Launched in 2002 following a series of conversations between the International Committee of the Council on Foundations and senior officials of the World Bank, the World Bank Community Foundation Initiative (CFI) is to conclude next year. With funding from the Ford Foundation, the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation and the World Bank, the CFI’s aim has been to educate Bank staff about the community foundation concept and to engage the Bank in a learning process through support of a limited number of pilot community foundations in developing countries.