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Columbia Foundation Announces Strategic Plan for 2009-2014
Columbia, MD - July 27, 2009 - The Columbia Foundation, Howard County’s community foundation, announces completion of its Strategic Plan for 2009-2014. Built upon The Columbia Foundation’s highly successful 40-year history, the Strategic Plan will direct how the Foundation allocates financial resources, time and energy to achie ve its new mission: Inspiring life-long giving and connecting people, places and organizations to worthy causes across Howard County.

Development of the Strategic Plan involved a comprehensive and revitalizing exchange of ideas between the Foundation Trustees, the staff and the Howard County community. With guidance from Managance Consulting, a Maryland firm specializing in nonprofit organization management, the Foundation Board developed the new mission statement and the following vision for the future:
• For the Columbia Foundation: Motivating continuous community participation in generously giving time, talent and dollars that propels us into the ranks of the top 100 community foundations nationwide.

• For Howard County’s Nonprofits: Relevant and well supported organizations cooperating and collaborating, keeping duplication to a minimum and clearly demonstrating they improve lives and the community.

• For the Howard County Community: Potential for everyone to live fulfilled and enriched lives by benefiting from local human services, arts and culture and educational opportunities and actively participating in our economic, political and social fabric.

Key to the planning process was information gathered through an environmental scan. Managance Consulting compiled data from their review of national and local philanthropy trends, a survey of the top five national community foundations, a study of local government plans and reports, an electronic survey of Columbia Foundation donors and grantees, and telephone interviews with local stakeholders.

Support for the strategic plan process was provided by the Horizon Foundation, the over 150 donors and others who responded to the online survey and the 30 community leaders who provided even more in-depth answers through lengthy telephone interviews.

According to Mary Ann Scully, President and CEO of Howard Bancorp and Chair of The Columbia Foundation Board of Trustees, “We are confident that this strategic plan will guide us in being a transformative force in our Howard County community – working for both the inclusion and the betterment of all. We look forward to sharing more details with the community and leveraging their many talents and contributions.”

For more information about the Strategic Plan, call President and CEO Beverley Francis at 410-730-7840 or view the Executive Summary.

Founded in 1969, the Foundation has awarded over $10 million in grants to Howard County nonprofit organizations delivering human service, arts and cultural, educational and civic programs. Money for the grant programs comes primarily from income generated by the Foundation’s endowment supported by over 250 funds established by Howard County businesses, families and individuals. For more information, visit www.columbiafoundation.org or call 410-730-7840.

 

 

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