In just 3 days in March, the Red Lodge Area Community Foundation organized county-wide resources and began making grants to support people in emergency need due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since its inception, the fund has raised more than $56,000 dollars, and made 45 grants to 30 applicants.
This story—along with the countless others like it—demonstrates the importance of community foundations in this country, which are uniquely situated to improve their regions through supporting innovative solutions and creating powerful partnerships. From November 12 to 18, we celebrate Community Foundation Week, a time when we can share and reflect on the stories of impact over the last year. Though you may not yet know your local community foundation, you’ve likely felt its impact.
That’s because the Red Lodge Area Community Foundation and 900+ other community foundations across the country help to bring donors and residents together. Community foundations work to support the efforts that will help the places we call home continue to flourish and grow.
As we enter the giving season, millions of people from every background will be looking to give back to the communities that have supported them. They’ll also look to ensure that their heartfelt giving—however they choose to give—will have the most impact. That’s why so many of them will choose to give to a community foundation.
A gift to your local community foundation is an investment in the future of your community. We like to say that community foundations are “here for good.” At the Red Lodge Area Community Foundation, we don’t think about the next election or business cycle, we think about the next generation and the next after that.
That can seem a daunting task, but it’s one that we all share. During Community Foundation Week, I hope you’ll join us in recognizing our collective impact and the difference we can make together.
For more information on Community Foundation Week visit www.cof.org/cfweek and follow #CommunityFNDWeek on Twitter.