PARSONS – Tucker Community Foundation celebrated National Community Foundations Week Nov. 9 through 15, along with more than 700 community foundations across the nation. For 25 years, the National Community Foundations have worked to raise awareness about the increasingly important role of philanthropic organizations in fostering local collaboration and innovation to address persistent civic and economic challenges.
Governor Earl Ray Tomblin signed a proclamation to encourage all citizens to recognize and support the efforts of community foundations, their volunteers and donors statewide. Locally, Tucker Community Foundation sponsored its first Tucker Community Foundation Grants Reception, providing an opportunity for grant recipients to connect with endowed fund advisors.
Tucker Community Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) charitable entity that manages funds for local use. In spite of its name, Tucker Community Foundation serves eight different counties including Tucker, Barbour, Grant, Preston, Pocahontas, Randolph, Mineral, and Garrett (MD). It is one of an estimated 750 Community Foundations in the United States, and one of about 30 in West Virginia. West Virginia Foundations make up about $266 billion of the national $57 trillion in assets that these foundations control.
Tucker County (and surrounding area) faces the same dilemma as many other rural communities- outside entities often own or control precious assets involving our natural resources, including forests, land, water and mineral rights. 53 percent of our county is owned by the state or federal government and subject to payment in lieu of taxes. 28 percent of our county is subject to reduced taxation (agricultural and timber) leaving only nineteen percent to carry the county. The taxes generated often barely support the infrastructure of a county and that’s where a foundation steps up. Foundation funds support local programs, projects, and passions of the people who live here or love it here.
While grant monies from federal, state and other entities are a wonderful thing, they can often be unpredictable, inflexible, time intensive and only a short term fix. Community foundations such as Tucker Community Foundation look toward long-term community investment with the goal of lessening our dependence on state and federal grants.
Tucker Community Foundation first met in the fall of 1989 and became officially established in early 1990. Four people with a vision came together- Sarah Minear, Jana Kinkaid, Dr. Richard Goldman and Tom Cain persevered in spite of being discouraged by both regional and national foundations. They were told it would never take root in our rural community but they underestimated the residents and fans of Tucker County. With a humble $1,000 Tucker Community Foundation began and 25 years later now has total endowments of approximately $20 million. This means that currently the Tucker Community Foundation has $193 of endowment per person of area served. Notably the largest foundation in the world, The New York Area Trust, has only $245 per person in their service area. Not bad for a rural community foundation that may never have happened if the founders had listened to the “nay-sayers”.
According to the National Community Foundations, community foundations represent one of the fastest-growing forms of philanthropy. Every state in the United States is home to at least one community foundation—large and small, urban and rural—working to advance solutions on a wide range of social issues.
Community Foundation Week was created in 1989 by former president George H.W. Bush, recognizes the work of community foundations throughout America and their collaborative approach to working with the public, private, and nonprofit sectors to address community problems.
Additional information about the Tucker Community Foundation is available by calling 304-478-2930 or 304-259-5008 or online at tuckerfoundation.net or on Facebook at Tucker CommFound.