Lee County's community-based organization, Envision Opelika, has announced the implementation on the Community Foundation of East Alabama, Inc.
"The basis of the foundation is to build funds for philanthropic purposes and non-profit organizations based on identified community needs," board member Barbara Patton said. "The board members of the foundation look at many things to identify to needs of the community. The needs will be changing, and the community foundation
will be here."
The community foundation will work to preserve resources for different types of scholarships: the arts, social philanthropic groups and other types of organizations.
"We don't have any specific organizations chosen just now," said Dora James, Chairperson of the CFEA. "We've got follow-ups from Envision Opelika, but we really want a scope of the entire east Alabama, not just Opelika or Auburn."
James also said the most successful community foundations were those who reached out beyond just one county to their
whole area.
The CFEA has brought in guest speakers and board members from other community foundations from around the state to teach them the basics, and helped guide their way through the first steps of getting started, Patton said. The board has been assembled and their goal is to do as
mush as possible by December.
James said she wants people to know that the most important thing about the foundation is that it is not in competition with any other established organizations of this type in this area.
"We do not look for organizations to help," James said. "Individuals come to us wanting to make donations. It's a way to connect the two ends."
Although the CFEA is what James said she calls the "final goal" of Envision Opelika, it is more of a giving back aspect of the organization. The community foundation has unlimited possibilities for donors. "It's about their own individual vision of what they can do for the community," James said.
The community foundation even allows an easier way for donors to give to organizations such as United Way, The American Red Cross or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital by handling all the tax issues.
"My brother is a cancer survivor, so I try to donate to cancer
research each year," said Jeremiah McCrory, a senior in building science. "I like the fact that the community foundation will give me a chance to make donating much easier."
The community foundation does not use fundraising as a means to raise money, but they will manage fund-raising projects for others who wish to raise money for non-profit philanthropy groups.
If you would like to know more or to become involved, please call the Envision Opelika office at 334-705-5138.
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