGS also has two new members of its WINGS-CF Advisory Committee: David Kenworthy, Chair of Community Foundation Network (UK) and Vera Billen, Philanthropy Adviser, Centre for Philanthropy of the King Baudouin Foundation (Belgium).

WINGS (Worldwide Initiatives for Grantmaker Support)
Director: Marissa Camacho-Reyes
T + 63 2 926 9446
info@wingsweb.org
http://www.wingsweb.org