By Jared Lindell
April 1st always brings out the pranksters and jokesters to try and catch people with an “April fools!” Relating that to the Community Foundation, when CRCF representatives tell individuals that they can make a difference in the community, no matter what size of their gift, these individuals often seem to wait for the line…April fools! However, there is no truer statement that can be made with the Community Foundation. The reality is that every person who feels they have some stake in the community can make a difference, no matter what your ability to give, through the Community Foundation.
Before giving to the Community Foundation, people often want to know that their money is in good hands. The Foundation’s response when that question is asked is: For over 25 years, donors have entrusted the Community Foundation with their monies to benefit charitable purposes. CRCF is continually working to build this trust and a reputation of serving donors, so donors can serve the community. Additionally, the Community Foundation knows the community. CRCF works to learn the needs of the community and is continually acquiring knowledge and resources to address those needs.
Then there is the matter of the gift amount. When an individual decides to give, it is usually assumed that only large gifts matter. While the larger the gift the easier it is to help endowments grow, a gift of any size is sufficient to make a difference. This means that the Community Foundation is not strictly for very wealthy but can be leveraged by any donor in the community. Every gift a donor makes, whether it is $1, $100, or $1,000, is invested and grows over time, making a greater impact every single year. That means that the over 400 funds held at the Community Foundation are constantly growing and giving more back each year, and every dollar gifted to those funds adds to that growth, thus furthering the benefit to the community.
Instead of just giving, you can also make a more direct impact by starting your own fund. For this situation, the same theme applies, in that you do not have to have great wealth to do so. A fund at the Community Foundation, whether Scholarship, Field of Interest, Community Service, Designated, Agency or Donor-Advised, can be established with any dollar amount. So, if there is a cause or segment of the community that you think is being underserved, and you wish to establish a fund to help this part of the community, feel free to do so at any dollar amount. It is important to note that if you do choose to start your own fund, it will not become active until it reaches $5,000 in gifts. However, your initial gift to establish the fund is sometimes all it takes to get the ball rolling.
If you feel you would like to make a difference by giving to the Community Foundation or creating your own fund, please call the Foundation staff at 661-3390. You will find the charitable options through the Foundation are nearly limitless. No matter what, you can take pride in knowing that everything you do charitably makes the Chautauqua region a better place to live…and that is no joke!
Published in the April 1st edition of The Post-Journal