Carl Cappa was a kind and generous man. He was born and raised in Jamestown, the oldest child of hard working Italian immigrants. Like his parents, he had a strong work ethic and strived to do his best with whatever project he undertook. This served him and his commitment to his community well.

 

As a young man, Mr. Cappa dreamed of owning his own company. After returning home from World War II in 1945, he went to work at Crawford Furniture Manufacturing Corporation. He made it a point to learn every aspect of the furniture business and its operations. As he rose through the ranks, he finally realized his dream of owning his own company and purchased Crawford Furniture in 1983. 

 

While Mr. Cappa worked industriously at the furniture company, he was also busy with civic endeavors. Among them was the creation of the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation. As a founding father of the Foundation, he believed in the establishment of an organization which could provide local not-for-profit groups a source of permanent income on an annual basis.

 

Having come from humble beginnings, Mr. Cappa felt that he would like to assist those less fortunate. He was grateful for life’s abundance that he and his family had been able to enjoy. Turning to the Foundation, he felt he would like to create an endowment fund to support the St. Susan Center. The Center was established to provide meals to those who were unable to provide for themselves, but also gathered volunteers to work together to help those who are less fortunate. This idea appealed to Mr. Cappa.

 

In 1991, he came to the Foundation and established the Cappa Family Fund with the intent that the earnings from the fund would be paid annually to the St. Susan Center.  With his initial generous donation, plus many other donations made, this fund has grown substantially, making it possible for the St. Susan Center to permanently receive an annual income.

 

Carl Cappa died in 2001 at the age of 78.   His desire to repay humanity beyond his lifetime was achieved through the establishment of the Cappa Family Fund.   The St. Susan Center has been blessed with an annual gift for over 17 years and will continue for years to come. 

      

The Cappa Family Fund is part of a growing group of special endowment funds, designated to permanently perpetuate ideals of its creator or that of a loved one.  The Chautauqua Region Community Foundation administers over 100 designated funds, annually returning over $400,000 to local, non-profit, charitable organizations.

    

Like Mr. Cappa, would you like to establish a means to give back to your community or support a specific local charity for generations to come? Would you like to create an annual charitable endowment which would exist long after your lifetime? The Community Foundation can help you establish a permanent annual charitable endowment fund to accommodate your wishes.

 

With the assistance of Foundation staff, a donor can establish a fund with any name. The donor then designates a charitable organization to receive an annual grant from the fund. An endowment fund can be established with any amount of money but does not become active until it reaches a balance of $5,000.

 

Contact us at 661-3390 or visit our office at 418 Spring Street, Jamestown, New York. We would be honored to be entrusted to carry out your designated charitable wishes.