Sam Bressi
Sustainability.
That's what the Lancaster County Community Foundation believes will happen for the 10 nonprofit organizations receiving $500,000 in matching grants from the foundation for their daily operations.
"Great work is being done in Lancaster County, but (the nonprofit organizations) don't necessarily have the resources. They struggle year by year to bring in resources needed — operating dollars," said Sam Bressi, president and chief executive officer of the foundation.
As the foundation worked on its strategic plan last year, it wondered: How can we contribute to the health and well-being of institutions in this community? How do you provide support to benefit organizations this year and sustain it the next five to 10 years?
The foundation decided upon a matching program, which it had never attempted before. The $500,000 grants, matched dollar for dollar, would be leveraged into a $1 million impact.
"That's phenomenal. It will give countless years of continued impact," Bressi said. "We're really excited about this program. It's a great entrepreneurial venture."
The 10 organizations receiving the matching grants are Compass Mark, Lancaster Day Care Center, Literacy Council of Lancaster-Lebanon, Lancaster County Conservancy, Lancaster Symphony Orchestra, Tabor Community Services, YWCA of Lancaster, Pennsylvania College of Art & Design, Lancaster Farmland Trust and Fulton Opera House Foundation.
"This is really great. It's exciting in many different ways," said Mary Colleen Heil, president of Pennsylvania College of Art & Design. "We've been very good institutionally at raising little pots of money, but we really need to grow our annual fund and this is going to help us do that."
Dave Bender, executive director of Compass Mark, formerly the Council on Drug and Alcohol Abuse, said the foundation has helped each of the nonprofit organizations define their missions, to integrate with each other rather than compete.
Through its grant monies, Compass Mark will raise funds for research that is expected to place its elementary youth support program on the National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices. That program can then be purchased across the nation.
"Any time you can get dollars from California to pay for free services here in Lancaster — that's sustainability," Bender said.
"Community foundations can be seen simply as one that writes the checks or as empowering nonprofits so they can be the best they can be. This is what (the local foundation) has evolved into, and I applaud you for it," said Ralph Goodno, president and chief executive officer of Lancaster County Conservancy.