Community Foundation of Pulaski County Receives National Recognition
The Community Foundation of Pulaski County recently received reaccreditation with the nation’s highest standard for philanthropic excellence and was first accredited in October 2006. National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations® establish legal, ethical, and effective practices for community foundations everywhere.
“Meeting the National Standards benchmarks is a rigorous, comprehensive process,” Randy Royster, board member of the Council on Foundations, said. “This accreditation is a significant accomplishment that indicates Community Foundation of Pulaski County demonstrates a commitment to transparency, quality, integrity, and accountability as it carries out its mission.”
The National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations® program requires community foundations to document their policies for donor services, investments, grantmaking, and administration. With over 900 community foundations already accredited nationwide, the program is designed to provide quality assurance to donors, as well as to their legal and financial advisors.
“This is critically important to our donors,” Leeann Wright, executive director of the Community Foundation of Pulaski County, said. “When our community members want to establish a fund or make a charitable bequest, they are putting their trust in us. They are counting on the board of directors and staff to manage the investment wisely, honor their charitable wishes and ensure that the work we do enriches Pulaski County. The National Standards accreditation says that our ducks are in a row and we are bringing value to our community by going above and beyond.”
The Community Foundation of Pulaski County works to meet critical community needs and support local causes, including community leadership, housing, and workforce initiatives, food security, developing a safe and drug-free community, educational opportunities, youth programs, and so much more.
The Community Foundation of Pulaski County offers a range of charitable funds, allowing donors to advance a cause, support an individual organization, provide flexible support for community needs, or recommend individual grants. In addition to affirming the organization’s philanthropic services, the accreditation validates The Community Foundation of Pulaski County’s grantmaking practices for the nonprofit community.
“Grantmaking is a lot like investing,” Kaye Beall, president of the foundation’s board of directors, said. “We need to assess risks, weigh potential gains, diversify assets, monitor performance, and operate fairly. With our National Standards accreditation, you can be assured that we’re doing just that.”
National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations® is the first program of its kind for charitable foundations in the United States.
Through philanthropic services, strategic investments, and community leadership, the Community Foundation of Pulaski County helps people support the causes they care about, now and for generations to come.
The Community Foundations National Standards Board is a supporting organization of the Council on Foundations and is responsible for the quality, value, and integrity of compliance with National Standards. For more information on the National Standards Board, visit its website at www.cfstandards.org.