# Chester County Community Foundation

Chester County Community Foundation is an Endowment / Foundation based in West Chester, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Endowment / Foundation
- **Headquarters:** West Chester, United States
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** West Chester, PA, United States
- **Founded:** 1994
- **Assets under management:** Undisclosed
- **Website:** chescocf.org
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/chester-county-community-foundation

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

Founded in 1994 by Dr. Henry Alva Jordan, Elizabeth Ranney Moran, and Charles Lukens Huston III, the Chester County Community Foundation functions as a collective philanthropic vehicle for the region. Rather than managing a single fortune, it aggregates capital from local families, nonprofits, and businesses into a permanent charitable endowment. Karen Simmons, President and CEO since 2001, announced her planned retirement for 2025, marking a generational leadership transition for the organization. The foundation deploys capital across a balanced-plus pool and a pooled investment portfolio, with allocations spanning public equities, fixed income, and direct commercial real estate — including ownership of the historic Lincoln Building in downtown West Chester. Its 430-plus funds cover designated scholarships like the Alice M. Thomas Scholarship, donor-advised vehicles such as the Rigg Family Foundation, and agency endowments for local nonprofits. The foundation serves as fiscal agent for community groups, including the Black Women of Chester County in Action (BWCCA). Geographic focus remains concentrated in Chester County and the Greater Philadelphia region. The organization operates with a volunteer board and a small professional staff. Erik Gudmundson is slated to become Board Chair in 2026, succeeding Zebulun Davenport and Robert Rigg. The foundation manages the Chester County Estate Planning Council (CCEPC) and the Professional Legacy Advisors Network (PLAN), embedding itself as a hub for regional estate planners and professional advisors. It holds memberships in the Council on Foundations and the Philanthropy Network Greater Philadelphia. The foundation's structural differentiator is its role as a permanent intermediary — neither a single-family office nor a national donor-advised fund sponsor, but a hyperlocal endowment machine. Its deep integration with Chester County's professional advisor community creates a proprietary pipeline for future gifts and bequests that national platforms cannot easily replicate. The planned 2025 CEO succession will test whether that community-rooted model outlasts its long-serving architect.

## Sectors

- Philanthropy
- Education

## People

- Karen Simmons — President and CEO
- Erik Gudmundson — Incoming Board Chair
- Zebulun Davenport — Outgoing Board Chair
- Robert Rigg — Immediate Past-Chair of the Board

## Questions

### Who oversees investment decisions for the foundation's endowment?

The foundation's Board of Directors holds fiduciary responsibility for the investment portfolio. Specific investment committee members or external OCIO relationships are not publicly disclosed. The foundation maintains a Balanced Plus Pool and a Pooled Investment Portfolio, with both financial assets and direct real estate holdings, including the Lincoln Building at 28 West Market Street in West Chester.

### How is the foundation preparing for the retirement of its long-time CEO, Karen Simmons?

Karen Simmons, who has led CCCF as President and CEO since 2001, announced her retirement for 2025. The foundation has also planned for board leadership changes, with Erik Gudmundson set to become Board Chair in 2026, succeeding Zebulun Davenport. Details of the CEO search or succession plan have not been made public.

## Related profiles

- [Blue Mountain Community Foundation](https://altss.com/profile/blue-mountain-community-foundation)
- [Davis Foundations](https://altss.com/profile/davis-foundations)

---

Last updated: 2026-06-03T20:00:00.000Z

Canonical page: https://altss.com/profile/chester-county-community-foundation-cccf

Maintained by Altss — https://altss.com — methodology: https://altss.com/methodology