Community Foundation of San Carlos

What Community Foundation of San Carlos does

The Community Foundation of San Carlos is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2020 and headquartered in San Carlos, California (EIN 84-2531005). The foundation operates as a community bridge and strategic philanthropic vehicle, channeling tax-deductible donations exclusively to individuals and nonprofits within San Carlos. Its stated mission is to perform strategic philanthropy that creates and amplifies sustained, measurable impact for the San Carlos community, honoring the legacy of town founder Fred Drake's description of San Carlos as "A Town of Human Friendliness."

The foundation delivers its impact through two core pillars. The Grant Making pillar connects donors to local nonprofits serving food security, senior services, relief efforts, youth programs, and the arts, with cumulative program investment exceeding $1 million since 2020. The Community Building pillar runs and sponsors civic engagement programs including Week of the Family (for which the foundation serves as fiscal partner), Hometown Days performer sponsorships, and community mural paint days. Supporting infrastructure includes a Squarespace-hosted donation portal at cfsancarlos.org/donate and an email newsletter.

The revenue model is donation-based: 100% of donations stay local, with a default allocation of 75% to current-year programs and 25% to a permanent endowment. The foundation is volunteer-run with no disclosed paid staff, holds a Four-Star Charity Navigator rating and a GuideStar Platinum Seal of Transparency, and operates as an independent 501(c)(3) with no parent entity, institutional investors, or funding rounds.

Name

Community Foundation of San Carlos

Legal name

Community Foundation of San Carlos

Website

https://sancarloscf.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Community Foundation of San Carlos is a volunteer-run 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2020 that channels tax-deductible donations exclusively to local San Carlos nonprofits and community programs through grantmaking and civic engagement events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Foundation Philanthropy Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors) (BPADAOAB), Arts, Culture & Humanities Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAJ)

Keywords

• Community philanthropy
• Local grantmaking services
• Community foundation grants
• Donation management
• Community building programs

Headquarters

HQ city

San Carlos

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Gifts: The foundation receives tax-deductible donations from community members. 75% of donations support local nonprofits and community building programs in the coming year, with 25% set aside into the endowment for longer-term community benefits. 100% of gifts impact those who live, work, learn, or play in San Carlos.
2. Endowment Management: Long-term endowment funds that generate ongoing support for the San Carlos community, with a portion of annual donations allocated to build the endowment for future generations.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Community Foundation of San Carlos performs strategic philanthropy for the San Carlos community through two core activities: Grant Making, which directs tax-deductible donations to local nonprofits serving food security, senior services, relief efforts, youth programs, and the arts (over $1 million invested since 2020), and Community Building programs such as Week of the Family, Hometown Days, and community mural paint days that foster connection among residents. By default, 75% of donations are deployed to local nonprofits and community building in the year received, while 25% is set aside into an endowment for long-term community benefit.

Product overview

The Community Foundation of San Carlos operates as a single, unified nonprofit organization offering two core service pillars: Grant Making and Community Building. The Grant Making program connects donor generosity to local nonprofit organizations serving vulnerable community members through direct funding. The Community Building pillar encompasses events and programs including Week of the Family, Hometown Days, and Murals & Public Art initiatives that foster resident connections and community engagement. Supporting services include a donation platform enabling tax-deductible charitable giving and a newsletter keeping stakeholders informed of community impact. The foundation is not a technology platform but a traditional philanthropic organization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Grant Making Strategic philanthropy program that connects donor generosity to local San Carlos nonprofits serving food security, senior services, relief efforts, youth programs, and the arts. The foundation has invested over $1 million in these programs since 2020.
• Community Building Programs Programs that foster connection between San Carlos residents, including Week of the Family, Hometown Days sponsorship, and community mural paint days, ensuring new voices are heard and everyone has a place at the table.
• Week of the Family Annual community event tradition that brings San Carlos residents together, with the Community Foundation of San Carlos serving as the fiscal partner for the initiative.
• Hometown Days Local festival where the foundation sponsors performers, supporting community engagement and local San Carlos traditions.
• Murals & Public Art Community building initiative partnering with neighbors for mural paint days to establish deep local roots and beautify public spaces in San Carlos.
• Donation Platform Tax-deductible charitable giving platform where 100% of donations impact the San Carlos community, with 75% supporting local nonprofits and community building programs in the coming year and 25% set aside into an endowment for longer-term benefits.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $1 million invested in essential local programs
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Week of the FamilycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWeek of the Family serves as the fiscal partner for Community Foundation of San Carlos. This is a key community organization hosting annual events that bring San Carlos families together. The foundation supports and partners with this organization for community building initiatives.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• East Bay Community Foundation: Community foundation serving Alameda and Contra Costa counties via grantmaking and donor-advised funds. Direct analog to the Community Foundation of San Carlos in mission and Bay Area regional context, though covering multiple counties rather than a single city.
• Sacramento Region Community Foundation: Regional community foundation serving the Sacramento area through grantmaking, scholarships, and community leadership programs. Comparable in function and structure as a community foundation with local grantmaking and place-based programming.
• Napa Valley Community Foundation: Community foundation serving Napa County with philanthropy, disaster response, and community building programs. Closely comparable in scope and operating model — a place-based foundation of similar size focused on a single county.
• Marin Community Foundation: Community foundation serving Marin County with a focus on local grantmaking, endowment management, and community-building initiatives. Closely comparable in structure and mission to a single-county/single-city community foundation of similar scope.
• Coastal Community Foundation of South Carolina: Community foundation serving the South Carolina Lowcountry through grantmaking and donor services. Comparable as a place-based community foundation with a similar mix of grantmaking and community programs, though serving a different geography.

Others

• Center for Community Foundation Excellence (Philanthropy Southeast): Network and support organization that provides peer learning and capacity-building resources to community foundations across the U.S. Adjacent/ecosystem participant that supports community foundation operations like those of the subject company.

Broad incumbents

• San Francisco Foundation: One of the oldest and largest community foundations in the Bay Area, making grants across San Francisco and the broader region. Highly comparable as a place-based community foundation, though it operates at city-wide scale for a much larger metro and across a much broader asset base.
• Silicon Valley Community Foundation: Largest community foundation in Silicon Valley with multi-billion-dollar assets, serving San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. Directly comparable in mission and geographic region as a community-grantmaking organization, but operates at vastly greater scale and across a broader territory rather than focusing on a single city.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cfsancarlos

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 of San Carlos