1Building to Grow: Internal Capacity Building for Small Foundations

Much of the recent attention to how philanthropy can contribute to community change has focused on large, well-staffed foundations. According to the Foundation Center, in 2005 only about 275 of the more than 20,000 U.S. foundations with $1 million or more in assets had staffs of ten or more. Most of the nation’s 68,000 foundations have no paid staff. But small foundations (those with two or fewer full-time employees, as defined by the Association for Small Foundations) also can play a vital role in helping communities deal with challenges such as improving outcomes for vulnerable children and families