The Alaska Communiity Foundation

The Alaska Community Foundation

A Father in a kayak with his son.

Photo credit: Oscar Edwin Avellaneda

The Alaska Community Foundation helps people and organizations create and grow their giving plans. We work with individuals, families and companies to create custom giving plans for you.

We live, work and raise our families in Alaska, and we understand the challenges facing our great state. Our statewide board and committed staff are actively dedicated to improving the quality of life for Alaskans across the state. We're working with more than 250 entities -- from  individuals to organizations like libraries, museums, conservation groups and professional organizations -- to help build a better future for Alaska.

Defining Community Foundations

Community foundations are one of the fastest-growing areas in philanthropy. Community foundations are grantmaking organizations that help improve the lives of people in a specific geographic area. They bring together the financial resources of individuals, families, and businesses to support effective nonprofits in that community.

Community Foundations Serve the Community

Community foundations play a key role in identifying and solving community problems. They give billions ever year to a variety of nonprofit activities in fields that include the arts, education, health and human services, the environment, and disaster relief. As with the other 700 community foundations in the United States, funds managed here are established by people from every walk of life. We work with hundreds of Alaskan philanthropists, private foundations, corporations, nonprofit organizations and governmental entities. 

Funds are thoughtfully invested with oversight from the Board of Directors. Each year a percentage of the assets are distributed to nonprofit organizations or scholarship recipients, at the recommendation of each fund advisor or committee. Over the past 18 years, ACF has granted funds across Alaska to support a vast array of projects. For more information on our past grants, click here.

Our History/Mission/Vision

Carla Mountain ClimbingThe Alaska Community Foundation was established in 1995 as a way to strengthen communities by assisting individuals and organizations in creating charitable funds.

The original articles of incorporation were restated and amended in 1998, establishing ACF as it exists today: A nonprofit public charity promoting personal philanthropy and providing financial management, strategic development and donor-development services to communities, organizations, and donors across Alaska.

The results have been impressive. In 1999, ACF managed assets of $433,000 held in five funds. By the end of 2001, there were 11 donor-advised funds, one nonprofit organization endowment fund and managed assets totaling $2.7 million.

In 2007 and again in 2013, the foundation received “National Standards” recognition based on its processes and operational excellence from the Council on Foundations. This recognition indicates that the Alaska Community Foundation has met the nation’s highest philanthropic standards for best practices. These standards were developed by community foundations from around the country and the Council on Foundations, a national professional association based in Washington, D.C.

Today, the Alaska Community Foundation manages more than 280 funds, including numerous Affiliate and partner community funds, and has assets totaling more than $60 million.

The Alaska Community Foundation advances philanthropy to strengthen Alaska's communities now and forever. Together with our Affiliates, we connect people who care with causes that matter by encouraging and nurturing philanthropy. We do this through building and managing permanent endowments, convening stakeholders and working with partners to strengthen Alaskan communities, and providing donors with grant options that are strategic to their philanthropic objectives.
Alaskans are working together within their communities and across the state to find long-term solutions, opportunities and resources that allow everyone in our state to thrive physically, mentally and spiritually.

We support this vision by:

  • Educating and inspiring people to be informed, creative and effective philanthropists.
  • Empowering and supporting communities statewide in growing resources to address local needs and desires. As Teddy Roosevelt said: “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."
  • Building long-term resources to address needs now and into the future.
  • Leading by example through grant-making which results in continuous improvement and empowerment of Alaskans and Alaskan communities to address what is most important to  them.
  • Supporting and nurturing connections between people, resources, organizations, businesses and government toward the vision.

 
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