March 16, 2026
Thank you to everyone who attended the Community Giving Foundation’s Annual Meeting on March 11th. It was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate another impactful year in community giving and recognize the many board members, donors, and nonprofit partners whose generosity and leadership fuel our work and help strengthen our communities.
During the meeting, Kara Seesholtz, Foundation President and CEO, reflected on the Foundation’s continued growth and the collective impact made possible through the generosity of donors, fundholders, and community partners. She highlighted key accomplishments from the past year, including a 17.10% return on investments, over 1,000 grants and scholarships totaling $4.4 million, and total assets nearing $100 million. Kara also shared updates on the Foundation’s expanding work in community leadership, including the continued growth of Youth in Philanthropy, collaborative initiatives with nonprofit leaders, and programs that strengthen connections and support across the community.
As a culmination of last year’s strategic plan work, the Foundation was thrilled to welcome consultant Mike Goorhouse as a guest speaker to help introduce a new strategic framework that describes the work and mission of the Foundation.
- Your Community Endowment. Together, we build and manage a permanent endowment in your community to ensure that resources are always available to meet local needs – today, tomorrow, and forever. Through collective community giving, we can achieve greater impact today while providing unlimited opportunities for the next generation.
- Your Giving Services. We offer personalized giving services to donors, connecting your passions with community needs to achieve your charitable goals. Through our stewardship and local knowledge, your giving can directly benefit your community in the most effective way.
- Your Foundation Leadership. We ignite innovation through philanthropy, serving as a connector, collaborator, and changemaker to transform our region.
Through examples and table conversations, Mike explained how this framework represents a new way to think about and describe the existing work of the Foundation as we strive to bring greater clarity and excellence to these categories. While each category is different, all three matter deeply and contribute to community vitality and growth. Even as we describe our work in new ways, the Foundation’s mission remains unchanged as we continue to facilitate and lead community giving across the region.
We are pleased to share the Foundation’s 2025 Annual Report, available online here. This publication explores the Foundation’s new framework in greater detail and shares a financial snapshot from our year. For additional impact stories that highlight our work, click here.
Please stay connected with us! You are an essential part of our story of community giving and local impact as we build a legacy that will last for generations. View resources including our Giving Workbook and Dashboards, upcoming events, Community Needs & Impact overview, “Where Giving Meets Community” column, and contact us at any time to learn more about how we can partner together.
