For the good of youth, forever
Growing up, I always wanted to be a teacher. I had so many incredible educators who changed my life and I hoped to do the same for generations of students. While my career path didn’t lead me to the classroom, I’m thrilled to lead the work of The Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation and our Brighter Tomorrows initiative for youth in the community.
The mission of The Community Foundation is to improve the quality of life for all in the community. In our mission, "all" includes youth. Taking care of the children here is vital for The Community Foundation and all the nonprofit organizations you’re hearing from this month. Quality of life is intentionally broad because for some it’s safe, affordable housing. For others, it’s access to education. And still for others, it could be enrichment activities like sports and arts.
Our work ensures the needs of youth are met now and forever through the power of endowment. Generous donors plant a seed, which the Foundation tends so it will bear fruit for generations. The Foundation currently manages 500+ funds, about one-third of which serve youth. There are a variety of funds that help children in different ways: scholarships for education; designated funds for a specific nonprofit; and field of interest funds to support youth or a specific area involving youth, like literacy, arts, education, sports and more.
Historically, the Foundation has put donor dollars to good use in a wide variety of ways. Grants are awarded to ensure as many kids in our community as possible will benefit. In the past, we’ve made grants to make preschool available to families with financial limitations, provide critical equipment for care for kids in abuse situations, and award hundreds of scholarships to deserving local students every year. These are just a few examples of the breadth of our work in the youth field.
The Community Foundation is committed to youth because every child deserves the chance for a Brighter Tomorrow. In addition to supporting youth-focused nonprofits now, I invite you to invest in youth of the future through the Foundation to ensure organizations in our community can do this work forever. Our youth depend on us.
Visit our website at community-foundation.com/youth, give us a call, or stop by our office to explore how the Foundation can help you support youth now and forever.
This editorial was originally printed in The Courier Friday, April 14, 2023.
