90 reasons to support your community foundation

September 18, 2020

By Jamie Schloegel, Chief Executive Officer

We are keeping our birthday celebration going because we thought of another way to recognize our 90 years of doing good! Giving to your community foundation is a smart thing to do for so many reasons, but for our 90th birthday, we put together a list of just the top 90.

So without further adieu, let us humbly present 90 reasons (in no specific order) to support your community foundation:

 

1. Your gift will support the community you love forever
2. Community foundations help your favorite local nonprofits
3. You will feel good immediately
4. It’s fast and easy to give
5. Your gift stays local
6. Your legacy as a caring community member will live on always
7. Your gift can help build permanent community capital
8. We understand tax advantages (bunching strategies)
9. We can handle complex gifts (stock, non cash or real estate, estate gifts)
10. We listen. To our donors, to our grantees, to our community partners
11. We hold ourselves to the highest ethical standards
12. Your giving is combined with others for more community impact
13. You can be sure your gift is used the way you want, as we have highly sophisticated fiduciary oversight ensuring gifts are stewarded to the highest standards
14. Private philanthropy is needed to fill gaps in government funding
15. Our funding process is inclusive, comprehensive, and equity-focused
16. Gifts of all sizes keep on giving and make a big collective impact
17. Foundation staff help drive creative solutions to persistent community needs
18. Community foundations can mobilize and act quickly to meet changing needs
19. We are well-informed about the community; we do our homework to ensure we have the information you need
20. We are independent and can work to drive positive change here without worrying about local politics
21. It feels awesome to give, especially to a community you love
22. We provide a personal touch to donors
23. We’re pretty sure Michael Jordan also supports his local community foundation
24. Every hour of every day, your gift will work to improve lives
25. We are led by a dedicated, ethical, and knowledgeable group of board and community members (see pic)
    

    Board members Rick Kyte and Sue Ernster, FSPA working on LCF’s strategic plan

26. We support nonprofits with professional development opportunities
27. Our passion is La Crosse County, and we will always be dedicated to improving the lives of people here
28. Donors become the catalyst for good today and for generations to come
29. Generations of family members can advise grants from the same family fund in perpetuity
30. We look for ways to make giving as fun as possible
31. You will get opportunities to see your gifts at work (we tour nonprofits with fund holders… and it’s super fun)
32. Helps build a tradition of giving within a family
33. Endowment funds are the most sustainable way to give (see pic at the bottom)
34. We make it easy to make an impact, and will ensure you do!
35. You receive prompt, personal service
36. Your gift will be used wisely
37. Your gift will address emerging needs
38. You have many giving options
39. Whatever your charitable giving dream, we will work with you to make it come true
40. We take the driver seat to elicit positive change by convening resources from private donors and community businesses and deploy a coordinated approach around significant threats to community wellness
41. We pool contributions so investment management and administrative costs are kept to a minimum
42. Contributions directly support community impact
43. Most funds can be established in one short meeting
44. We work one-on-one with donors, not just once, but always
45. We are proud to serve as your ally in doing great work for the community
46. We work as a liaison between donors and local charitable organizations to help drive positive change
47. Your gift will help make our community a safe place to live
48. Your gift will help make our community a vibrant place to live
49. Your gift will help make our community a healthy place to live
50. Your gift will help make our community an equitable place to live
51. Your gift will help make our community an inclusive place to live
52. We take a proactive approach in addressing significant community issues
53. We are leaders in the local collaborative to address homelessness
54. We are leaders in the local collaborative to address opioids
55. We are heavily involved with groups providing services to teens and youth
56. We are heavily involved in the local collaborative to address mental health, ACEs, resilience and trauma informed care
57. We award grants for the arts and humanities
58. We award grants for community improvement
59. We award grants for education and scholarships
60. We award grants for culture and diversity
61. We award grants for the environment
62. We award grants for faith groups
63. We award grants for health and human services
64. We award grants for recreation and wellness
65. Our grants provide “jet fuel” to organizations and collaborations aimed at improving the community
66. We offer nonprofits resources beyond grants
67. We award nearly $3 million a year in grants
68. You don’t have to wait until a certain age to start giving
69. Donor advised funds can make grants to any charitable organization anywhere in the world
70. Giving supports organizations that help others in our community during tough times – probably even someone you know!
71. No one likes COVID – we’re standing together to get through this
72. We love to celebrate our milestones with you! Happy 90th birthday, LCF!
73. High school seniors love those scholarships!
74. We care about the environment and have funds that benefit local green spaces
75. Funds help women support other women to become leading professionals
76. We love supporting the local music scene
77. Teachers rule and deserve to be thanked. Because of one LCF fund, they are!
78. Your support can help people who are unsheltered find a place to stay, because no one should have to sleep in a park
79. Your support will help feed people who are food insecure. La Crosse has two federally recognized food deserts.
80. Joining our team of givers is a great way to learn what’s going on in the community
81. You can have a fund that supports your favorite things, like cats
82. We owe it to our predecessors here to build on what they started at LCF
83. Giving is contagious, in a good way, not like the COVID way
84. We need your help. $3 million in grants per year is phenomenal, but the needs are far greater!
85. Giving is good karma
86. We are sticklers about impact. We dig deep into program information to make sure your gift absolutely will fill a need and make a huge impact on the lives of others
87. Your gift can be designated to support exactly the type of things you care about
88. We connect similar nonprofits to help reduce redundant efforts in town
89. We’ve helped generous people like you be catalysts for good for over five generations
90. We have a 90 year track record of doing good in the community