News

This may seem like a given, but it’s helpful for us, our donors, and the larger community to have a report that demonstrates our progress. My goal was to communicate in a way that makes it easy to understand the past year’s performance. We designed and mailed our annual report in May 2022 and look forward to making this an annual item again. If you did not receive a report and would like one, please stop by our office. We have extras and are happy to share them with you.

Planning Candy Canes & Cocoa 2022

We adored the Candy Canes & Cocoa event in 2021! We knew we wanted to turn this into a tradition, and plans are already in the works for 2022. We can’t wait to welcome our community back to the winter wonderland in our alley this December. Keep your eyes open for messaging around the exact date and time and watch for our Winter Giving Campaign in November and December. You’ll see details on social media, our blog, and in our e-newsletters. If you aren’t receiving our e-newsletters and would like to be, give our office a call to be added to the list.

Meeting more of our existing donors and building strong relationships

I’ve met many of our supporters and donors this year, but I would like to have a chance to meet with even more people who care about Fayette County. In fact, I could use your help to accomplish this. Are you someone who is interested in the Foundation? I’ll be holding what I like to call “Out of Office Hours” nearly every Thursday at 9-10 a.m. in the months of July and August and I’d love to meet with you. You’ll find me at Brian’s Bistro & More. Plan to join me and we’ll have some coffee and chat. You don’t have to reserve time with me: just show up and I’ll be available to talk about what we do and the things that are on your mind.

Increase our number of new donors engaging with the Foundation

It probably won’t come as a surprise to anyone that donations are coming in a little more slowly this year. Charitable giving across the United States actually increased in 2021 over 2020, but that was before inflation hit a 40-year high and a volatile stock market became a concern for most Fayette County residents. We understand that making charitable donations may not feel like a high priority for some in the current economic climate. However, for those who might want to dip their toes into becoming a community philanthropist, we launched our online recurring giving platform last year which serves as an easy way for someone to make an impact on a regular basis. Whether they donate $5 a week or $100 month—we want there to be a plan that works for our donors so they can support the causes that they care about in a way they are comfortable with.

Engaging with community leaders on the issues facing Fayette County

Our goal is to strengthen nonprofit agencies to better respond to community needs. In order to facilitate this, we have to stay connected to community leaders to understand what the community needs, what services are available, and who the key contacts are so that we can help connect the dots whenever possible. I’m an active member of the workforce development coalition, a community representative for the READI Initiative as well as serving on the core committee for the City’s Comprehensive Plan. I also regularly meet with community leaders to stay informed of shifting needs and community trends.

Increase support for our local nonprofits

We launched our Fayette County Nonprofit Meetup in February and have held a meeting each month since. We have a planned topic of conversation for each meetup the rest of the year. These conversations allow us to hear what’s on our nonprofit agencies’ minds and help us bring them resources that will make a positive impact on their work. We hope you join us for an upcoming session!

It can be challenging to be so publicly vulnerable, but I find that placing transparency at the core of leadership makes it less of a chore and more of a lifestyle that I practice daily. It’s not always perfect or easy, but it’s what I want to do in order to uphold the mission of the Fayette Community Foundation. If you have any questions or suggestions to help me achieve these goals, let’s talk! Call the Foundation at (765) 827-9966 or email info@givetofcf.com.