RALEIGH — The North Carolina Community Foundation has for the third time met the nation’s highest philanthropic standards for operational quality, integrity and accountability within the community foundation sector.

The announcement was recently made by Christina Gonzalez, interim director of the National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations, which awards the designation after a rigorous compliance process. The independent organization was created to codify standards for conduct, ethics and transparency within the sector.

The National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations Program requires community foundations to document 26 specific standards within their policies for donor services, grantmaking, resource development, accountability and governance. The program is designed to provide quality assurance to donors and their legal and financial advisers.

About 500 community foundations nationwide have been confirmed in compliance. NCCF was initially recognized for meeting National Standards in 2007 and received renewal of the distinction in 2009 and again this year.

“This independent designation confirms the trust that our donors, affiliate foundations and financial advisors across North Carolina have placed in NCCF for nearly 30 years,” said Jennifer Tolle Whiteside, president and CEO of the NCCF. “We are truly gratified to again receive national recognition for the high standards we’ve put in place, and we work hard every day to ensure that integrity, accountability and the safety and soundness of our organization is ongoing, now and into the future.”

The NCCF is the single statewide, community foundation serving North Carolina and has administered more than $130 million in grants since its inception in 1988. With nearly $247 million in assets, NCCF sustains 1,200 endowments established to provide long-term support of a broad range of charitable needs, nonprofit organizations and scholarships through local affiliate partnerships across the state.