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ErieBlogs.com Op-Ed: Erie Community Foundation
Posted by Mike on December 12, 2007
The Erie Community Foundation made international headlines recently when they received a $100 million dollar gift from an anonymous donor. This gift will allow them to continue to support dozens of local organizations, which in turn enhances and grows the Erie community.
According to their website, the foundation traces its roots all the way back to 1935, when a charitable fund was established by the co-founder of the Boston Store.
Other then what I’ve read lately in the news, I didn’t know much about the work the Foundation does and their actions in the community. Michael Batchelor, President of the Erie Community Foundation, was nice enough to write this week’s Op-Ed about the Foundation and what they do.
Without further ado, here’s Mr. Batchelor.
The Erie Community Foundation, which is presently located at 127 West 6th Street, is a collection of over 500 endowments valued at nearly $250 million. Our mission is to improve the quality of life in our region by evaluating and addressing community issues, by promoting responsible philanthropy and by connecting donors to the critical needs of the community.
But, what does this really mean? The vast majority of our funds are permanently endowed. We are building a growing source of hope and support that will benefit our community forever. Over time, it is literally impossible to predict the good that will flow from this thoughtful philanthropy.
If you establish an endowment, you receive a full tax deduction for the original, and any subsequent, gifts. The Erie Community Foundation then invests your gift. Each year, you can choose your favorite charities to receive money, about 5% of your endowment. The rest of the income earned on your endowment is left to grow in your endowment. The Erie Community Foundation is like a savings account. Some donors advised how they want their endowment to be spent, and others leave it totally unrestricted allowing The Foundation’s board to make decisions for them.
At the end of 2006, The Erie Community Foundation launched a new “Helping today…Shaping tomorrow” grantmaking agenda.
“Helping today” grants are the grants The Foundation makes to local nonprofits on a quarterly basis. The nonprofits apply for money to fix a roof, buy new computers, hire a consultant, purchase equipment—anything tangible to meet today’s needs. Nonprofits apply for grants under one of four categories: Arts and Culture; Human Services; Health and Education. Also, the board reviews emergency grants.
“Shaping tomorrow” grant making is much more complex than traditional grant making because it tackles the big picture community issues proactively. Strategic grantmaking establishes a formal framework to convene diverse stakeholders and civic leaders for thoughtful conversation on community issues related to our mission. Priority issues include: reducing poverty, enhancing access to education (from pre-K through post-secondary) and quality health services, improving job training and employment opportunities, regionalism, and nonprofit capacity building.
In fact, in 2007, The Foundation launched a public information campaign through our Community Connections series. The series of publications is designed to build and share knowledge on public issues in Erie County, Pennsylvania. Through this series The Foundation is establishing constructive community wide dialogue for action and change.
The first publication entitled A Profile of Nonprofit Organizations in Erie County was unveiled in January of 2007. The piece was produced in collaboration with Urban Institute’s Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy. The Foundation commissioned the Urban Institute to conduct the region’s first comprehensive study of the nonprofit sector. The report gives donors and community residents the tools for understanding the basic size, scope and financial dimensions of the nonprofit sector, and provides a framework for understanding the trends and issues facing the nonprofit community.
The intent of the second publication, The High Cost of Poverty: It Affects Us All, is to increase public awareness about the magnitude of poverty in Erie County, the challenges for families living in poverty, the circumstances that lead to poverty and the collective costs of poverty to the community. The report laid the groundwork for creating a community-driven vision and action plan to address poverty. Follow up, to date, has included an inter-faith lunch bringing religious leaders together, sponsorship of the “Waging a Living” documentary and a Policy Forum. These events brought together over 300 community members to discuss issues opportunities related to the publication. The piece was produced by our Poverty Study Group, which is an ad hoc committee of the foundation’s volunteer Council of Advisors. Work in 2008 will include a Community Forum, poverty simulations and a study circles planning process.
The third publication entitled, Increasing Access to Post-Secondary Education and Training, was the final report of the Gaps Analysis Steering Committee. The Erie Community Foundation formed The Gaps Analysis Steering Committee by the recommendation of Sandi Vito, Deputy Secretary for Workforce Development, Pennsylvania Department of Labor. Ms. Vito proposed this idea after ECF hosted a public forum focusing on post-secondary education in December, 2006. The 23 person group met six times over a short eight month period in 2007. Their task was to consider three basic issues including: meeting employer’s current and future needs for skilled workers; improving educational attainment and household income, and making Erie a more attractive place for businesses to stay or to relocate.
Unrestricted assets benefit Erie County organizations. Donors can also use The Erie Community Foundation to benefit their favored charities throughout the nation. There is literally no limit to the type of charitable goal that can be accomplished through The Erie Community Foundation
Going forward, The Erie Community Foundation will continue both reactive and proactive grantmaking. You can download the Community Connections series, our annual report, newsletters and other printed materials off of our website, or you can call The Foundation at 814-454-0843. The Foundation believes by promoting public awareness around critical community issues we can continue to build collective interest and will to change Erie for the better. Visit our website. Learn more. You, too, can become involved. This is your community foundation. All we need is a seed…
Posted by Mike at December 12, 2007 9:40 AM
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