Community Foundation Receives National Recognition
Community Foundation of
Grant County, Indiana, Inc.
505 West Third Street Marion, Indiana 46952
Press Release
Contact:
Shelly Jones, Development Director
Email: Shelly@GiveToGrant.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date: 12/16/2024
Community Foundation Receives National Recognition
Local Organization Accredited with Rigorous Philanthropic Standards
GRANT COUNTY —The Community Foundation of Grant County recently received accreditation with the nation’s highest standard for philanthropic excellence. Community Foundations National Standards® establish legal, ethical, effective practices for community foundations everywhere.
“Meeting the National Standards benchmarks is a rigorous, comprehensive process,” said Susie Nelson, board chair of National Standards. “This accreditation is a significant accomplishment that indicates the Community Foundation of Grant County demonstrates a commitment to transparency, quality, integrity and accountability as it carries out its mission.”
The Community Foundations National Standards® program requires community foundations to document their policies for donor services, investments, grantmaking and administration. With over 500 community foundations already accredited nationwide, the program is designed to provide quality assurance to donors, as well as to their legal and financial advisors.
“This is critically important to our donors,” said Dawn Brown, Community Foundation president. “When people make a charitable bequest or establish a fund, they are putting their trust in us. They are counting on us to manage the investment wisely, honor their charitable wishes and, in some cases, provide lifetime income to a loved one. The National Standards accreditation says our house is in order.”
The Foundation works to meet critical community needs and support local causes, including in the areas of arts and culture, community development, education, health, human services, and scholarships.
The Foundation offers a range of charitable funds, allowing donors to advance a cause, support an individual organization, provide flexible support for community needs or recommend individual grants. In addition to affirming the organization’s philanthropic services, the accreditation validates the Foundation’s grantmaking practices for the nonprofit community.
“We take the trust that our donors put in us very seriously,” said Cory Powell, Community Foundation board chair. “The board is proud of the high standards of integrity and due diligence that the Community Foundation team works towards each day.”
Community Foundations National Standards® is the first program of its kind for charitable foundations in the United States.
“Grantmaking is a lot like investing,” said Shelly Jones, Community Foundation development director. “We need to assess risks, weigh potential gains, diversify assets, monitor performance and operate fairly. With our National Standards accreditation, you can be assured that we’re doing just that.”
Through philanthropic services, strategic investments and community leadership, the Community Foundation of Grant County helps people support the causes they care about, now and for generations to come.
The Community Foundations National Standards Board is a supporting organization of the Council on Foundations and is responsible for the quality, value and integrity of compliance with National Standards. For more information on the National Standards Board, visit its website at www.cfstandards.org.
The Community Foundation of Grant County, Indiana, Inc. is an advocate for local philanthropy and is dedicated to improving the lives of people in the Grant County area. An effective steward of the community’s charitable resources since 1984, the Foundation works with donors to establish charitable funds and supports nonprofit organizations through a variety of grantmaking efforts. The Community Foundation connects people, resources, and causes to promote sustainable impact for the betterment of Grant County. Currently the Community Foundation holds over 400 charitable funds that support a variety of charities and charitable causes in Grant County. For more information, please visit www.GiveToGrant.org or call 765-662-0065.
