FFDC: Investing in the Future of Your Community

In 2017, more than 77 foster kids in Delaware County received handmade quilts from the Manchester nonprofit Return the Favor, thanks to a grant from the Small Miracles Fund.

The Small Miracles Endowment Fund was established in 2008 by an anonymous donor to create small miracles for kids. It has since paid out more than $64,000 to fund little things that can make a huge difference in children’s lives, such as piano lessons, birthday bags, coats and mittens, toys at Christmas, and backpack food programs. And it’s just one of many endowment funds at the Foundation for the Future of Delaware County (FFDC), permanent funds that are invested and pay out 5% annually to a broad range of causes in our region. Payouts from this fund and others like it totaled $114,000 in 2017 and offer a reliable source of funding to help local nonprofits respond to emerging needs, as well as to plan for the future and sustain their good work.

The impact of community foundation endowment funds is just one of the reasons we celebrate Community Foundation Week each year from November 12-18. Every day, FFDC and more than 780 other community foundations across the country help to bring donors and residents together, uniting their efforts to help our communities flourish and grow.

Here in Delaware County, we care deeply about our community. We work hard, we support our neighbors, and we desire the same thing that many others in rural America desire: to know the future of our town is bright and filled with possibilities. That’s why, the FFDC is at work here in our back yard connecting people to causes they love, collaborating with local leaders to drive change and preserving the futures of organizations that keep our town strong and thriving.

As we enter the giving season, America’s generosity surges. Millions of people from every background will be looking to give back to the communities that have supported them. They’ll also look to ensure that their heartfelt giving—however they choose to give—will have the most impact. That’s why so many of them will choose to give to a community foundation.

A gift to your local community foundation is really an investment in the future of your community. We like to say that community foundations are “here for good.” At FFDC we don’t think about the next election or business cycle; we think about the next generation and the generation after that.

That can seem a daunting task, but it’s one that we all share. During Community Foundation Week, I hope you’ll join us in recognizing the difference we can make together.

To learn more about the Foundation for the Future of Delaware County, visit www.dbqfoundation.org/ffdc.

For more information on Community Foundation Week visit www.cof.org/cfweek and follow #CFWeek on Twitter.

Nancy Preussner is the Donor Connections Coordinator at the Foundation for the Future of Delaware County, an affiliate of the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque. She can be reached at nancy.preussner5@gmail.com.