ANGOLA ─ The Steuben County Community Foundation will join in a nationwide
celebration, November 12-18, 2023, to recognize the increasingly important role that community foundations play in strengthening communities and addressing complex social issues like affordable housing, childcare, education, and economic development.

For more than a century, philanthropic institutions have served as a trusted partner and resource whose effect can be seen in the lives of millions and in the vibrant neighborhoods that continue to thrive through their mission-driven work.

During this annual celebration, community foundations convene to share and reflect on the stories of impact from their recent work.

To mark the celebratory occasion, the Steuben County Community Foundation is launching a year-end matching gift campaign. Lilly Endowment will provide $2 for every $1 contributed to the Steuben County Community Foundation’s Spirit of Community fund through December 31.

“Community foundations have the reach, expertise, and relationships to address some of the most pressing issues impacting individuals and families,” said Jennifer Danic, President and CEO of the Steuben County Community Foundation.

“Spirit of Community is an unrestricted fund that allows SCCF to assess community needs and respond by awarding grants to the nonprofit organizations that undertake our community’s most important work year after year.”

Community foundations are independent, public entities that pool charitable resources from institutional and individual donors and reinvest them back into the local nonprofit community — one of the fastest-growing forms of philanthropy.

Danic says, “Unlike most private foundations, community foundations are not endowed by a single individual or family. They continually seek funding from donors, requiring their CEOs and staff to focus on development as well as grantmaking.”

Traditionally, a community foundation's primary function has been to provide financial assistance to grantees. However, in recent years, there has been a growing recognition that foundations possess the potential to offer more than just monetary resources, such as capacity building, advocacy, policy support, thought leadership, knowledge sharing, evaluation, and learning.

As community foundations find solutions for communities large and small, urban, and rural – it is the collective work of these organizations that will have the most profound impact.

Community Foundation Week was created in 1989 by former president George
H.W. Bush to recognize the work of community foundations throughout America and their collaborative approach to working with the public, private, and nonprofit sectors to address community problems.

To learn more about the year-end matching gift campaign, visit steubenfoundation.org/matching.

Press Release provided by the Steuben County Community Foundation