A Whirlwind Week at the Foundation
Spring at The Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation is always a busy time of year. But what better time to give you a look at what happens here? As a staff, we compared calendars for one week in May. This week offers a glimpse into the whirlwind of activity that keeps our organization running.
I started the week talking with the Hancock Leadership Class of 2024, then joined several staff members at the unveiling of the Van Buren Education Foundation’s Founder’s Wall. We are proud to host the Van Buren Schools Foundation Education Fund.
Speaking of schools, we awarded Arlington a grant for a service-learning project for their school’s groundbreaking. Each class visited the Industrial Arts classroom to make their shovel, which they used to turn the dirt at the groundbreaking event. Foundation staff members got a shovel to participate, too.
To round out our education-related events of the week, there were many scholarship activities throughout the week. Several of us attended local high schools’ awards banquets and our scholarship manager, Andrea Clements, spent the week facilitating more than a dozen scholarship selection committee meetings. The Community Foundation’s scholarship awards were postponed due to FAFSA delays beyond our control this year, but we’re looking forward to awarding those soon.
On the grantmaking side, our Community Engagement staff held a lunch and learn for nonprofits, hosted a day of coaching sessions, planned an upcoming site visit, had several one-on-one meetings with nonprofit leaders, and attended childcare and transportation committee meetings. Also, the Arlington and Arcadia Heart & Soul coordinators met with staff for updates and support on projects in each community.
During the week, our staff is always working with donors and potential donors to make their charitable giving goals a reality. Donor Engagement staff members supported donor advised fund holders awarding grants, sent gift acknowledgments, met with several community members who are establishing funds, and worked on event preparations for our upcoming Annual Celebration.
Outside of those, we hosted our audit committee, finance committee and staff meetings throughout the week. During this busy time of year, we prioritize getting together as a staff to ensure we’re supporting one another and staying available to the community as much as possible. We’re lucky to have an engaged board, staff and committee members who make this all possible.
This is just a snapshot of one week at The Community Foundation. Each day brings new challenges, opportunities to connect with the community, and the rewarding experience of making a lasting impact in Hancock County. We are proud to be your partner in improving the quality of life for all in the community. Visit community-foundation.com to learn more about your Community Foundation.
This editorial was originally printed in The Courier Wednesday, May 29, 2024.
