2012 Little Kanawha Area Community Challenge Program
FACT SHEET
Building Lasting Local Grant Resources for Calhoun, Gilmer and Wirt Counties
through the Our Community’s Foundation – Little Kanawha Area (LKACF)
WHAT IS THE LITTLE KANWHA AREA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION?
A tax exempt public charity created in 2004, the Little Kanawha Area Community Foundation (LKACF), builds and manages permanent resources to benefit Calhoun, Gilmer, and Wirt County residents, causes and non-profit organizations. LKACF is an affiliate of the Parkersburg Area Community Foundation (PACF) and as such is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, certified as meeting National Standards for Community Foundations. A team of professional staff serve the region. LKACF has its own local advisory board which includes: Jim Bennett, Chair; Fred Rader, Vice-Chair; Diane Ludwig, Secretary; and members Jean Simers; Karen Caltrider; Alvin Engelke; Pat Lydon; Rick Sampson; Ron Blankenship; and Dee Scritchfield.
WHAT IS THE COMMUNITY CHALLENGE PROGRAM?
The Little Kanawha Area Community Challenge Program will build local community grant funding for Calhoun, Gilmer, and Wirt Counties. LKACF currently holds a community grant fund that provides a modest amount of annual grants for Calhoun and Wirt Counties and is building a community grant fund for Gilmer County. These grant funds provide vital annual support for local projects and programs in Health, Human Services, Education, Arts & Culture, and Recreation and lasting resources to improve our communities. Since LKACF is a young community foundation, these local grant funds are small and therefore cannot provide the level of support needed to address the growing needs in our communities. The LKACF Community Challenge will provide resources needed to build these funds with dollar for dollar matching funds; as well as create a heightened awareness of our need and efforts to grow our local community grant funds.
HOW DO I BECOME A DONOR?
LKACF has received a total to $7,000 in challenge gifts from two generous Challenge Partners - Calhoun Banks and the WV Leadership Class of 2006 and their Proud to be a West Virginian Fund. These challenge gifts require dollar for dollar matching funds from the Little Kanawha Area supporters. Our goal over the next six months is to secure at least $7,000 in donations from community supporters to add a total of $14,000 to the local grant funds. Donations can be earmarked for the Calhoun & Wirt County Community Grant Fund or for the new Gilmer County Community Grant Fund. A fall grant reception will be held in November to award 2012 LKACF Community Action Grants, conclude the Community Challenge Program, and honor the challenge partners and donors.
We invite you to become a Little Kanawha Area Community Challenge matching fund donor by contacting Jane Winters at Our Community’s Foundation, 304.372.8588,” ” or one of our LKACF board members who are spearheading this program: Fred Rader (304.422.4993 or “ ”) or Jim Bennett, Calhoun Banks (304.354.2000 or “ ”) by October 31, 2012.
HOW WILL THE COMMUNITY BENEFIT?
LKACF is working to build its general grant resources to deliver impact in our communities. Matching donations will support the Little Kanawha Area Community Grant Fund and the Gilmer County Community Grant Fund to build permanent local grant resources that will provide annual support for a wide variety of community programs and projects to improve the quality of life in our communities.
HOW WILL THE COMMUNITY CHALLENGE PARTNERS & DONORS BE RECOGNIZED?
Our Community Challenge Partners and matching fund donors will be honored for their good works during the second half of the year in a series of newspaper articles recognizing their generous community support and encouraging others to follow their lead by supporting the effort. The challenge program will conclude with a fall grant reception held in November where the Challenge Partners and matching fund donors will be honored, the program’s success will be celebrated, and fall community action grants will be awarded. All donations to this program will be acknowledged as tax deductible and WV tax credits can be obtained for the gifts if available at the time of the donation.
For more information on this program or LKACF, please contact Our Community’s Foundation at 304.428.4438; 304.372.8588 or visit us on the web at www.pacfwv.com.
