Community Foundation of Tompkins County

What Community Foundation of Tompkins County does

The Community Foundation of Tompkins County is a private nonprofit community foundation founded in 2001 and headquartered at 200 E. Buffalo Street, Suite 202, in Ithaca, New York. It manages charitable endowments and serves as a permanent philanthropic vehicle for Tompkins County, channeling donations from individuals, families, corporations, and other organizations into grants for local nonprofits. In 2025 the foundation deployed $4,219,144 across 687 grants to 305 organizations and received $3.8 million from 514 donors in 1,077 gifts; Q1 2026 grantmaking reached $681,497 across 157 grants.

The foundation's offerings fall into three buckets: (1) grant programs including the Empowering Resilient Communities to Thrive annual cycle ($678,700 to 106 organizations in 2026), the Library Grant Cycle, and off-cycle funding for emergent needs; (2) donor services including donor advised funds, field of interest funds, designated funds, planned giving (Legacy Society), and the HEROES Circle for donors giving $1,000 or more annually; and (3) community education delivered through events like the Annual Celebration, Women's Fund Luncheon, Fund Advisors Exchange, and partnership engagement visits. Digital infrastructure is limited to a Fund Advisor Portal and an online giving platform; no AI/ML capabilities, third-party integrations, or proprietary technology products are disclosed.

The foundation operates under a community-led go-to-market model, coordinating semi-monthly meetings of the Tompkins County Funders Group with 15+ local funders to align regional philanthropy. A 15-member volunteer Board of Directors, led by Board Chair Jonathan Culler, governs the foundation; operational leadership rests with President George Ferrari, with a leadership transition underway as Steph Bailey joins as Chief Development Officer in January 2026, succeeding Nancy Massicci, who retired in April 2026. Revenue mechanics are endowment-driven: current assets stood at $31.4 million as of Q4 2025 and $30.2 million as of Q1 2026, with the foundation operating without equity ownership, parent entities, or external funding rounds.

Name

Community Foundation of Tompkins County

Legal name

Community Foundation of Tompkins County

Website

https://cftompkins.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Community Foundation of Tompkins County is a 25-year-old nonprofit community foundation in Ithaca, New York that manages charitable endowments, distributes grants to local nonprofits, and provides donor advised fund and planned giving services to individual donors across Tompkins County.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Foundation & Philanthropic Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Civic and Social Organizations (8134)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

Keywords

• Community foundation services
• Charitable grantmaking
• Donor advised funds
• Planned giving services
• Endowment management

Headquarters

HQ city

Ithaca, New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Charitable Donations and Gifts: The foundation receives charitable donations from individuals, families, corporations, and other organizations to build its permanent endowment and support grantmaking activities.
2. Endowment Investment Returns: Current assets at $30.2 million (Q1 2026) and $31.4 million (Q4 2025), generating returns that support grantmaking. Total grants of $4,219,144 in 687 grants to 305 organizations in 2025.
3. Planned Giving and Estate Planning Services: Legacy Society members include donors who give through will, real estate, IRA beneficiary, gift annuity and more. Professional advisors (Door Opener Society) help clients include charitable giving in estate planning.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Community Foundation of Tompkins County is a nonprofit community foundation that manages charitable endowments, accepts donations from individuals, families, corporations, and organizations, and distributes those funds through competitive grant cycles and donor advised fund recommendations to local nonprofits in Tompkins County, NY. It also provides planned giving services, donor advised funds, field of interest funds, and designated funds, and coordinates local philanthropy through the Tompkins County Funders Group.

Product overview

Community Foundation of Tompkins County operates as a philanthropic organization offering a portfolio of grant programs, donor services, and community engagement initiatives. The core offerings include competitive grant cycles (Empowering Resilient Communities to Thrive, Library Grant Cycle, and off-cycle funding), the Women's Fund with its annual celebration and Holmberg Award, and the Tompkins Today & Tomorrow Endowment Fund for discretionary grantmaking. Donor services encompass advised funds, Legacy Society for planned giving, and HEROES Circle for major annual donors. Digital services include the Fund Advisor Portal for fund management and the monthly Philanthropy Magnified newsletter. Community education is delivered through events like Partnership Engagement Visits, Fund Advisors Exchange, and workshops. The Foundation's digital infrastructure includes an online giving platform and donor portal, with no disclosed third-party product integrations or AI capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Tompkins Today & Tomorrow (TTT) Endowment Fund: A special initiative endowment fund for discretionary grantmaking, launched as part of the foundation's 25th anniversary celebration.
• Women's Fund
• Nancy Massicci Door Opener Society
• Legacy Society
• HEROES Circle
• Empowering Resilient Communities to Thrive Grant Cycle

Products and services

• Grant Programs Competitive grant cycles including the Empowering Resilient Communities to Thrive grant cycle, Library Grant Cycle, and off-cycle funding for emergent needs, providing financial support to local nonprofits and community organizations in Tompkins County.
• Women's Fund A dedicated fund supporting women and girls in Tompkins County through grantmaking, the annual Women's Fund Celebration Luncheon, and the Laura Holmberg Award recognizing contributions to gender equity.
• Tompkins Today & Tomorrow Endowment Fund (TTT) An endowment fund for discretionary grantmaking to support community needs today and in the future, part of the Foundation's 25th anniversary initiative to raise $4 million.
• Donor Advised Funds Comprehensive giving services including donor advised funds, field of interest funds, designated funds, Legacy Society for planned giving, and HEROES Circle for annual donors giving $1,000 or more.
• Fund Advisor Portal Online portal for fund advisors to manage their donor advised funds, accessible at cftc.fcsuite.com/erp/fundmanager.
• Online Giving Platform Online donation platform enabling donors to make gifts via credit card, accessible at cftc.fcsuite.com/erp/donate.
• Community Engagement and Education Events Educational events including Partnership Engagement Visits, Fund Advisors Exchange, Let's Talk series, Grantwriting Playbook workshops, and annual celebrations connecting donors, grantees, and community members.
• Legacy Society (Planned Giving Program) Planned giving program recognizing donors who include the foundation in their estate plans through wills, real estate, IRA beneficiary designations, or gift annuities.

Quantifiable outcome

• $4,219,144 granted to 305 organizations in 2025
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Ithaca Pride AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 April 2026New partnership announced in April 2026 to celebrate Pride Month together.
• City of Ithaca / Ithaca Urban Renewal Agency / Community Development Block GrantcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of Tompkins County Funders Group, coordinating local philanthropy and community development activities. Participates in semi-monthly meetings to help coordinate joint activities, network, and learn about community needs.
• Health Foundation for Western & Central New YorkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of Tompkins County Funders Group, working collaboratively on health-related philanthropy in the region.
• United Way of Tompkins CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of Tompkins County Funders Group, coordinating resources for community impact.
• Park FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of Tompkins County Funders Group, supporting local philanthropy efforts.
• Legacy FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of Tompkins County Funders Group, coordinating local charitable resources.
• CFLeadsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational group helping community foundations advance effective practices, share knowledge and galvanize action on critical issues so all communities are prosperous, healthy and secure.
• CEONetminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational network of community foundation CEOs facilitating useful learning from peer CEOs and from issue and organizational changemakers.
• NY Funders AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional membership association of grantmakers in New York State providing networking and learning opportunities.
• NYCON (New York Council of Nonprofits)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState association supporting andAdvancing nonprofits in New York.
• ABFEminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA philanthropic partnership for Black communities, increasing capacity and knowledge to serve donors and grantees.
• LifelongminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership visit in May 2026 during Older Adults Month to learn about services for older adults.
• Village at IthacaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership engagement visit in January 2026 to learn about youth support services.
• Khuba InternationalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlack-led organization featured in Let's Talk series on food justice and cultural preservation.
• Doula Access InitiativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVirtual partnership visit in March 2026 to learn about maternal health support.
• Coddington Road Community CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership engagement visit site, a Community Foundation grantee.
• Downtown Ithaca AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDIA ACTIVATIONS & EVENTS grant supporting the Annual Celebration event.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• United Way of Tompkins County: Co-located nonprofit participating in the same Tompkins County Funders Group; while not a direct grantmaking foundation, it shares donor base, board networks, and coordinated local-funding initiatives with the subject.
• Park Foundation: Sibling private foundation active in the same Tompkins County Funders Group with overlapping grantmaking scope; comparable as an institutional funder in the immediate competitive/donor landscape.

Direct peers

• New Hampshire Charitable Foundation: Community foundation operating a permanent endowment, donor advised funds, and field-of-interest funds across New Hampshire's communities, paralleling the subject's structure and service mix.
• Vermont Community Foundation: Statewide community foundation managing endowments and donor advised funds with comparable planned giving and women/giving circle programs - direct model analog serving a similar-sized catchment.
• Adirondack Community Foundation: New York State community foundation providing donor advised funds, scholarship and nonprofit grant programs, and FUNDS Group convenings - same architecture scaled to a different regional market.
• Community Foundation of Elmira-Corning and the Finger Lakes: Adjacent Finger Lakes community foundation operating with the same model of permanent endowments, donor advised funds, and locally-targeted grants serving a defined New York catchment.
• Maine Community Foundation: Statewide community foundation offering donor advised funds, scholarships, and multi-cycle grantmaking with a permanent endowment structure that mirrors the subject's operating model.
• Community Foundation for Greater New Haven: Single-city community foundation managing permanent endowments, donor advised funds, women's funds, and field-of-interest funds with regional grant cycles - a structural and operational near-twin.
• Rochester Area Community Foundation: New York-based community foundation managing permanent endowments, donor advised funds, and competitive grants for a defined regional catchment - a directly comparable operating model to Community Foundation of Tompkins County.
• Central New York Community Foundation: Syracuse-area community foundation offering donor advised funds, planned giving, and competitive grant cycles across an Upstate New York catchment, sharing structure, services, and grantmaking approach with the subject.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@communityfoundationtompkin7399
• Facebookfacebook.com/CFTompkins
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/community-foundation-of-tompkins-county
• Instagraminstagram.com/communityfoundationtompkins

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Community Foundation of Tompkins County