Investment Leads to Impact

When thinking about investing, do you think about the stock market and maybe also real property?  Did you know donors to the Community Foundation think about their charitable giving as an investment?  Companies in the region are no different when they think about giving back to the community.  A common denominator in all types of investing is to look for as big a return as possible. The idea of companies investing in the success of the community through the Community Foundation was a novel idea three years ago that has generated a much larger return than we had thought possible.  Thanks to our Corporate Philanthropy Partners, the Community Foundation has been able to tackle community issues with a focus on ACTION.  The results are measurable and are helping thousands of local residents.  Here are a few examples.

• Caregiver Support Initiative

  • More than 10,000 copies of the Washoe Caregivers Guidebook have been distributed at 100+ community locations
  • An online directory of more than 300 up-to-date, local resources for family caregivers to seniors has been developed. Visit www. washoecaregivers.org and see what important and useful resources are offered in Washoe County.
  • A new Caregiver Employee Toolkit is now being distributed to improve the ability of family caregivers to take care of their family member and retain their job with successful results.

• Village on Sage Street

  • Soon we will have residences for 216 people who earn between 30% and 60% of the median income ($1,300-$2,500) a month, with fixed rents of just $400 a month.
  • 281 people have signed up to move into these residences when they open, which is anticipated to be in May or June, just a couple of months away.

• Financial Security

  • A new community initiative has been launched to help people struggling with a lack of knowledge and resources to deal with financial challenges.
  • The focus will be on helping prevent abuse, build financial literacy, and other strategies to help thousands of people in our community build financial security.

These are just three examples of work that has been made possible in the last two years, because of investments made by our Corporate Philanthropy Partners. This work is the return on investment achieved by the Corporate Philanthropy Partners. THANK YOU, Atlantis, Barrick, Charles Schwab Bank, Chase International, CMG Financial, Dickson Realty, EDAWN, Estipona Group, International Test Solutions, JP Morgan Chase, KNPB, Nature’s Bakery, NV Energy, Raley’s, Renown, Switch, and Wells Fargo, for your incredible support and leadership. There is no telling what the future may bring, but we can be sure that this working together on some of our community’s most persistent issues is an investment that will pay off in better lives for tens of thousands of people. The Community Foundation of Western Nevada is your Community Foundation, and it is our privilege to serve. Please give me a call if you would like to help, or if you have an idea to explore. Chris Askin, President and CEO 775-333-5499