Community Systems Foundation (CSF) is dedicated to improving the quality of life through applied research and direct assistance to communities, governmental agencies operating at the local, regional and national levels, and service oriented entities in the private sector. The cornerstone of the CSF approach is the development and application of techniques to help communities (groups of people sharing some common interest or identity) gain a better understanding of their environment and to act in accordance with that understanding to attain their goals. The common element in the CSF repertoire of techniques is community learning.
The organization holds its annual public meeting at the School of Natural Resources and Environment. Barton R. Burkhalter and Dean H. Wilson are co-founders of the organization, which formed in 1963.
