Celebrating community work

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The Community Foundation of Jackson County joins more than 750 other community foundations across America to mark Community Foundation Week.

Our goal in participating in Community Foundation Week (Nov. 12 to 18) is to raise awareness about the role of philanthropy and foster local collaborations and innovations to address persistent civic and economic challenges in our community.

Our partnership with Jackson County United Way and Anchor House Family Assistance Center and Pantry to present two Bridges Out of Poverty convenings this fall in Brownstown is a strong example of those efforts. As does our partnership with Child Care Network, Lilly Endowment Inc. and other community collaborators with the goal of helping Child Care Network create a community child care center, now under construction near downtown Seymour.

The foundation serves all of Jackson County, from Reddington to Crothersville to Medora to Freetown to Seymour and all points in between. A check of our grant and scholarship recipients easily illustrates that point.

Launched Nov. 12, 1989, through a proclamation by former President George H.W. Bush, the first Community Foundation Week included a congressional briefing about the work of community foundations throughout America and their collaborative approach to working with the public, private and nonprofit sectors to address community challenges.

The first community foundation was established in 1914 in Cleveland, Ohio.

Community foundations in Indiana alone made more than $193 million in grants in 2019. Your Community Foundation of Jackson County awarded more than $638,000 in grants and scholarships during 2020, and so far, we have awarded more than $784,000 this year. We manage 237 funds and more than $18 million in assets.

Community foundations represent one of the fastest-growing forms of philanthropy.

Former Indiana Secretary of State Connie Lawson once described the role of community foundations this way: “Community foundations in Indiana play a key role in identifying and solving problems across our state. Each foundation has an in-depth knowledge of local concerns, which enables them to effectively address the root of many issues. They are the drivers of community enhancements and push our state forward.”

The Community Foundation of Jackson County tries to live up to that description through our prudent stewardship of gifts, our annual grant-making cycles and our involvement in the community, including our support in the creation and construction of the Jackson County Learning Center and the Jackson County Education Coalition.

Since its founding in 1992, the Community Foundation of Jackson County has awarded more than $8 million in grants to local organizations and scholarships to hundreds of students to help them pursue their educational dreams.

The Community Foundation is an advocate for local philanthropy, providing opportunities for donors to make a difference in their own unique ways through charitable giving. The Community Foundation celebrates the rich past of Jackson County and looks to a bright future. And as our motto says, “Together, we grow tomorrows.”

The foundation invites you to explore our website, cfjacksoncounty.org. You’ll be able to access a wealth of information about the foundation, our current funds, our grant cycles, how you, too, can become a donor and help make a difference. Or make an appointment to visit with us at our offices.

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