Dora James: Foundation will preserve resources

Are you tired of discouraging news? Well, here is some good news! Envision Opelika is pleased to announce the establishment of the Community Foundation of East Alabama, Inc., a non-profit charitable organization dedicated to preserving resources in our community for both present and future generations.
The mission of the foundation will be “to build and administer an endowment fund for philanthropic purposes focusing on identified community needs and strengthening non-profit organizations through grant programs.”

Seven years ago Envision Opelika began, as local citizens identified community needs and then developed plans to meet those needs. Several outstanding accomplishments have resulted. A state of the art recreation facility, the Opelika Sportsplex and Aquatic Center, is near completion. A partnership to build the Miracle Field was highly successful. Downtown Revitalization/Reuse of Empty Buildings has had success and continues with a strategic master plan being developed. A Cultural Unity Task Force and Character Council are active. The redevelopment of the Miriam S. Brown School into a Community Cultural Center is progressing. Finally, the formation of The Community Foundation of East Alabama will be the end goal of Envision Opelika.

Recently, a group of Auburn-Opelika citizens met with Jera Stribling, Executive Director of the Joseph S. Bruno Charitable Foundation and coordinator for Alabama Giving, and Wayne Camello-Harper, President and CEO of the Community Foundation of Calhoun County. They shared ideas on developing a foundation. The groundwork has been laid for a Community Foundation to begin locally.

A community foundation is a tax-exempt public charity created by and for the people in a local area. It enables people with philanthropic interests to support the issues they care about. A person can give cash, appreciated stocks, real estate, or other assets. For donors, community foundations make charitable giving easy, flexible and effective by connecting their interests to the needs of the community. Foundations are governed by board members, volunteers and professional services of investment companies manage its assets.

Donors can establish a charitable fund at the foundation, and they may recommend grants – in their name – to support non-profit groups they support. A common analogy is that a Community Foundation functions as a community’s “collective savings account.” They offer an excellent way for people to participate in the “big picture” in their community – making a difference for present and future generations.

The first community foundation was formed in Cleveland in 1914, and today there are more than 700 throughout the country, collectively holding more than $31 billion in permanent charitable funds. East Alabama comprises a large area of Alabama that does not have such a foundation.

If you would like to know more or to become involved, please call the Envision Opelika office at 705-5138. Together, we can establish something “For Good. Forever.”

Dora James is Chair of the Envision Opelika Board of Directors.