Priming and Starting the Community Foundation “Engine”
The perception that the Community Foundation of Western Nevada seemed to suddenly appear and grow belies the hard work of the founders and other visionary individuals who brought the Community Foundation to life in our region. There are many people who were critical to the Community Foundation’s development, but what you may not realize is that the Community Foundation, like any business, had to be capitalized before it could really get going. Over the years there have been hundreds of donors who contributed to the operations of the Community Foundation, and today, 100% of our board make gifts to enable our work each year. I am grateful to note that, together, the gifts to our operations total $2.1 million.
These gifts were necessary to get the Community Foundation engine started. The Founders personally contributed more than $700,000 to this effort. Imagine that! A lead gift by Marguerite Wattis Petersen that was joined by generous gifts by Jim Webster, Bruce James, and others. Without their vision and generosity, I don’t believe the Community Foundation would look anything like it does today. Most certainly, the $100 million plus granted from and through the Community Foundation would not have happened. With a start like what we were given and visionary leadership, the Community Foundation was destined to become a great resource and leader in the community.
Starting the engine is just part of the history. Donors and leaders took a single cylinder engine and, over time, built it into a powerful V8. Through incredibly generous support from John H.O. LaGatta, Jennifer and Phil Satre, and Ranson and Norma Webster, the Community Foundation expanded our mission and services, adding community leadership and dozens of important projects to our work.
I have no doubt that the legacy established from the first day the founders conceived of the Community Foundation will be a key tenant as the Community Foundation evolves. Their legacy, and the legacy of all supporters of the Community Foundation, will be felt in the lives of tens of thousands of future generations of Northern Nevada. I am humbled by their vision and generosity. I invite you to join them and make philanthropy, giving and caring for others in effective and meaningful ways, a part of your personal legacy. You have the opportunity to join in and help the Community Foundation of Western Nevada grow the impact. I’ll bet we can soup up this baby into a V10. Call me to learn more about what we do and how you can help. It will be my privilege to talk with you.
Chris Askin, President, and CEO, 775-333-5499
Connecting people who care with causes that matter
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