No matter the size or location, local charities and non-profit organizations across America are struggling in today’s rough economy, and although the desired outcomes of each may be slightly different, the main challenges and obstacles each organization faces seems to be the same. Several questions arise, such as how do we provide funding when the finances just aren’t there to work with anymore or how do we let people know we’re still here? Unfortunately, Crawford County is not exempt from the current, unfortunate economic situation and is finding that more and more local groups are presented with the same challenges (as those on a global scale) and are being forced to sit down and examine the same types of difficult questions.
Five community leaders from various backgrounds and sectors identified such struggles, finding that they have more in common than they originally thought.
Collecting money for endowment funds is not always easy and can put a huge strain (or possibly even stop) to the work being done by such organizations and their counter parts. “The Biggest challenge is to continue and maintain funding our endowment fund because we can only draw the interest off that fund,” said Jean Ollis Chair of the Buckeye Central Endowment Fund Committee. According to Investopedia, “An investment fund set up by an institution in which regular withdrawals from the invested capital are used for ongoing operations or other specified purposes. Endowment funds are often used by nonprofits, universities, hospitals and churches. They are funded by donations, which are tax deductible for donors.” This leads into another big issue facing charities and non-profit organizations.
According to recent interviews, educating community members about endowment funds (as well as how they work) is another huge obstacle needing to be addressed. “Our biggest challenge is letting people know that we’re out there and helping them understand that it’s an endowment fund and that the money they give is going to stay in that endowment fund and we’re just using the interest that it earns to provide money for the grants,” said Susan Kent President of the Wynford Education Foundation. If people don’t understand the reason behind an organization they are less likely to give, so it’s also important leaders such as these work together to gain exposure and really connect with the community. However, this is always easier said than done. “Our challenge is just getting our name out and getting a lot of alumni [involved] too,” said Scott Barkhurst President of the Bucyrus Education Foundation. Ultimately, these organizations can’t survive alone; they need outside help. “It’s a challenge at the beginning to get people on board to commit,” said Carolyn Sand President of the Harvey One-Room School Restoration Project. But before getting ones to commit, it’s vital you get them on the same page, making sure to identify the goals and mission of the organization, resulting in them opening their eyes (and in this case wallets) to the big picture. In essence, this means that, “The more money we raise the money we can give back, and that’s what all these foundations are doing,” added Barkhurst. But for some it’s difficult to identify a starting point, a place to move forward. “We’ve been well funded for quite a long time, and we’re not used to situations like this. We’ve always been frugal and tried to use tax dollars the best we could, but now those tax dollars are simply not there,” said Matthew Ross Director of the Bucyrus Public Library.
When you hear the personal struggles of so many groups such as these, it’s easy to see that money, although it is an important and intricate piece of the puzzle, is not the only challenge or obstacle that must be overcome. Each and every leader is doing his or her part to help debunkify the myths and misconceptions surrounding endowment funds in Crawford County. Thankfully, there is still hope as close-knit communities such as Bucyrus and Crawford County, are willing to giving back; investing in our children’s’ futures with the anticipation of a better tomorrow.
These local community groups have partnered with the Bucyrus Area Community Foundation (BACF). The Bucyrus Area Community Foundation’s mission is, “to provide financial assistance for charitable, educational, and scientific purposes which will most significantly meet the charitable, educational, cultural, and recreational needs of the Bucyrus Area Community.” In other words, the Bucyrus Area Community Foundation wants to help organizations in Crawford County become prosperous so that they can help the generations of tomorrow. In order to turn this dream into a reality, the Bucyrus Area Community Foundation established Match Day.
Match Day, which was originally launched in 2009, was created with the sole purpose of helping to grow endowment funds for organizations in Crawford County involved with Bucyrus Area Community Foundation. Last year $36,000 was raised in hopes of helping to ensure the future of the organizations with income, today and forever. This year the BACF hopes to go increase this number, promising to give 50 cents for every dollar pledged, up to $25,000 total.
So please do your part to create a strong future for not only our community, but our kids. Help us unite together as a community and put an end to the challenges facing local charities and non-profit organizations in Crawford County. Participate in Match Day 2010 on Nov. 17. Together we can make a difference in Crawford County.
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