For a grantmaking organization such as the Community Foundation, there is no better feeling than witnessing how a grant has helped our community. That feeling is the icing on the cake, the cherry on top, and the bees’ knees, all rolled into one!
As more donors have created discretionary or interest-area funds which give grant-making discretion to the Foundation, our ability to be more strategic in our grantmaking has increased.
Discretionary funds have a simple grantmaking directive – do good in Washington County. Interest-area funds are created with a directive to do good through grants targeted broadly to animal welfare, arts and humanities, community improvement and economic development, conservation and environment, education, health and fitness, human needs, and religion and faith.
Some of the most impactful grants we have awarded from discretionary or interest-area funds are those to strengthen local charities through our capacity-building grants program (CBGs). Since we awarded our first CBGs in late 2017, almost $6 million in CBGs have been awarded to local charities to increase their capacity. That’s a lot of good!
One of the most visible CBGs are the communications grants awarded for new websites. While relatively small in the dollar amounts, the impact of the grants was very significant as they enabled the charities to communicate better with their constituents.
On its new website, techwork.org, Transitional Employment Consultants details its work to provide readiness training and employment placement for students and adults with disabilities.
Through www.mvyata.org, you may learn about the Kids Connection after-school program or Camp Watakamini resident camp of the Mon Valley Youth and Teen Association.
Are you a senior citizen in need of services? A visit to the Southwestern PA Area Agency on Aging’s new website at swpa-aaa.org will outline the many services available, including home-delivered meals, legal services, transportation, and adult daily living centers.
To assist charities in achieving financial transparency and to better manage their operations, several CBGs have been awarded for financial process improvement. Grants to purchase accounting software or to have financial statements prepared by an independent accounting firm, may not seem overly exciting, but they are absolutely crucial in strengthening smaller charities and helping them to reach a critical mass through better financial reporting which can lead to increased financial support.
Shortly after completing its initial audit funded by a CBG, Resurrection Power was awarded a $35,000 grant from another funding organization which only accepts grant requests from nonprofit applicants who are audited.
Data management is another priority area for CBGs. With a CBG, the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum was able to purchase a software system that not only better tracks data, but that also has streamlined its membership renewal process. The new system also automatically generates emails to donors, freeing up staff time for other duties.
In a time when community needs are evolving rapidly, the Community Foundation’s ability to respond quickly has never been more essential. Thanks to the trust and generosity of donors who have created discretionary or interest-area funds, we’re better positioned now more than ever to respond to those needs and to do good in our community.