Connecting to 94 Causes that Matter last week, but so much more!
Last week, we were thrilled to support our Lorain County non-profit community through Connect to a Cause. Held on September 21, 2023, from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM, Connect to a Cause encourages community members to donate to non-profit organizations that align with their values and interests.
These Connect to a Cause donations from the community provide both immediate and long-term support for participating organizations. The funds raised during this crowdfunding campaign go beyond simply meeting your organization’s current budgetary needs; they also enable these hard-working organizations to build their endowments to accommodate future needs.
These 94 participating non-profits, school districts, and their endowments are only a portion of our overall portfolio of funds at the Community Foundation of Lorain County. However, those endowments are only a fraction of the work done through the Community Foundation through our nearly 750 funds.
Separate from the school endowments supported by Connect to a Cause; many school districts have scholarship funds created by donors who chose to support the school. Along with the donor-created scholarships that are part of the school endowments, community groups like Rotary and individual donors can create their own scholarships at the Community Foundation.
A Designated Fund is another type of endowment fund that can support schools and non-profits. Donors can establish these in support of their chosen organizations. For instance, a Designated Fund was recently created to support Second Harvest, Genesis House, and Salvation Army as part of the donor’s legacy after he passed away.
Field of Interest Funds are ideal for donors with a specific area focus but need a stronger affinity to a specific organization. Earlier this year, a fund was created to support the needs of Lorain County’s animal rescue organizations. The distributions from this fund will serve as part of the funding behind our Community Grantmaking cycles and will be directed to the animal rescue organizations that apply for grants.
Donor Advised Funds (DAF) can be a great teaching tool for the next generation or a great way to distribute corporate charitable dollars. Donations in the DAF can stay in the fund until the donor is ready to make their grantmaking decisions. Many of our donors make their grantmaking selections based on the needs displayed by non-profits in our Community Grantmaking cycles.
Finally, and most importantly, are our Community Responsive Funds, formerly our Unrestricted Funds. Because so much of our grantmaking is predetermined by the other fund types mentioned, less than 10% of the Community Foundation assets are unrestricted. These are the only funds where the Community Foundation has the discretionary grantmaking flexibility to support community needs or other emergent issues.
Thank you to the thousands of donors who supported our 94 non-profits during Connect to a Cause. Through your gifts and the gifts made by donors to our other types of funds, you are helping us build a thriving Lorain County where everyone feels like they belong.
This is the vision of our newly adopted strategic plan, which will guide our work over the next several years. We cannot achieve this vision without the ongoing generosity of donors like you! Let us know how we can help you amplify your impact in our Lorain County community!
