Celebrating “The Art of Giving”

The Community Foundation utilizes marketing themes to help focus the community’s attention on specific issues impacting our quality of life and to educate the community about the programs offered by our local charities to address those issues.  The themes also help to demonstrate the Community Foundation’s grant- making flexibility and to introduce us to new audiences of potential supporters.  Generally, a new marketing theme is introduced with the election of a new Chairman of the Board and each theme seeks to increase the value of one of our pooled funds (multiple donors who share a common charitable interest).

Our first theme, the Decade of Service, occurred in 2005 when the Foundation turned 10 years old.   The Chairman of the Board was John R. Duskey.  In celebration of our anniversary, we issued 10, $10,000 Decade of Service grants from our Acorn Fund to local charities.  At least one charity was selected in each of our funding areas - arts & humanities, education, environment & animal welfare, health & fitness, human needs, and religion & faith-based programs. 

The Women of Philanthropy theme, named in honor of our first female Chairman of the Board, Carlyn Belczyk, was focused on disadvantaged women and children.  Grants of $5,000 each were issued to 15 local charities from our Mother's Fund.  Successful development efforts increased the value of the Mother’s Fund from $20,000 to $250,000.

Recognizing our first father/son duo to serve as Chairman, the theme Philanthropy – The Next Generation was selected.  Thomas P. Northrop was the Chairman at that time and his father, John L. S. Northrop had served previously as our Chairman.  Perhaps the most significant occurrence during this theme was the broadening of our mission statement to “improve the quality of life primarily in Washington County by providing a vehicle for philanthropic giving across a broad spectrum of giving levels to support diverse community needs and to provide prudent stewardship of those charitable funds.”  To express our gratitude to our earliest supporters who were willing to invest in us when we were a great idea waiting to happen, the Director’s Choice Award was created.  It provides a $10,000 unrestricted grant from the Acorn Fund to a small but improving charity.

Our current theme, “The Art of Giving”, was named for current Chairman Richard L. White, who has long been associated with the art of giving, both personally and through his former role as President of Washington Financial Bank.  He has a particular appreciation of the arts and presently serves on the board of the Washington Symphony Orchestra.  The Arts Fund, which makes grants in broad support of the arts, is the focus of the current theme.

The goals of “The Art of Giving” theme are to:

·         Educate the community about the various ways of giving – through the sharing of their time, talent and treasures.

·         Educate the community about the various vehicles of making financial gifts (cash, securities, real estate, charitable gift annuity, life insurance, bequest, etc.).

·         Educate the community about arts and cultural programming available in Washington County.

·         Increase the value of the Arts Fund and to encourage charitable contributions for the arts in Washington County.

Art of Giving -- Strategic Partnerships and Activities

Grants from the Arts Fund are made in broad support of the arts including the performing, visual and creative arts, as well as cultural and historic projects in our area.  Additionally, grants are made for arts education and arts appreciation programs.

Logo Designed by Burgettstown High School Student, Christin Bongiorni

Washington County Community Foundation
331 South Main Street
Washington, PA 15301
(724) 222-6330

info@wccf.net

visitors since December 15th 2008.