We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give. ( Sir Winston Churchill )
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The Towner County Community Foundation is undergoing a facelift with the help of its new partner, the North Dakota Community Foundation. “The Towner County Community Foundation has been around for awhile, but our Board recently made a renewed commitment to building the fund”, said Board Member Brad Bergdahl. “We have seen all too often the results of not having an established local foundation . . . the money leaves our communities”.
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The Towner County Community Foundation is a non-profit, tax-exempt corporation authorized under IRS Code 501(c)3, which gives donors to the Foundation a maximum tax deduction for gifts made to the fund. All gifts are pooled in a single fund and invested as one entity. Annually, a local board of residents from Towner County will use the income generated from the Foundation to make grants to local projects and organizations. Those groups that will qualify for grants include any non-profit organization and any government entity, such as a school or park district etc., in Towner County. The North Dakota Community Foundation acts as an umbrella organization for management of the assets. All filing of tax forms, managing the investments and all day-to-day operations are handled through NDCF, which creates economies of scale for investing purposes and creates efficiency in operating the Foundation, making it more affordable for smaller communities to operate a professional foundation.
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Board members will be engaging in a number of public relations and fundraising efforts over the coming months. One such effort is to raise enough money to qualify for matching funds through the North Dakota Community Foundation. In the first year of operation, the Board must commit to raise $25,000. When this goal is reached, $5,000 in matching funds will be added to the total. In subsequent years, all gifts will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to the first $10,000 with a bonus $5,000 if the community raises $25,000 in any calendar year. “This really is an opportunity to use outside dollars to build our local foundation”, said Bergdahl, “It’s a real incentive for people to give when they know their gift will be doubled.”
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For more information about the Towner County Community Foundation, including how you can become a donor to the Foundation, please contact JoAnn Rodenbiker at 701-266-5572. Or visit , click “view the map” and then on Towner County to make a contribution on-line.
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