Grant Event Celebrates 2026 Community Impact

September 10, 2026

Community Giving Foundation gathered nonprofit partners, donors, board members, fundholders, and community leaders on September 9th for a regional Grant Impact Celebration, highlighting the meaningful impact charitable giving is making in our communities. Foundation President and CEO Kara Seesholtz welcomed guests, thanking nonprofits for the important work they do and donors for making that work possible. She shared an overview of the Foundation’s grantmaking and the many ways charitable giving is supporting our region.

Harry Mathias, Foundation regional board chair, celebrated the Foundation’s achievement of $100 million in assets and shared how this milestone will help strengthen resources for years to come. He also highlighted the Foundation’s new framework—Your Community Endowment, Your Giving Services, and Your Foundation Leadership—and the ways grantmaking through donor-directed funds and flexible resources are allowing the Foundation to respond to changing community needs.

Guests participated in table conversations, reflecting on challenges they remember seeing in their community over the past five, ten, and twenty years. They also dreamed about a bright future for our region, considering how growing flexible resources could impact the community today, tomorrow, and forever. Marissa Marshall, Foundation regional board vice-chair, introduced the recently established Economic Mobility Fund, created to address the most critical and interconnected needs requiring regional-level solutions. The new fund focuses on advancing toward “thriving”, creating greater opportunity, security, and overall well-being for individuals and communities. To kick-start this vision, the Foundation regional board was pleased to announce an inaugural $20,000 grant to the Getting Ahead Foundation.

Rose Williams, Getting Ahead Foundation executive director, and 2024 program graduate Lydia Moore explained the impact of the organization’s work. Reflecting on her personal experience, Lydia shared: “Early in my life, I had to learn to survive. A friend told me about Getting Ahead, and I was curious. I committed to the 19 week program, and I didn’t miss a date. I learned a lot about myself. I saw where I was, and I realized where I wanted to be. I gained actual tools to get there, and the program completely shifted my mindset. Since this amazing experience, I have found new joy, a second family, and I genuinely see myself succeeding today. It transformed my professional life, leading me to a career in banking, and I’ve achieved a lifelong dream of owning my first home. My journey of Getting Ahead didn’t just stop at my graduation. I stepped into leadership opportunities, becoming a certified co-facilitator and the administrative assistant for the Getting Ahead Foundation. Now, I have the privilege of working with other graduates as they share their accomplishments and work to ‘stay ahead’. I am thankful for every single person that believed in me throughout my journey.”

More than 250 charitable funds are currently awarding grants to nonprofits through Community Giving Foundation, awarding over $3.9 million in 2025 and $2.8 million so far in 2026. These grants support a wide range of community needs, including basic needs, community and economic development, culture and community interests, health and wellness, and youth and education. View an impact snapshot of Foundation grantmaking and stories highlighting our local impact for more information. Foundation grants are awarded through several types of funds and competitive grant rounds made possible by partnerships with five affiliates. Click on the community below to see a full list of 2026 competitive grant recipients.

Thank you for your continued partnership as we grow charitable resources to support our region. Want to turn your passions into a transformative legacy for your community? Contact us to learn more!