During the week of November 12-18, the Northern Chautauqua Community Foundation joined more than 700 community foundations across America for Community Foundation Week activities (see article on Open House). For more than 20 years, the effort has raised awareness about the increasingly important role of these philanthropic organizations in fostering local collaboration and innovation to address persistent civic and economic challenges.

“In a down economy, with limited resources, and a growing need for services to help families in need, we are more determined than ever to bring our community partners together to find innovative and effective solutions to some of our most challenging problems,” said NCCF, Executive Director, Diane Hannum. Chautauqua County is stepping up and getting more creative in how we provide support that people need during tough times.”

In the wake of the recent announcement that more than 40 of America’s billionaires will donate a majority of their fortunes to charity, the role and impact of philanthropy and community foundations is being redefined. Community foundations, independent, public charities that steward philanthropic resources from institutional and individual donors to community-based organizations, are at the heart of this change.

Over the past year, NCCF has collaborated with the Chautauqua Region Foundation to launch an innovative social media program called AmazingCounty.com. The popular social media treasure hunt promotes community pride and gives participants the opportunity to win prizes. Treasure Hunt participants also gain valuable knowledge about Chautauqua County’s local resources. NCCF has also focused their efforts on expanding their bequest and scholarship programs.

Community foundations represent one of the fastest-growing forms of philanthropy in the United States and hold nearly $50 billion in assets, according to Foundation Center. Every state in the U.S. is home to at least one community foundation—large and small, urban, and rural—that is advancing solutions to a wide range of social issues. Although community foundations make up only one percent of all U.S. grantmaking foundations, they account for more than 10 percent of all foundation giving. These organizations are growing globally. The Worldwide Initiatives for Grantmaker Support estimates that nearly 1,500 community foundations operate in more than 50 countries.

“America’s community foundations are on the frontlines of a tremendous shift in philanthropy and how we do business differently in a high-tech, rapidly changing world,” said Steve Gunderson, president and CEO of the Council on Foundations. “These organizations are leading the charge by bringing communities together, galvanizing resources, and maximizing their impact to advance the public good.” Launched in 1989 through a proclamation by former President George H.W. Bush, the first Community Foundation Week included a congressional briefing about the work of community foundations throughout America and their collaborative approach to working with the public, private, and nonprofit sectors to address community problems.

The Northern Chautauqua Community Foundation was incorporated in 1986 as a tax-exempt charitable organization. Since its establishment, the NCCF has distributed over $7.3 million into the community through its various grant programs. It is an organization inherently committed to furthering its mission of enriching the northern Chautauqua community and encouraging local philanthropy.