People give to charities for many reasons. Some want to help others. Some want to leave a personal legacy. Some want to be part of something bigger than themselves.
For nearly 30 years the Tucker Community Foundation has strengthened communities by helping residents and nonprofit organizations realize their dreams. The Foundation helps donors connect with causes they are passionate about and serves as a resource and support system for area charities.
“People do not give to the foundation, they give through the foundation,” said Robert Burns, executive director for the Tucker Community Foundation. “Generous and caring people are able to support their favorite charities today and beyond their lifetimes through the Foundation. At the same time the Foundation provides an opportunity for local nonprofits to build endowments to sustain their work into the future.”
Nonprofits often think only about the current year, but establishing an endowed fund allows the organization to manage its resources into the future, plan and, if necessary, survive a crisis. “Donors love the option of giving a gift that keeps on giving,” Burns said.
The Tucker Community Foundation manages more than 115 endowed funds that provide scholarship, grants and financial support to nonprofits and charitable causes in eight counties, Barbour, Grant, Mineral, Pocahontas, Preston, Randolph and Tucker counties, W.Va. and Garrett County, Md. These funds support a variety of causes, from animal welfare and youth to arts and culture, education, community and economic development, recreation, preservation of history and emergency services. A complete list of endowed funds can be viewed at tuckerfoundation.net/engage.
“Whether a donor wants to create a charitable fund to meet community needs, provide a steady income stream or ready assets for particular organization, we are ready to work with them,” Burns said. “An unrestricted endowed fund can be initiated with as little as $1,000.”
The Foundation offers the following type of funds for donors:
“Gifts of all types and sizes make a huge difference in our rural communities,” Burns said. “It can have an immediate impact or a lasting impact, it’s up to the donor and the type of gift. We work with donors to determine if we currently have a fund that supports their cause or if a new endowed fund needs to be created.”
The foundation accepts the following types of gifts
To learn about creating an endowed fund or how to support an existing one, visit www.tuckerfoundation.net or contact the TCF Administrative Office at 304-478-2930 or the TCF Development Office at 304-259-5008.