November 12 marks the start of Community Foundation Week and November 15 is National Philanthropy Day. The Marshall County Community Foundation (MCCF) will join in the celebration to recognize generous foundations, businesses, and individuals who give their time, talent, and treasure to improve life in Marshall County and throughout Indiana.
Many Hoosier foundations, corporate social investors, and countless generous individuals were first responders during the COVID-19 pandemic. In Marshall County, the MCCF joined with the Marshall County Crossroads Team and the United Way of Marshall County to fundraise for and provide COVID-19 Rapid Response Grants to help local families struggling to afford food, housing, and utilities during the height of the pandemic.
“The work of philanthropy and foundations spans beyond the practice of giving. There is a tangible impact that can be seen in the lives of those our strong network of nonprofits serve,” said Linda Yoder, Executive Director of the MCCF. “We are more determined than ever to bring our trusted community partners together to find innovative and effective solutions for some of our most challenging social problems and advance the most promising of opportunities to benefit our residents.”
Indiana is home to over 1,200 foundations who gave over $2.2 billion for social causes in 2018 and is the national leader in its number of community foundations. There are over 94 community foundations, affiliates, and area funds in Indiana, serving all 92 counties. In 2019, these community foundations invested more than $193 million back into local communities. Workplace giving, which contributes billions of dollars and millions in volunteer hours to U.S. nonprofits each year, also plays an important role in making community engagement and small-scale giving accessible to Hoosiers.
In Marshall County, these generous individuals and businesses create opportunities and permanent philanthropic resources for the current and future needs of our residents. From basic human needs, to funding innovative solutions via Community Fund grants, to supporting area students via scholarships; the MCCF’s 383 funds are as varied as the passions of the donors who created the funds via endowment philanthropy.
“Individuals from all walks of life have the ability to be philanthropists in small, medium, and large ways,” shares Yoder. “With the year-end fast approaching, now is a tremendous time for people to make an investment to advance our communities by donating to the Marshall County Community Foundation and volunteering time with local nonprofits who need our support now more than ever.”
