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Thursday, March 27, 2008

Invest in your community foundation.

One of the sponsors of National Public Radio on KUAR is the Arkansas Community Foundation. I love their slogan - "For Good. For Arkansas. For Ever." but I didn't know much about the work of community foundations. Once I found out, I had to spread the word.

According to the Council on Foundations community foundations are "tax-exempt public charities serving thousands of people who share a common interest — improving the quality of life in their area." They make grants, promote charitable activities, identify current and emerging regional issues, direct resources in ways that address community needs, and help their local area prepare for the future.

Community foundations are found in every state. Just enter your zip code and use this community foundation locater to find one near you. There are over 700 community foundations in the US, so you're sure to find one in your area. Once you do, here's how you can get involved:

* Donate. You will support the work of the foundation, charitable agencies near you, and the life and development of your community.
* Volunteer. Perhaps you can serve on the Board of Directors. Or maybe you can offer your services to the agencies your community foundation supports.
* Apply. If you run a locally focused charitable non-profit, you may be eligible to apply for support from your community foundation. You can then use the fund to improve your community.

So learn more about community foundations and see how you can help. As they say, charity starts at home.

"Our power is in our ability to decide." - R. Buckminster Fuller

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Another simple way to help charities is to use charity credit cards. Similar to standard 'reward' credit cards, a percentage of your purchases will go to the charity of your choice - instead of in your pocket. A great way to help out doing something you already do - using your credit card.

Karama said...

I'm a big supporter of responsible credit, but this is a nice idea for those who are intersted. Thanks for sharing! I hope you enjoyed your visit to So What Can I Do. Please come back again soon, and spread the word!