PCCF helping meet challenges in midst of pandemic
I am sure that you are like most of us — glad 2020 is in the rearview mirror. 2020 created challenges for our community while also creating opportunities for organizations like the Putnam County Community Foundation to step up and help alleviate the challenges created by the pandemic.
Putnam County is home to many great nonprofit organizations committed to making our county a great place to live.
We have organizations that provide food to those dealing with food insecurity, shelter to the homeless, services for those struggling with mental illness and addiction, transportation for those without cars, support for families dealing with a myriad of issues, including domestic abuse, and the list goes on and on.
The Community Foundation does not provide direct services, but we provide funding to the nonprofits and agencies serving Putnam County. We have been able to assist many of these organizations continue to meet their mission during the pandemic.
The Community Foundation is able to provide grant funding from the investment growth of more than 40 unrestricted funds. Generous donors have created these funds, which allow us to respond to emerging community needs.
Normally, the Community Foundation receives application requests through our Community Grants program. March 19 changed the normal as we faced a shutdown.
Our Executive Committee recognized the need to respond to the immediate needs of various community and county entities. This decision included pausing our regular grant cycle and shifting our unrestricted funding to the Putnam County Relief Fund in order to promptly make emergency grants.
Our unrestricted funds allow us to be nimble in responding to the community’s most pressing and emerging needs.
Initially, the Community Foundation committed $50,000 to the Relief Fund, and the community was invited to donate to the effort. More than $23,000 has been donated to the Relief Fund from generous donors, and the Community Foundation has added $84,700 in funding.
To date, we have granted nearly $100,000 to help our local nonprofit organizations meet Putnam County residents’ needs. You can visit pcfoundation.org to see a full list of grant recipients.
While most of the unrestricted funding in 2020 was allocated to the Relief Fund, our grants committee made grants to all 17 schools and the 22 emergency response agencies serving Putnam County, for a total of $19,500. Each of those grantees has been impacted by COVID, and our Grants Committee wanted to show appreciation for their continued commitment to our county.
Additionally, the applications from the paused spring grant cycle were reviewed. The Community Foundation made additional grants in the arts, recreation and civic engagement sectors.
From our unrestricted funds, we are happy to say that we awarded $158,575 in 2020. In a year that we are glad to see go, we are proud to say that the Putnam County Community Foundation continues to impact the lives of every citizen of our county.
The Putnam County Community Foundation (PCCF) works alongside individuals, businesses, and nonprofit organizations to build a stronger Putnam County.
PCCF is home to more than 300 charitable funds and has awarded more than $16 million in grants and scholarships since its founding in 1985. To learn more about the PCCF, visit www.pcfoundation.org or call 653-4978.