By Linda Gebhardt, Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin
During the week of Nov. 12 through 18, the Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin joins with more than 700 community foundations across America in celebration of Community Foundation Week. This is a great opportunity to talk about the role the Community Foundation plays in Green and Lafayette counties.
Community foundations are non-profit grantmaking organizations that help improve the lives of people in a specific geographic area. The Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin (CFSW) is a steward of more than 530 charitable funds in nine counties, including Green and Lafayette. Major CFSW funds in this region include community funds in Argyle, Benton, Blanchardville/Hollandale, Darlington, Monroe, New Glarus, Shullsburg, and South Wayne, and Excellence in Education funds serving the school districts of Argyle, Black Hawk, Darlington, Monroe, Monticello, New Glarus and Pecatonica.
Thanks to the generosity of donors and the investment management of the Foundation, each of these funds has grown, playing an ever larger role in making our Green and Lafayette communities better. In 2011-12, for example, CFSW grants and scholarships from these funds and others in the region totaled nearly $500,000. These dollars supported a wide variety of quality of life enhancements including programs and projects in the arts, education, health and safety, historic preservation, recreation and social welfare.
This investment of nearly a half-million charitable dollars in our region is a tremendous boost to our local non-profit and governmental agencies that are facing the dual challenge of limited resources and greater responsibilities in these economic times. It is also a boost to our students and families facing the rising costs of a college education.
Donors to funds affiliated with the Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin can be assured that the foundation operates with the highest of professional standards as established by the Community Foundations National Standards Board. Our investment managers, including representatives from First National Bank and Trust of Beloit and Wisconsin Bank and Trust, see that our assets are prudently managed and invested. Our dedicated volunteer advisory board members make certain that their fund's grants are impactful for the communities they serve.
Charitable funds can be established with a wide variety of assets including cash, real estate, stock and personal property. We've even accepted a truck load of corn to start a fund. We are always happy to help anyone who wishes to start a fund for their community or make a tax deductible donation to an existing fund. It's what we do. For good. For ever.
- Linda Gebhardt is the Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin donor services representative for Green/Lafayette counties. For information or to make a donation to any of the Green/Lafayette funds listed above, contact her at (608) 328-4060 or via email at linda@cfsw.org. Further information and an online donation option are available at the Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin's website, www.cfsw.org.
During the week of Nov. 12 through 18, the Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin joins with more than 700 community foundations across America in celebration of Community Foundation Week. This is a great opportunity to talk about the role the Community Foundation plays in Green and Lafayette counties.
Community foundations are non-profit grantmaking organizations that help improve the lives of people in a specific geographic area. The Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin (CFSW) is a steward of more than 530 charitable funds in nine counties, including Green and Lafayette. Major CFSW funds in this region include community funds in Argyle, Benton, Blanchardville/Hollandale, Darlington, Monroe, New Glarus, Shullsburg, and South Wayne, and Excellence in Education funds serving the school districts of Argyle, Black Hawk, Darlington, Monroe, Monticello, New Glarus and Pecatonica.
Thanks to the generosity of donors and the investment management of the Foundation, each of these funds has grown, playing an ever larger role in making our Green and Lafayette communities better. In 2011-12, for example, CFSW grants and scholarships from these funds and others in the region totaled nearly $500,000. These dollars supported a wide variety of quality of life enhancements including programs and projects in the arts, education, health and safety, historic preservation, recreation and social welfare.
This investment of nearly a half-million charitable dollars in our region is a tremendous boost to our local non-profit and governmental agencies that are facing the dual challenge of limited resources and greater responsibilities in these economic times. It is also a boost to our students and families facing the rising costs of a college education.
Donors to funds affiliated with the Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin can be assured that the foundation operates with the highest of professional standards as established by the Community Foundations National Standards Board. Our investment managers, including representatives from First National Bank and Trust of Beloit and Wisconsin Bank and Trust, see that our assets are prudently managed and invested. Our dedicated volunteer advisory board members make certain that their fund's grants are impactful for the communities they serve.
Charitable funds can be established with a wide variety of assets including cash, real estate, stock and personal property. We've even accepted a truck load of corn to start a fund. We are always happy to help anyone who wishes to start a fund for their community or make a tax deductible donation to an existing fund. It's what we do. For good. For ever.
- Linda Gebhardt is the Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin donor services representative for Green/Lafayette counties. For information or to make a donation to any of the Green/Lafayette funds listed above, contact her at (608) 328-4060 or via email at linda@cfsw.org. Further information and an online donation option are available at the Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin's website, www.cfsw.org.
