Et cetera : Community Foundation Week, Nov 12-18, Recognizes Local Community Impact

The Benton County Community Foundation will celebrate Community Foundation Week, November 12-18, to recognize the increasingly important role that community foundations play in strengthening localities and addressing community needs.

For more than a century, community foundations have served as a trusted partner and resource for generous people, nonprofits and communities. The effect of community foundations can be seen in the lives of millions and in the vibrant neighborhoods that continue to thrive through their mission-driven work. During Community Foundation Week, community foundations convene to share and reflect on the stories of impact from their recent work.

Established in 2005, the Benton County Community Foundation helps connect charitable individuals, families and businesses to causes they want to support in their community and has granted over $1.5 million to organizations serving Benton County. The Benton County Community Foundation is an affiliate of the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa (CFNEIA), which is confirmed in compliance with national standards for U.S. community foundations. CFNEIA was established in 1956 and serves a 20-county region with 23 affiliate community foundations led by over 350 local community volunteers. Since its inception, CFNEIA has granted over $114 million to organizations enriching the communities they serve and holds assets totaling over $143 million.

CFNEIA provides administrative and fiduciary support to the Benton County Community Foundation, which is led by a group of local volunteers making grant decisions and promoting philanthropy in Benton County. Members of the Benton County Community Foundation governing committee include Teresa Cretin, Jean Fish, Mindy Fisher, Kassie Mather, Jackie McDermott, Manda McKinley, Brian McNulty (chair), Tracy Papesh, Christine Turner and Dusti Winkie.

Community Foundation Week was created in 1989 by former president George H.W. Bush to recognize the work of community foundations throughout the U.S. and their collaborative approach to working with the public, private and nonprofit sectors to address community problems.

Community Foundation Week also coincides with National Philanthropy Day, November 15, which signifies the importance of coming together for the common good.

To learn more about the Benton County Community Foundation, visit www.bentonccf.org.

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The Benton County Community Foundation is a local organization making grant investments to organizations that create a stronger and more vibrant quality of life in Benton County and helps people establish permanent endowment funds for the causes they care about in their community. The Benton County Community Foundation is an affiliate of the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa, a nonprofit committed to creating long-term impact in 20 counties in northeast Iowa. For more information, contact 319-287-9106 or visit www.cfneia.org. CFNEIA is confirmed in compliance with national standards for U.S. community foundations.