Investing in the future of your community

To the Editor,

     Nikki Rushford, director of the Wyoming Public Library, has seen the impact of the Jones County Community Foundation’s (JCCF) grant-marking program firsthand. Grants in the past have supported building improvements and an online checkout system for patrons. Since 2012, more than $549,000 has supported non-profits like the Wyoming Public Library through the Foundation’s annual grant making program and endowments payouts from agency and donor advised funds.

     “I think sometimes our smaller communities get overlooked,” said Rushford. “I think that the Community Foundation has really gone above and beyond to make sure that they’re providing opportunities for our smaller communities.”

     The impact of community foundation grant making is just one of the reasons we celebrate Community Foundation Week each year from Nov. 12-18. Every day, JCCF and more than 780 other community foundations across the country help to bring donors and residents together, uniting their efforts to help our communities flourish and grow.

     Here in Jones County, we care deeply about our community. We work hard, we support our neighbors, and we desire the same thing that many others in rural America desire: to know the future of our town is bright and filled with possibilities. That’s why the JCCF is at work here in our back yard, connecting people to causes they love, collaborating with local leaders to drive change and preserving the futures of organizations that keep our town strong and thriving.

     As we enter the giving season, America’s generosity surges. 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 really an investment in the future of your community. We like to say that community foundations are “here for good.” At JCCF, we don’t think about the next election or business cycle; we think about the next generation and the generation 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 the difference we can make together.

     To learn more about the JCCF, visit www.dbqfoundation.org/jccf.

Sherri Hunt

JCCF Coordinator