investing in the future

Investing in the Future - $6,000,000 Goal Reached

Dr. Loleta Wood Foster, Vice-President of the Board of Directors, announced at the annual Founders & Friends event in November, the success of reaching our Investing in the Future challenge to raise $6,000,000 in unrestricted endowments called “Community Funds.” 

In 2005, the Board of Directors of Cumberland Community Foundation established this challenge as part of its 25th Anniversary Celebration.  These funds would enable Cumberland Community Foundation to give back to the community in grants the equivalent of Dr. Lucile Hutaff’s founding gift of $576,840.  It would help us grow in our capacity to support the best projects and most pressing needs in the community every year.  We hoped to raise the funds within five years; however, the funds were raised in three years. 

The success came mostly from small gifts.  The smallest gift was $1 and the largest gifts were from estates of donors.  100% of the members of the Board of Directors gave and many past directors gave.  The chart below shows how we reached this success together.

We are excited about the opportunity meeting this challenge presents to our community.  There will be more opportunities to make grants to the best projects and the most pressing needs, even a project that has not been dreamed about yet.  Thank you for your part in making this happen. 

Together, we are making a difference.