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The Greater Green Bay Community Foundation reported an impactful Fiscal Year 2012, in terms of local giving and philanthropy to local causes in Brown, Oconto, and Kewaunee counties. The Community Foundation released its Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2012, which ended June 30. Read the annual report today.
The total dollar amount of funds granted to causes from the Community Foundation was $5,191,570, which included a total of 1,318 grants disbursed. Since GGBCF's inception in 1991, the Community Foundation has granted out $71,836,048.00 over the last 21 years.
The grants provided support to 464 non-profit organizations and all community sectors of life. For Fiscal Year 2012, non-profits dealing with human services issues received 32% of the Community Foundation grants, while education received 20% and public benefit received 16%. Community Foundation grants were also made to other sectors including health and religious/ministries both at 8%, arts & culture and community & neighborhood development both at 3%, and animal welfare at 2%. Four percent of the Community Foundation's grants were scholarships awarded to local students attending post-high school institutions across the United States.
The Community Foundation President and CEO, David Pamperin pointed out the importance of Donor Advised Funds to Community Foundation grantmaking in the last Fiscal Year. "We had 198 Donor Advised Funds last year and those giving partners granted $2,970,000 to causes in the community. Donor Advised Funds at the Community Foundation are very important to community giving and philanthropy."
The Community Foundation also grew its discretionary grant making programs in Fiscal Year 2012. According to Pamperin, "Our discretionary grant programs distributed the highest level of funds last year since the Community Foundation was established. Discretionary grants have grown significantly over the last five years; in Fiscal Year 2012 we granted $553,000, this is compared to Fiscal Year 2008 when we granted $254,000."
During Fiscal Year 2012, the Community Foundation's Basic Needs Giving Partnership discretionary funds supported ten different community strategies focused on fighting the root causes of poverty. More than forty local organizations are working together with funding from these collaborative grant programs to ensure children are healthy and ready to succeed in school, to strengthen individuals and families to meet basic needs and build financial self-sufficiency, empower and support those affected by aging and dementia on low or fixed incomes to allow them to age with dignity, and helping uninsured or underinsured sustain a higher quality of life by preventing and reducing acute and long-term care crises by promoting the control and prevention of disease and chronic illness.
At the end of Fiscal Year 2012, the Community Foundation managed a total of 469 funds, including 25 new funds that were established during the year. The Community Foundation received 2,232 gifts amounting to more than $6,204,467 in new contributions from people and organizations in the community; this is compared to $5,013,172 in contributions received in Fiscal Year 2011.
Two of the Community Foundation's Field of Interest Funds saw significant growth in contributions in Fiscal Year 2012. Field of Interest Funds support particular interest areas or causes, or specific geographic areas. The Women's Fund of Greater Green Bay, which supports leadership and self-esteem initiatives for women and girls, reached the $1.0 million threshold and the U.S. Venture Fund for Basic Needs exceeded the $3.0 million threshold. The total dollar amount of assets managed at the end of Fiscal Year 2012 was $66,104,480.
"It is the efforts of many people, organizations, and community leaders working together to support each other and to create this great community in which we live," stated Pamperin. "In addition to our donors, we have more than 100 community volunteers working on our community grant and knowledge teams and they make a difference."
As in previous years, the Community Foundation achieved spending less than one percent on operational expenses in Fiscal Year 2012, meaning that ninety-nine cents of every one dollar is used for charitable purposes.
Other significant accomplishments for the Community Foundation during this past Fiscal Year related to community and philanthropic knowledge was the Community Foundation partnering with the Brown County United Way and the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce to publish the 2011 Brown County LIFE (Leading Indicators for Excellence) Study. The community's quality of life study, which was created to enhance further investments in the community, can be accessed here.
The Community Foundation also achieved reconfirmation, proving that GGBCF is in compliance with National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations, which demonstrates the Community Foundation's commitment to go above and beyond merely doing good work. It ensures that GGBCF follows best practices established for community foundations in all aspects of work from community leadership to financial accounting, legal standards, grantmaking, and community impact.
Currently, GGBCF is one of about 150 community foundations in the United States, out of almost 700 community foundations, that have met National Standards.
Through the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2013, which ended on September 30th, the Community Foundation reported it had gifted $1,531,431million to more than 150 organizations with grants going to causes in the greater Green Bay community. The Community Foundation is offering ten different discretionary grant cycles this year for community causes. Grant application guidelines can be seen here.
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