When you’re looking for ways to make a positive impact in your community, but aren’t sure where to begin, looking to a community foundation is a great place to start. So, what exactly is a community foundation?
A community foundation is a public charity dedicated to improving the lives of area residents in a defined geographical area. Funded by donations from individuals, families, and organizations, nonprofits receive grants to support their vital work and missions.
Community Foundations offer numerous types of grantmaking funds including donor-advised, nonprofit endowments, scholarships, field-of-interest, and donor designated funds. This unique flexibility allows individuals the opportunity to define and focus their giving on the causes they care about.
When and why were community foundations developed?
The first community foundation was set up in 1914 by Frederick Goff in Cleveland, OH. Goff’s foundation has had an enormous impact for more than a century. It’s now known as The Cleveland Foundation, and has assets of $2.8 billion and annual grants of more than $100 million.
Community foundations help promote the greater good of a specific community in a myriad of ways. Beneficiaries of grants could be arts, human services, education, environmental, economic development organizations, or any other philanthropic endeavor, as long as it’s for the social good of a particular community.
How does the Moline Regional Community Foundation work?
For more than 70 years, the MRCF has partnered with people who are inspired to change our community for the better. Funds received are pooled into investments to generate sustainable and permanent assets to support charitable activities and local nonprofits.
Accredited by the National Council on Foundations and trusted by local planned giving professionals, thousands of donors have established more than 100 partner funds. Read more about our non-profit partners here.
How can the public help the Moline Regional Community Foundation?
There are a variety of ways to support the MRCF and our partner funds including cash, securities, retirement plan distributions, life insurance, gifts of grain, estate plans and more.
If you are ready to positively change our community through your giving, Let’s Talk.
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