Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln

What Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln does

Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln is a 501(c)(3) public charity and community foundation established in 1924, headquartered in Springfield, Illinois, and serving eight counties in central Illinois — Cass, Christian, Logan, Macoupin, Menard, Montgomery, Morgan, and Sangamon. The foundation operates as a unified charitable services platform rather than a discrete product portfolio: it administers donor-advised, designated, and field-of-interest endowment funds; runs a competitive grants program distributing capital to local nonprofits; and manages approximately 50 scholarship funds awarding over $250,000 annually to students in its service area. Specialty programs include the Women's Fund / Women for Women giving circle (established 2006, $700,000+ awarded), the King's Daughters Organization Endowment Fund for senior services ($2.6M+ awarded over 18 years since its 2007 integration), and the Patrick F. Coburn Press Forward Endowment Fund ($1M+MacArthur match) supporting local journalism via Press Forward Springfield in partnership with the American Journalism Project.

The foundation's business model rests on pooled charitable assets under professional stewardship, with inflows generated through individual and family donations, the Illinois Gives Tax Credit Program (offering a 25% state tax credit on eligible endowment gifts), the Women for Women giving circle ($1,000 annual memberships with cumulative giving tiers up to $25,000 Diamond), bequests and estate gifts (e.g., the $1M Coburn bequest), and institutional partnerships. Distribution is hybrid: a self-serve Donor Portal provides 24/7 online fund management, while a Professional Advisors Program (recognition society, toolkit, quarterly Giving Advice newsletter) channels B2B donor acquisition through legal, accounting, and financial advisors. Outreach spans a website, segmented email newsletters (general, grant alerts, advisor content), and social channels (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn), supported by signature events such as the Women for Women luncheons and the Next 10 EXTRA speaker series. Operations are lean at 1-10 staff, with current hiring for a Grants and Scholarships Manager indicating capacity build-out to support a growing fund base.

Name

Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln

Legal name

Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln

Website

https://cfll.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1924

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln is a 501(c)(3) community foundation in Springfield, Illinois, established in 1924, that administers charitable endowment funds, competitive grants, and approximately 50 scholarship programs serving eight central Illinois counties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Foundation and Charitable Fund Administration

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAKAB

Community Foundations

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Philanthropy, Foundations & Grantmaking

SECONDARYBPAGAKAE

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Philanthropy, Foundations & Grantmaking

SECONDARYEDADAHAC

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts

Education/Education Administration, Accreditation & Policy/Education Funding, Grants & Financial Aid Administration

SECONDARYFSAAABAH

Philanthropy & Foundations Advisory (Donor-Advised Funds, Endowments)

Financial & Insurance/Asset & Wealth Management/Private Banking & HNW/UHNW Wealth Management

Keywords

• Community foundation services
• Charitable fund administration
• Grantmaking programs
• Scholarship administration
• Donor-advised funds

Headquarters

HQ city

Springfield

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Gifts: Receives charitable donations from individuals, families, and organizations to establish and grow endowment funds. Donors receive tax deductions for contributions to the 501(c)(3) public charity.
2. Illinois Gives Tax Credit Program: Offers a 25% Illinois state tax credit to Illinois taxpayers who make gifts to eligible endowment funds, incentivizing charitable giving.
3. Women for Women Membership: Annual contributions of $1,000 from members, 100% directed to The Women's Fund endowment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln administers charitable endowment funds (donor-advised, designated, and field-of-interest), operates competitive grantmaking programs for local nonprofits, and manages approximately 50 scholarship funds awarding over $250,000 annually. It also runs specialty initiatives including the Women for Women giving circle, King's Daughters Organization endowment for senior services, and the Patrick F. Coburn Press Forward Endowment Fund supporting local journalism.

Product overview

Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln is a community foundation serving Cass, Christian, Logan, Macoupin, Menard, Montgomery, Morgan, and Sangamon counties in central Illinois. The organization operates as a unified platform of charitable services rather than a segmented product portfolio. Its core offerings center on endowment fund administration, competitive grantmaking, and scholarship management (approximately 50 funds awarding over $250,000 annually). Specialty programs include the Women's Fund / Women for Women giving circle (established 2006, $700,000+ awarded), the King's Daughters Organization Endowment Fund for senior services ($2.6 million+ awarded over 18 years), and the Patrick F. Coburn Press Forward Endowment Fund for local journalism ($1 million). Additional services include the Illinois Gives Tax Credit Program (25% state tax credit), donor portal access, and professional advisor resources. The Next 10 initiative supports regional community visioning.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fund Management Services Administers charitable endowment funds including donor-advised funds, designated funds, and field-of-interest funds, providing professional stewardship of assets for individual donors and families in central Illinois.
• Grants Management Program Competitive grantmaking process distributing funds to local nonprofits addressing community needs in Cass, Christian, Logan, Macoupin, Menard, Montgomery, Morgan, and Sangamon counties.
• Scholarship Program Annual scholarship program administering approximately 50 scholarship funds for graduating high school seniors and college students in eight central Illinois counties, awarding over $250,000 annually.
• Women's Fund / Women for Women Giving circle with 100+ women members contributing annual dues that are directed to The Women's Fund endowment; has awarded more than $700,000 in grants to local organizations over 17 years.
• King's Daughters Organization Endowment Fund Donor-advised fund supporting programs that enhance quality of life for older residents of Sangamon County; has awarded more than $2.6 million in grants over 18 years.
• Patrick F. Coburn Press Forward Endowment Fund $1 million endowment fund supporting local journalism and news ecosystem revitalization in partnership with the American Journalism Project.
• The Next 10 Community visioning project for the Greater Springfield Area defining bold steps for the region's future, including the Illinois State Fairgrounds Master Plan.
• Illinois Gives Tax Credit Program Tax-saving incentive offering a 25% State of Illinois tax credit to Illinois taxpayers who make gifts to eligible endowment funds at the Community Foundation.
• Donor Portal Web-based 24/7 access for donors to manage their fund accounts and submit grant recommendations.
• Professional Advisors Program Resources and Recognition Society for legal, accounting, and financial professionals to help advance philanthropy and charitable giving for their clients; includes advisor toolkit and quarterly Giving Advice e-newsletter.
• Society of 1924 Donor recognition society honoring supporters who have included the Community Foundation in their estate plans.

Quantifiable outcome

• $680,000+ awarded to women and family organizations over 17 years through Women's Fund
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• American Journalism ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 November 2023Engaged by the Community Foundation to lead planning efforts for building up the local news ecosystem and guide future grant making for Press Forward Springfield, a local chapter of the national Press Forward initiative to strengthen local journalism.
• The Next 10 Extra Speaker Series PanelistsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with local and national experts for EXTRA speaker series including International Downtown Association, Chicago Loop Alliance, Downtown Springfield Inc., Centro, International Association of Fairs & Expositions, Illinois Department of Agriculture, Indiana State Fair Commission, and others.
• King's Daughters OrganizationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe King's Daughters Organization joined with the Community Foundation in 2007 through a donor-advised fund to continue the legacy of serving elderly women in Sangamon County, originally established as Carrie Post King's Daughters Home for Women in 1893.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Grand Rapids Community Foundation: Long-established community foundation with donor-advised funds, named scholarship funds, and community grantmaking across a multi-county region. Similar products, accreditation status, and longevity profile.
• The Dayton Foundation: A long-established community foundation administering donor-advised funds, competitive grants, and scholarships for a multi-county region. Comparable in mission, fund types, and accreditation posture to CFLL.
• Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines: Community foundation operating donor-advised funds, competitive grants, and a large scholarship program across central Iowa counties. Comparable program breadth and central-U.S. regional community foundation model.
• East Tennessee Foundation: A regional community foundation administering donor-advised funds, scholarship programs, and competitive grants across multiple counties. Closely comparable scale, multi-program structure, and stewardship approach.
• Community Foundation of Central Illinois: A community foundation serving the Peoria, Tazewell, Woodford, and surrounding central Illinois counties. Direct geographic neighbor with overlapping donor markets, similar grantmaking and scholarship administration, and comparable scale.
• Illinois Prairie Community Foundation: Community foundation serving McLean County and adjacent central Illinois counties. Closely comparable in mission, geographic scale, donor-advised fund offerings, and scholarship administration to CFLL.
• Community Foundation of the Ozarks: Regional community foundation serving southern Missouri with donor-advised funds, scholarships, and competitive grantmaking. Comparable operational model, rural/mid-size geographic footprint, and program portfolio.
• Heart of Illinois Community Foundation: A central Illinois community foundation operating donor-advised funds, competitive grants, and scholarship programs for a multi-county region. Directly comparable product mix and operating model.

Regional players

• Community Foundation of the Quad Cities: Community foundation serving the Quad Cities region on the Illinois-Iowa border. Comparable grantmaking, scholarship, and donor-advised fund model within the broader Illinois market.
• Community Foundation of Southern Illinois: A regional community foundation serving southern Illinois counties with similar grantmaking, scholarship, and donor-advised fund services. Comparable in geographic and operational scale, though in a different region of the state.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@communityfoundationforthel8258
• Facebookfacebook.com/CFLL1
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/community-foundation-for-the-land-of-lincoln
• Instagraminstagram.com/cf_land_of_lincoln

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln