Member Spotlight – McPherson County Community Fund
Building a strong community by engaging people in philanthropy and developing a permanent endowment to provide resources, now and for generations to come, is what McPherson County Community Fund (MCCF) is all about. The areas that MCCF focuses on cover a broad spectrum: the arts, human needs, youth, community development, preservation, education, the elderly, and health care. The objection is to impact everyone in the community and through the almost 300 funds that MCCF has, they are doing just that in McPherson.
The projects that McPherson County Community Fund assists certainly support the areas of their focus. One of the grants given was to Inman Public summer reading program which reached out to the youth in that community. Women And Children Combating Cancer (WACCC) received a grant assisting in the funding of their Mammo Ammo Program in July which provided 88 mammograms free of charge to participants. The Lindsborg Senior Center was able to have roof repairs made with the grant they received. The Moundridge Recreation Commission was able to acquire a pitching machine with their grant. Scholarships were available for students to attend Camp Invention, a nonprofit summer enrichment camp program providing children the opportunity to explore, create and design in areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
A program that MCCF is just getting started is Give 365. This is a very simple initiative to encourage all givers. With Give 365, participants gift $365 for the year – just one dollar a day. Memberships to take part in Give 365 for the 2020 grant year is open through October 31st. During November and December a grant theme will be determined by the Give 365 membership – maybe projects that zero in on youth, education or perhaps community development. The dollars given by each member of Give 365 will be pooled together. Once a year all the members will decide which organizations will receive grant money. Memberships and the giving can be done on the MCCF website. By being a member of Give 365, participants will have the opportunity to be involved with a diverse group of people focused on impacting the community in a positive way and watching it thrive.
Cross Social Connections is something the MCCF Youth Council is working on. This is a way to cross barriers among students in school. Whether it’s athletes getting to know students who interests lie in theatre or this year’s incoming freshmen getting to know the seniors – it’s crossing the barriers that seem to exist in high schools and allow students to feel comfortable and welcome in a good learning environment. The Youth Council meets with a Principal Advisory Committee on a regular basis to share what is needed in school to allow students to feel comfortable in their learning environments.
MCCF has indeed had a great impact on our community. Since 2001, when MCCF started, they went from nothing to having around 300 funds and $30 million dollars in assets. President/CEO Becky Goss said it’s “all because of the community. It’s all because of people supporting … and remember our most important word in our name – McPherson County COMMUNITY Foundation is the key. Because it is by you, for you.”
The McPherson County Community Foundation Facebook page and their website are both good resources for learning more about the programs MCCF has been able to assist in McPherson County, or to get more info on how to get involved with Give 365. Visit with MCCF by calling 620-245-9070 or stop by their new location at 1233 N. Main. Photos from Chamber Connections hosted by McPherson County Community Foundation can be seen here.