BUCYRUS, OH (CRAWFORD COUNTY NOW)—The Community Foundation for Crawford County has been awarded accreditation with the nation’s highest standard for philanthropic excellence, the Community Foundations National Standards®. This recognition signifies the foundation’s adherence to legal, ethical, and effective practices for community foundations nationwide.
“Meeting the National Standards benchmarks is a rigorous, comprehensive process,” said Susie Nelson, board chair of National Standards. “This accreditation is a significant accomplishment that indicates that The Community Foundation for Crawford County demonstrates a commitment to transparency, quality, integrity and accountability as it carries out its mission.”
The Community Foundations National Standards® program requires organizations to thoroughly document their policies for donor services, investments, grantmaking, and administration. With over 500 community foundations already accredited across the country, the program aims to provide quality assurance to donors, as well as their legal and financial advisors.
“This is critically important to our donors,” stated Lisa Workman, The Foundation’s President. “When people make a charitable bequest or establish a fund, they are putting their trust in us. They are counting on us to manage the investment wisely, honor their charitable wishes and continue to invest in our community into perpetuity. The National Standards accreditation says our house is in order.”
The Foundation actively works to address critical community needs and support local causes, including fostering the arts, expanding literacy, and providing food for children.
It offers a range of charitable funds, enabling donors to champion specific causes, support individual organizations, provide flexible community support, or recommend individual grants. Beyond affirming its philanthropic services, the accreditation validates The Foundation’s grantmaking practices for the nonprofit community.
“Grantmaking is a lot like investing,” added Caryl Huggins, the Foundation’s board chair. “We need to assess risks, weigh potential gains, diversify assets, monitor performance and operate fairly. With our National Standards accreditation, you can be assured that we’re doing just that.”
Community Foundations National Standards® is the first program of its kind for charitable foundations in the United States. The Community Foundations National Standards Board, a supporting organization of the Council on Foundations, oversees the quality, value, and integrity of compliance with National Standards. More information can be found at cfstandards.org.