The Promise of Community Foundations

The Community Foundation of Western Nevada is multi-faceted.  We perform services like commercial gift funds managed by Fidelity and Vanguard, like trust companies, and have been compared to a philanthropic bank. Except we are not. Community foundations have always had more than one purpose. 

From inception, the Community Foundation of Western Nevada has been guided by donors, those generous people who work with us to figure out what is needed, what can be done, and what they would like to accomplish with their giving.  We are also guided by issues in our community, and a sense of accountability to the community. 

What sets the Community Foundation apart from commercial gift funds? Our mission is not growth, it is service.  Our measurement is not assets, it is impact. Our interest is in the community’s interest.

We help donors contribute to the causes that matter to them. Our ability to connect and bring people together to help improve our community is built upon trusted relationships over time.  Our ability to lead is a result of increased assets generating greater grant distributions, and more collaborations, which in turn motivates heightened trust and expanded community activity.

The Community Foundation is growing because we focus on making philanthropy achievable and beneficial for our donors.  

Tax-advantaged giving, pooling investments, gifting unusual assets, land, or business interests, working with donors’ families and professional advisors, helping people establish charitable trusts, annuities, and bequest/legacy giving arrangements can unleash philanthropy in a powerful way.

By serving fundholders and encouraging philanthropy, the Community Foundation fulfills our mission of strengthening the community. Asset growth has enabled us to launch strategic coordinated giving, expand scholarship programs, community collaborations, special initiatives, multi-year grants, and permanent endowments. Because of our asset growth, we are achieving our goal of making Northern Nevada a better place for all of us, and for future generations.

Community foundations are complex and require time and trust to understand and to grow to their potential. The Community Foundation of Western Nevada has matured to become both a financial service institution for generous donors and an indispensable civic leader in our community.

Thank you to everyone who has made the Community Foundation of Western Nevada not just a promise, but a promise realized. Chris Askin, President, and CEO 775-333-5499 Connecting people who care with causes that matter.