These are difficult times for many in our community. Unemployment remains high, paychecks don’t go very far, and public services are at times curtailed due to budget cuts. That’s why the kinds of innovative investments being made by philanthropy—particularly community foundations like The Columbia Foundation—have never been more important in Howard County.

The Columbia Foundation, Howard County’s Community Foundation, is dedicated to inspiring life-long giving and connecting people, places and organizations to worthy causes across Howard County, now and into the future. With assets of more than $12 million and more than 290 charitable funds under management, the foundation promotes philanthropy by addressing emerging community issues, managing permanent endowments, and working with individuals, families, corporations and private foundations. The Columbia Foundation supports nonprofit organizations in achieving their charitable objectives and distributes grants and scholarships that touch and transform the lives of so many Howard County residents.

It’s National Community Foundation week – a time that we recognize the vital role that The Columbia Foundation and more than 700 community foundations nationwide play in supporting essential services like health care clinics, food banks, domestic violence shelters, libraries, and volunteer fire departments. In 2010, these foundations granted an estimated $4 billion to a variety of nonprofit activities in the arts, education, health and human services, the environment, and disaster relief. Though they could never replace the role of government-funded services, community foundations can help nonprofit organizations and others by using their private resources for the public good.

Community foundations’ financial independence allows them to take risks, sometimes achieving extraordinary results and affecting change. For example, last year The Columbia Foundation was able to make grants to 89 nonprofits, plus award 12 scholarships to deserving Howard County students. During the course of the year The Columbia Foundation’s efforts helped support a comprehensive crisis intervention center for homeless families, fund transportation services for older residents, provide computers and printers to middle school students who did not have access to computer technology at home, and support the annual Columbia Festival of the Arts, and these are just a few of the worthy programs receiving grants from The Foundation. The Foundation’s support of critical human services and expanded educational, civic and cultural opportunities has benefited our citizens and contributed to the quality of life in Howard County.

Another advantage of community foundations’ philanthropy is their ability to drive innovation as an incubator for great ideas. Community foundations make a difference by developing timely solutions to pressing problems in our society. This year for example, The Columbia Foundation surveyed nearly 700 community members through our Listening Project to gain their insight on unmet needs in our community. Using their input along with data from numerous other sources, we have begun to devise a new proactive grant initiative focused on “Strengthening Families.” To support the initiative The Columbia Foundation plans to establish an endowment fund designated for supporting and developing programs that address this issue.

Community foundations like The Columbia Foundation know that the investments they make today will help people for many years to come. By marshalling the financial resources of individuals, families, and businesses, we can address problems like family resiliency, unemployment, stagnant economic growth, hunger, and poverty. By strategically working with others, community foundations can equip society to more effectively deal with such future challenges in Howard County.

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