Our Mission & Values in Action
Arlington Community Foundation (ACF) connects people and resources to improve the quality of life in Arlington and beyond.
Click these buttons to explore how each of ACF’s mission and three core values are expressed in our programs, services, and initiatives [buttons open a new tab].
ACF Services by Audience:
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ACF helps individuals and families give in ways that are simple, flexible, and meaningful. We can help someone organize their giving, reduce paperwork, involve family, connect with local nonprofits, or support the causes closest to their heart. Our professionally managed funds can support organizations and communities in Arlington and beyond, with charitable giving guidance and local insight from our team.
Beyond giving tools, ACF also creates ways for people to connect more deeply with the community through groups, events, conversations, and opportunities to learn alongside others who care about Arlington.
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ACF helps professional advisors support clients who want to give. We can answer questions, serve as a sounding board, provide charitable giving tools, accept a wide range of assets, and help simplify the paperwork and administration that come with giving. Whether a client is planning their estate, selling a business, making a complex gift, or simply looking for a smarter way to support the causes they care about, ACF can help them give with more confidence, in Arlington and beyond.
ACF also supports advisors directly through trainings, resources, gatherings, and regular updates on charitable giving news, trends, and changes that may affect them and their clients.
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ACF helps local nonprofits strengthen their work from many angles. We offer agency funds that can reduce administrative burden and support long-term financial health, grants that help meet urgent or unexpected needs, and trainings and networking opportunities that help nonprofit teams build skills and relationships.
We also help nonprofits connect with donors, neighbors, and cross-sector partners through the Arlington Nonprofit Directory, community initiatives, and convenings.
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ACF helps businesses show up for Arlington in practical ways that reflect their values, priorities, and goals. Corporate partnerships with ACF can take many forms, from creating a charitable fund or supporting existing funds and initiatives to engaging employees, or exploring other ways to invest in the community. ACF helps reduce the administrative burden of corporate giving while connecting businesses to trusted local insight, nonprofit partners, and opportunities for greater impact.
Businesses can also sponsor ACF events, including the annual Spirit of Community, to build visibility while supporting one of Arlington’s most respected civic gatherings.
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ACF helps policy makers and local officials see the real-life impact of policy choices on Arlington residents. Through research, advocacy, demonstration pilots, and partnerships across sectors, we bring local insight to issues like deeply affordable housing, child care, workforce development, wages, and the benefits cliff. Our economic mobility initiatives help leaders understand where residents are getting stuck, test practical solutions, and advance policies that make it possible for more people to stay and thrive in Arlington.
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Need to Phone a Friend?
There’s a lot ACF can do, and this guide only scratches the surface. You do not need to have every answer or know every program by heart. If a conversation opens the door to a question, idea, partnership, or opportunity, reach out to the ACF team. We can help you think it through, connect the right people, and follow up with the information someone needs.