At the Bloomfield Chamber of Commerce’s regular monthly meeting on Oct. 5, guest speaker, Greene County Foundation Executive Director Suzanne Jackson shed light on the foundation’s purpose, current projects and upcoming events.
Jackson has been with the foundation for 12 years, this year marking her first as executive director.
Initially begun with a Lilly Endowment matching grant in 1997, the Greene County Foundation has expanded into its own donor-based philanthropic organization.
“Our mission is to inspire individuals to engage and strengthen Greene County,” said Jackson at Thursday’s meeting. “To do that, we build permanent endowment funds and connect donors to those charitable organizations and programs of their interests.”
The foundation aims to facilitate relationships between organizations working toward the same goal.
This year, $293,000 in grants and $104,000 in scholarships have already been incorporated back into the county.
Jackson touched on several benefits of the foundation, including long-term sustainability and community engagement.
When a fund is started through the foundation, as stated by Jackson, a 3.5% to 4% payout will go back into the organization each year for perpetuity. Growth is determined by donations and market investments.
Bloomfield-focused funds from the Greene County Foundation include the Bloomfield First Baptist Church, Scotland Cemetery, Shawnee Theater and multiple scholarships available for Bloomfield students.
The Greene County Foundation will be hosting two events during the month of October, including a financial seminar and a Women of Worth meeting.
Four guest speakers will be highlighted at the Estate, Final Expense and Financial Planning Seminar on Wednesday, October 5. Beginning at 11 a.m. at the Greene County Community Event Center, attendees will hear from Todd Walton of Welch and Cornett Funeral Homes, Cortney Givens of The Rowe Law Firm, Jathan Wright of Autumn Trace Senior Communities and Randall Brown of CFP and Edward Jones.
Those wishing to attend the seminar must RSVP by October 18 to 812-659-3142 or gcf@greenecountyfoundation.org.
The annual meeting for the Women of Worth (WOW) Giving Circle will be held on October 26 at 5 p.m. at the foundation office.
Members of the WOW group pay an annual amount of $120, with half of the contributions awarded immediately and the other half cycled back into an endowment. An average of $3,000 is granted each year by the group.
In the organization’s six years of existence, grants have been awarded to Middle Way House, Open Arms, Erin’s Purpose, Bless Bloomfield, Bloomfield Elementary School and many other charitable causes.
This event, according to Jackson, “gives them an opportunity to get to know organizations in their community or in the county, have a conversation with them and realize their needs, bring them to the foundation, and then the ladies, themselves, vote on how they want the money to be split up.”
An RSVP by October 20 is required for the WOW meeting.
In other business:
The Bloomfield Chamber Annual Dinner will take place on Nov. 9 at the Greene County Event Center. Donations from the community will now be accepted for the event’s silent auction.
As a result of the upcoming annual meeting, the next regular monthly meeting of the Bloomfield Chamber of Commerce will be held in January.