A community foundation is built on the premise that everyone in the community has the power to make a difference through philanthropy. By offering a variety of giving options, the Washington County Community Foundation ensures that donors at all giving levels, and with all charitable passions, can help to maintain the vibrancy of Washington County both for today and tomorrow.
Opportunities to Support Community Grantmaking
We manage approximately 200 component funds, most of which accept additional contributions. The grantmaking purposes of the funds are extremely diverse, so you are sure to find a fund that appeals to your charitable passion.
One of our most diverse funds, the GIVE Washington County Fund seeks to assist nonprofits in “evolving their missions and sustaining the important work they do to help many in the community.” Gifts to the Fund are welcomed from any community member who values the services of our nonprofits. If you are an EQT leaseholder, the EQT Foundation will match your gift to the Fund up to $10,000 per EQT lease. What an amazing opportunity to double the impact of your gift!
Opportunities to Support Community Services
Many of our community services are provided free of charge, including our annual giving event that supports more than 130 charities and numerous educational programs held throughout the year to strengthen charities. And we never charge students a fee to apply for a lifelong learning grant, as other organizations routinely do. You can help to support these impactful community services by making a gift to the Give 365 Fund or the Golden Oak Guild.
Opportunities to Create Your Philanthropic Legacy
Interested in creating a fund at the Foundation to ensure your philanthropic legacy? We will work with you to design a fund that fulfills your charitable goals. You may create a fund during your lifetime and then designate it to receive a testamentary gift from your estate.
Providing for a testamentary gift to the Foundation can be as easy as designating the Foundation as a beneficiary on a life insurance policy or retirement plan, or by including a provision in your will. For more complex estate gifts, we will work with you and your professional advisors to facilitate a gift aligned with your charitable objectives while identifying the best gift method to obtain the maximum tax benefits for your estate.
Donors who have included the Foundation in their estates are eligible for inclusion in our prestigious Abernathy Legacy Society. Dr. Ernest (Abe) and Janet Abernathy were instrumental in the early development of the Foundation and made generous gifts during their lifetimes and through their estate. They were the first donors to provide to the Foundation a written commitment of their intentions to make a bequest, so it is fitting that our legacy society bears their name.
As you decide how best to direct your giving to the Foundation, know that your gift will be greatly appreciated and will make a difference!