Community Foundation for Kingston & Area

What Community Foundation for Kingston & Area does

The Community Foundation for Kingston & Area (CFKA) is a Canadian registered charitable organization founded in 1995 and headquartered in Kingston, Ontario. It operates as a philanthropic intermediary, pooling charitable contributions from individuals, families, businesses, and organizations into more than 240 permanent endowment funds that collectively hold over $40 million in assets. Earnings from these funds — a Main Pooled Fund that returned 9.93% on a 5-year average basis as of December 31, 2025, professionally managed by The Johnson, Johnston and Macrae Investment Group at CIBC Wood Gundy — are distributed as grants to registered charities serving the Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington, and Prince Edward County regions.

CFKA's operations are run by a core staff of approximately nine people, supported by volunteer committees and a Board of Directors. Its product set consists of competitive grant programs rather than commercial products: the biannual Community Grants Program (Equipment, Program, and Operations streams with individual awards ranging from roughly $1,400 to $25,000), the Stark Family Fund for Prince Edward County ($2,000-$20,000), the Nan Yeomans Grant for Artistic Development ($4,000 annually, administered with Kingston Arts Council), the Capacity Building Grants for Older Adults (~$225,000 envelope), and the Sisters of Providence Community Impact Fund (a multi-year, $5 million systems-change initiative created in 2021). Applications flow through an online Grants Portal powered by Foundant, while donor contributions are processed through the fcsuite.com platform.

The Foundation has granted more than $15 million to over 360 charities since inception, including $1,831,981 in 2024 alone. Its go-to-market motion is relationship-driven: donor acquisition runs through the website, monthly newsletters, social media, local media relations, community events (including the Community Builder Award), and financial advisor partnerships that integrate philanthropy into estate and tax planning. The Foundation is a member of Community Foundations of Canada, the national network of 200+ local community foundations, and was ranked among Canada's Top 50 Equitable Funders in 2024 by topfunders.ca. Its current 2025-2028 strategic plan, "Building Resilience," targets growth of assets under management to $50 million and a thematic refocus of grantmaking on community resilience across five impact priorities: Thriving People, Sustainable Futures, Inclusivity & Belonging, Learning & Growth, and Strengthened Non-Profits.

Name

Community Foundation for Kingston & Area

Legal name

Community Foundation for Kingston & Area

Website

https://cfka.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Community Foundation for Kingston & Area is a Canadian charitable foundation managing over $40 million across 240+ endowment funds and granting to registered charities in the Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington, and Prince Edward County regions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Philanthropy Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE), Arts, Culture & Humanities Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAJ), Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

Keywords

• Community foundation services
• Endowment fund management
• Charitable grant programs
• Donor-advised funds
• Philanthropic giving

Headquarters

HQ city

Kingston

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Endowment Investment Returns: The Foundation pools charitable donations into permanent endowment funds that generate investment income. Earnings from over 240 endowment funds are used to make grants to registered charities. The Foundation's Main Pooled Fund generated a 9.93% 5-year average return as of December 31, 2025.
2. Donor Contributions: Individuals, families, local businesses, and charitable organizations contribute to established funds or create new endowed funds. Donors can give through one-time donations, recurring donations, planned gifts (wills, life insurance, RRSPs), or gifts of publicly traded securities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Community Foundation for Kingston & Area is a registered Canadian charity that pools donations from individuals, families, businesses, and organizations into over 240 permanent endowment funds. It invests these funds professionally and distributes the earnings as grants to registered charities and nonprofits in the Kingston, Frontenac County, Loyalist Township, and Prince Edward County regions. It also administers donor-advised, donor-designated, field-of-interest, community, agency, and operating endowment funds, and offers legacy and planned giving services.

Product overview

The Community Foundation for Kingston & Area operates as a philanthropic intermediary connecting donors with community needs through endowment-based grantmaking. Its product portfolio consists of competitive and donor-advised grant programs administered through a digital grants portal. Core programs include the Community Grants Program (delivered in spring and fall cycles across Equipment, Program, and Operations streams), the Stark Family Fund (Prince Edward County-focused), the annual Nan Yeomans Grant for Artistic Development (administered with Kingston Arts Council), and the Sisters of Providence Community Impact Fund (multi-year, systems-level funding in partnership with ACEs & Resilience and Older Adults initiatives). Fund distribution is guided by five strategic impact priorities: Thriving People, Sustainable Futures, Inclusivity and Belonging, Learning and Growth, and Strengthened Non-Profits. The Foundation also facilitates online donation processing through its fcsuite.com portal and offers fund establishment services for donors seeking to create named endowments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Community Grants Program A biannual competitive grant program offering three streams: Equipment Grants (average ~$9,441, supporting purchase/upgrade of essential equipment), Program Grants (up to $25,000, funding development or expansion of specific programs), and Operations Grants (up to $16,000, supporting general operating expenses such as salaries, rent, and utilities). Applications are submitted through the Foundant Grants Portal and reviewed by a volunteer Community Grants Committee against five impact priorities: Thriving People, Sustainable Futures, Inclusivity and Belonging, Learning and Growing, and Strengthened Non-profits.
• Stark Family Fund A donor-advised grant program supporting organizations in Prince Edward County across five focus areas: Animal Welfare, Arts & Culture, Community Development, Education, and Health & Social Services. Annual grants range from $2,000 to $20,000, with applications reviewed by a Prince Edward County-based volunteer committee.
• Nan Yeomans Grant for Artistic Development An annual $4,000 award for promising young visual artists and artisans in the greater Kingston area. The grant is funded by a bequest from artist Nan Yeomans (d. 2004) and administered in partnership with the Kingston Arts Council, with recipients selected by a peer jury based on artistic merit, previous accomplishments, and proposal eligibility.
• Capacity Building Grants to Strengthen Connection and Belonging for Older Adults A capacity-building grant initiative with an approximately $225,000 total funding envelope supporting organizations that strengthen connection and belonging for older adults in the KFL&A region. Informed by priorities from the Older Adults Connecting and Belonging (OACB) Forum, the program funds systems-level change to mitigate social isolation and strengthen the service ecosystem.
• Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent de Paul Community Impact Fund A multi-year systems-level funding initiative established through a $5 million transformational gift from the Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent de Paul in 2021. The fund supports two streams: the ACEs & Resilience Coalition of KFL&A (ARC) and the Older Adults Connecting & Belonging (OACB) initiative, funding cross-sector collaboration to prevent Adverse Childhood Experiences and reduce social isolation among older adults.

Quantifiable outcome

• $1,831,981 granted in 2024
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Community Foundations of CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational leadership organization for Canada's 200+ local community foundations. CFKA is an active member, participating in driving local solutions for national change on community priorities.
• LionheartscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in improving paired social and food access programming for older adults, expanding Fresh Food Market Pop Ups to create micro-communities of belonging.
• Southeast Public Health, Kingston Community Health Services, Youth DiversioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners in KFL&A Unnamed Youth Project, applying the Icelandic Prevention Model to reduce youth substance use through youth-driven decision-making across peers, family, school, and leisure domains.
• Frontenac-Kingston Council on Aging (COA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner establishing Older Adults Hub at Providence Village to deliver free, inclusive programming, improving accessibility and reducing isolation for older adults.
• Rural Frontenac Community ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Canada's first Tellegacy program pilot to reduce social isolation among rural older adults through structured volunteer-guided conversations.
• Limestone District School Board & Kingston Community Health CentrescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners in Collaborative Care Initiative supporting families with students experiencing behavioral and social-emotional challenges through clinical interventions and educational support.
• Kingston Native Centre and Language Nest, KEYS Employment & Newcomer Services, Kingston Community Health CentrescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners in HIPPY (Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters) program supporting immigrant, refugee, low-income and Indigenous families with school readiness through peer-support model.
• Kingston Frontenac Public Library & Compassionate Communities KingstoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners in Talking Cafes initiative providing accessible social connection options and knowledge mobilization for older adults to reduce isolation.
• Queen's University - I-CREAtecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner conducting community-based participatory action research to improve health and well-being of children, families, and communities. Collaborates with ACEs & Resilience Coalition (ARC).
• Family and Children's Services of Frontenac Lennox & AddingtoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in A Great Start for Families Kahwà:tsire Ronwatiyenawá:se Centre providing one-door service coordination for families including childcare, reducing barriers to accessing services.
• Kingston Arts CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdministers the annual Nan Yeomans Grant for Artistic Development competition, selecting recipients based on artistic merit and proposal quality.
• Providence CareminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJonathon Bingeman serves as VP Finance & Digital Transformation at Providence Care. Board member bringing healthcare sector expertise.
• ACEs & Resilience Coalition of KFL&A (ARC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition of agencies and individuals convened by CFKA since 2019 with vision of a resilient community that prevents and reduces effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences. Includes 25+ partner organizations.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

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 Kingston & Area