The most common foundation abbreviation is Fdn., a capital F, then dn and a period, seen in lists, donor credits and tight table columns. Legal and academic citations shorten the word to Found. instead, and construction drawings write FDN in capitals.
No one version wins everywhere, which is why people search for it. The right choice depends on whether you mean a charity, a footnote or the concrete under a house.
Quick facts
Most common
Fdn.Legal citations
Found.Building plans
FDNPlural
Fdns.Period or no period
Period in Fdn. and Found.; none in FDN on drawingsUsed in
Donor lists, grant reports, footnotes, blueprintsRelated terms
Assn. (association), Inc. (incorporated)
Which foundation abbreviation to use
| Setting | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Donor walls, programs, lists | Fdn. | Rivera Family Fdn. |
| Legal and law review citations | Found. | Brook Found. v. Lake County |
| Blueprints and site plans | FDN | FDN WALL, 8 IN. |
| Tiny spreadsheet columns | Fdn or Fndn | Fdn grants, Q3 |
| Letters, essays, news | Foundation | The foundation funds summer camps. |
When in doubt, spell it out. The word is only ten letters, and style guides generally want organizations named in full in running text.
Fdn. for charities and grant makers
A foundation in the nonprofit sense is an organization that holds money and gives it out as grants for a cause, such as schools, research or the arts. Their names can be long, so event programs and annual reports often shorten them.
In a concert program: "This season is supported by the Harbor Arts Fdn. and the Clark Family Fdn." A reader understands both as foundations without the full word.
If the group's legal name already includes an abbreviation, follow that exactly. Some organizations register with "Foundation" spelled out, and their staff may prefer you not to shorten it at all in formal letters or grant applications. Similar rules apply to association, which is often written Assn.
Found. in footnotes and legal writing
Legal citation guides use a fixed table of short words for case names and organizations, and in that table foundation becomes Found. So a case or a report title in a footnote may read "Smith Found." even though Fdn. is more common elsewhere.
Found. can be confusing to a general reader because it is also the past tense of find. Use it only where your field expects it, such as a brief, a law school paper or a journal that follows legal style.
FDN on construction drawings
Architects and builders write notes in capitals with few periods, so foundation becomes FDN. You might see FDN PLAN for the sheet that shows the base of a building, or TOP OF FDN for a height mark. FTG, for footing, often appears right beside it, since footings are the wide base that the foundation wall sits on.
On a home inspection report, the word is more often spelled out in a comment, as in "minor crack in foundation wall," with FDN used only in tables or checklists.
Other meanings of foundation shorthand
In makeup, foundation is the base layer applied to skin, and people writing quick notes or labels may use "fdn" in lowercase. In education, a foundation course or a foundation year is an introductory level of study, sometimes listed as Fdn. on a schedule. The context around the letters almost always settles the meaning.
- "Grant awarded by the Lopez Fdn." points to a charity.
- "Harbor Found. v. Ames" points to a court case.
- "FDN DRAIN, SEE DETAIL 4" points to a building plan.
For more ways to shorten everyday words, see the common abbreviations hub and the step by step guide on how to abbreviate a word yourself.
Questions people ask
What is the standard abbreviation for foundation?
Fdn. is the most widely used short form in general writing. Legal citations use Found., and construction drawings use FDN.
How do you abbreviate foundation in a citation?
Most legal citation styles use Found. Check the guide your court, school or journal follows, since a few use their own lists.
Is it Fdn or Fdtn?
Fdn. is far more common. Fdtn. and Fndn. are sometimes seen in tight spaces, but they are less familiar to readers.
Should I abbreviate foundation in a nonprofit's name?
Only in tight spaces such as lists or tables. In letters, grant applications and anything formal, write the organization's full legal name.
What is the plural of Fdn.?
Write Fdns. with a period at the end. In most sentences it reads better to spell out foundations.