Dec 18, 2014 3 min read

WAYNESBURG – The Community Foundation of Greene County recently received accreditation with the nation’s highest standard for philanthropic excellence.

National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations establish legal, ethical, effective practices for community foundations everywhere. “Meeting the National Standards benchmarks is a rigorous, comprehensive process,” said Hugh Ralston, chairman of the Community Foundations National Standards Board. “This accreditation is a significant accomplishment that says the Community Foundation of Greene County has demonstrated a commitment to quality, integrity and accountability.”

The National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations program requires community foundations to document their policies for donor services, investments, grant making and administration. With more than 500 community foundations already accredited nationwide, the program is designed to provide quality assurance to donors, as well as to their legal and financial advisers.

“This is critically important to our donors,” said Bettie Stammerjohn, Community Foundation of Greene County executive director. “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, in some cases, provide lifetime income to a loved one. The National Standards accreditation says our house is in order.”

The Community Foundation of Greene County works to meet critical community needs and support local causes such as providing educational scholarships for students of all ages, cultivating community gardens, feeding children, and supporting human services organizations, among many other issues.

The Community Foundation of Greene County offers a range of charitable funds, allowing donors to advance a cause, support an individual organization, provide flexible support for community needs or recommend individual grants. In addition to affirming the organization’s philanthropic services, the accreditation validates the Community Foundation of Greene County’s grant making practices for the nonprofit community.

“Grant making is a lot like investing,” said Dr. Nancy Davis, Community Foundation of Greene County 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.”

National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations is the first program of its kind for charitable foundations in the United States.

Through philanthropic services, strategic investments and community leadership, The Community Foundation of Greene County helps people support the causes they care about, now and for generations to come.

The Community Foundations National Standards Board is a supporting organization of the Council on Foundations and is responsible for the quality, value and integrity of compliance with National Standards. For more information on the National Standards Board, visit its website at www.cfstandards.org.