phone: 719-204-5071
email: Michaelhannigan7@gmail.com
website: www.chaffeecommunity.org/
The new Chaffee County Community Foundation (CCCF) is one of the top priority projects to emerge from the Envision Chaffee County process earlier this year.
The Community Foundation has a unique opportunity to build on Envision momentum. CCCF will be able to engage diverse stakeholders to develop innovative solutions to challenges common across the intermountain west.
Community members describe the Foundation as a “game-changer” that will inspire giving in our County, support our nonprofit organizations, and provide leadership and non-partisan forum on vital community issues.
The Foundation has been established as a 501-c-3 charitable organization with an eight-member Board of Directors and an Advisory Team of 24 members and growing. In over 1,600 places worldwide, community foundations have become a philanthropic focal point, serving donors, nonprofit organizations, and the overall community. CCCF has the momentum and leadership to follow those successful models.
What is a Community Foundation?
A community foundation is a public, nonprofit organization established to promote and facilitate philanthropy in a specific geographic area. These tax-exempt charities are created by and for the people in a local area.
We believe the Chaffee County Community Foundation (CCCF) will increase overall local philanthropy, support over 100 existing local nonprofit organizations by connecting donors to community needs, build permanent charitable funds, and continue to engage people to solve community problems.
CCCF will do this by helping individuals, families, and businesses establish charitable funds to which they may contribute a variety of assets. Grants will be made from these funds to nonprofit organizations in order to meet the charitable goals of the donor. Donors and their families may be actively involved in the selection of the nonprofit groups.
CCCF has established a Board of Directors, which has already developed a broad perspective of our regional priorities thanks to the work of Envision Chaffee County. Working closely with community leaders, CCCF will develop in-depth knowledge of our county and remain alert to emerging needs so that it can respond quickly and effectively.
CCCF will build on Envision’s success by convening groups including donors, nonprofit leaders and elected officials to work together on community problem-solving.
CCCF’s big goals include:
- Making giving easy and effective to donors.
- Encouraging new donors, second-home owners, and even visitors to provide financial support for important needs and opportunities in Chaffee County
- Helping donors learn about and then support the areas they most care about.
- Growing permanent charitable endowments that support community grants.
- Encouraging nonprofit organizations to connect and collaborate.
- Educating the community by providing seminars, workshops, one-on-one consultation, and reference materials relating to nonprofit management and operations.
- Increasing the capacity of local organizations to cost-effectively achieve their missions.
Chaffee County will face unprecedented pressures – and opportunities- in coming years. In order to expand philanthropy in our region, CCCF will work with generous donors to build a community endowment that addresses these needs through grant making.
