Learn More About

Community Foundations

Colonial Beach is one of several hundred communities throughout the U.S. that has a community foundation. Like those other foundations, the Colonial Beach Community Foundation is a community-specific, public-supported, nonprofit, tax-exempt, philanthropic organization. As such, the Foundation is a vehicle through which individuals and businesses can provide financial assistance to charitable causes in and around Colonial Beach. In short, donors make contributions to the Foundation and receive the tax benefit of contributing to a nonprofit; the Foundation then sends those contributions back out into the community for philanthropic purposes. For example, donors supporting development of the Torrey Smith Park made contributions to the Foundation and earmarked them specially for the park; the Foundation took on the accounting responsibilities for those contributions and used them to pay the contractors' and vendors' invoices. 

The Foundation's goal is to raise and disburse funds for actions that impact our residents and visitors, promote diversity, encourage inclusion, continue education, and respect our natural habitat. We have five strategic objectives relevant to our mission: Youth Development and Education, Environment Protection and Beautification, Health and Well-Being, Quality of Life and Cultural Enhancement, and Community Strength for Success. Learn more about these objectives here.

If you like, donations to the Foundation can be directed towards one or more of those objectives. As an alternative, you can direct your donation to a specific use; for example, the beach access ramps. The Foundation will acknowledge your tax-deductible donation by receipt or letter.