By Rose S. Prinzi 

Next Sunday please join us to enjoy the inspirational Mother’s Day story of Jane Fagerstrom. Jane passed away three years ago. In her honor, her three sons established the Jane Fagerstrom Memorial Fund at the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation. 

However, establishing a fund at the Community Foundation is not the right fit for all families.

The Community Foundation offers an alternative to establishing a permanent fund.

With Mother’s Day only a week away, have you thought about what you are going to give your mother? Most likely, she “has everything.” What can you possibly give her? We have the answer - considered a non-traditional gift; a gift that would last longer than a day, a month or even a year; a gift that would honor her or her memory for years to come. A contribution to any of our many permanently endowed funds would be a gift that will benefit our community forever.

 The gift in honor of your mother, to an existing fund of your choice, can be made simply and easily. 

CRCF is a philanthropic organization with a mission to enrich the quality of life in the Chautauqua Region.   This mission is carried out by providing grants to area non-profits, and scholarships to area students. The Foundation is comprised of a collection of many separate endowment funds established by individual donors, families, charitable organizations and businesses.

You may select a fund which would reflect your mother’s interests.  We administer over 500 funds for the benefit of non-profit organizations such as:  Chautauqua County Humane Society, James Prendergast Library, Centaur Stride, Junior Guilders, St. Susan Center and Jamestown Audubon Society.   Also, included in the list of endowment funds is a variety of scholarship funds to choose from. You will surely be able to identify a fund that would be relevant to your mother. In order to learn more about our endowment funds, you can go to our website at www.crcfonline.org and review the list, along with the criteria for each fund.

Whether your mother is living or deceased, she is in your heart forever. Your mother was the one who was there when you scrapped your knee. She cheered you on when you learned to ride your first two-wheeler. She was there for the tears and the laughter. How can you ever forget all the sacrifices she may have endured for you? You can acknowledge those times by contacting the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation and surprising her with a gift to an existing endowment fund, a gift that will last forever.

To learn more about the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation go to our website at www.crdfonline or call 661-3390 and talk with any of our trained staff.