GGBCF recently received notification that it is one of only 89 community foundations thus far to receive reconfirmation of compliance with National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations which demonstrates that the Community Foundation meets the nation's highest philanthropic standards for operational quality, integrity, and accountability. The notice comes from the Council on Foundations, a national professional association based in Washington, D.C. The Community Foundation first received the Council on Foundation's confirmation in 2005. There are more than 650 community foundations operating in the United States. This is fantastic news to celebrate, as we celebrate our 20th Anniversary this year. Donors have trusted the Community Foundation for 20 years and with our reconfirmation of National Standards, we prove that we meet the most rigorous standards in philanthropy. By contributing to GGBCF, you can become part of the giving tradition in our community both now and in the future. Read more. 

Local Giving and Philanthropy News

• GGBCF FY11 Total Dollars Granted. GGBCF granted a total of $4,684,311.00 into Brown, Kewaunee, and Oconto counties in Fiscal Year 2011. This included a total of 1,334 grants disbursed.
• Online Donations on the Rise. Did you know that more than 30% of gifts given nationwide are now received from online donations? Make a gift online today. In FY11, the Community Foundation received 2,233 gifts amounting to more than $5,968,799.00 in new contributions from community members. Read more.
• GGBCF Establishes Arts & Culture Fund. One of the findings in the 2011 Brown County LIFE Study is that we can do a better job of making our community a more attractive place to live for young professionals and single adults. Our arts and culture offerings in this community are well positioned to help make that happen. We want to offer a steady stream of granting possibilities for arts and culture organizations; therefore, we created an Arts and Culture Field of Interest Fund to support grant making. Help us build this fund and make a donation today by doing a fund transfer, calling the office at 920.432.0800, or send a check to the GGBCF office for the Arts & Culture Fund.
• The Women's Fund of Greater Green Bay hosted its 7th Annual Power of the Purse event on September 28, 2011 and raised over $114,000. The fund granted out more than $35,000 non-profits in the greater Green Bay area in 2011. In total, the Women's Fund has granted out more than $140,000 in partnership with donor. Read more. 
• The Crime Prevention Foundation of Brown County granted out more than $11,000 to programs that increase public awareness of and provide financial assistance to crime prevention programs in Brown County. Since its inception, this fund has granted out almost $100,000 in partnership with donors. Read more. 

• Charitable Giving in the First Half of 2011. A study conducted by the Nonprofit Research Collaborative stated that the economy continues to cause problems for charity fund raising. The study found that more than half achieved no increases or saw donation drops, 30% said they had a decline, and 25% said giving was flat. GGBCF saw a decline in gifts and donations from the first half of 2010 to the first half of 2011.
• New Study Shows How a Small Shift Can Give Non-profits a Big Gift This Giving Season. During this tough economic climate, people are struggling to make ends meet and non-profits are dealing with declining funding even as demand for their services is growing.  The Money for Good II Study provides actionable information that non-profits, information providers, and others who care about giving can use to provide Americans with the right information on non-profits, where and how they want it. Read more. 
• Changes in Charitable Deductions Have Mixed Impact on Giving. President Obama proposed to curb a charitable tax break for wealthy Americans, along with other itemized deductions. Research suggests that tax incentives do make a big difference in how much individuals give. Donors currently receive as much as a 35% tax break and Obama's proposed plan would only allow the same donors to receive a 28% tax break. Read More 
• Charity Navigator's New Standards Focus on Non-Profit Governance and Openness. Charity Navigator now places equal weight on a charity's governance and openness about its operations as it does on financial information when it awards its ratings. They are also exploring how to evaluate what steps charities take to measure the effectiveness of their programs. Read More 
• Mergers are Just One Way Charities Find to Team Up and Battle a Tough Economy. The Chronicle of Philanthropy reports that as the economy continues to cause problems for non-profits, charity experts say that collaborative ventures are gaining popularity. In addition to mergers, some groups are sharing office space, office duties, applying for grants together, and jointly managing projects. Read More & Get Tips for Mergers    

2011 Brown County LIFE Study Published  

Donors are focused more and more on understanding the impact of their gift. Non-profits are focused on maintaining their relevancy with the clients or members they serve. Both donors and non-profits want to work together to improve our areas quality of life. The 2011 Brown County LIFE (Leading Indicators for Excellence) Study was released in early October.  

Did you know: 

• 25% of Brown County residents reported that they are binge drinkers, meaning they drink more than five alcoholic beverages in one sitting and 6% report being heavy drinkers.
• The unemployment rate is lower in Brown County than the state of Wisconsin and the U.S. average.
• The percent of adults with an Associate's Degree in Brown County is higher than the state of Wisconsin and the U.S. average, but Brown County has a lower percent of adults with a Bachelor's Degree.
• The teen birth rate is slightly declining, but the City of Green Bay has more teen births than the rest of the county. 
• Click here to read more about the 2011 Brown County LIFE Study. 

Year-End Grants 

Please send grant recommendations by December 12 for December 15 disbursement or by December 26 for year-end distribution and board of director's approval. Grants can be recommended to non-profit organizations through:  

• Donor Dashboard 
• Email 
• Fax at 920.432.5577
• Telephone at 920.432.0800 followed up with your written instructions.  
• By mail at GGBCF, 310 W. Walnut Street, Suite 350, Green Bay, WI 54303
• Inform staff if you'd like to remain anonymous.     

Stock Gift

If you plan to make a stock gift, especially near year-end, please email us before you start the process so that we can make sure your contributions are handled in a timely manner. For questions, please contact the Community Foundation by phone at 920.432.0800.

Visit the GGBCF Website Today