Community Foundation Accredited with Rigorous Philanthropic Standards
GiveWell Community Foundation recently received accreditation with the nation’s highest standard for philanthropic excellence. National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations® establish legal, ethical, effective practices for community foundations everywhere.
“Meeting the National Standards benchmarks is a rigorous, comprehensive process,” said Randy Royster, board member of the Council on Foundations. “This accreditation is a significant accomplishment that indicates the GiveWell Community Foundation demonstrates a commitment to transparency, quality, integrity, and accountability as it carries out its mission.”
The National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations® program requires community foundations to document their policies for donor services, investments, grantmaking, and administration. With over 500 community foundations already accredited nationwide, the program is designed to provide quality assurance to donors, as well as to their legal and financial advisors.
“This is critically important to our donors,” said Terry Simmers, President/CEO of the GiveWell Community Foundation. “When people make a charitable bequest or establish a fund, they are putting their trust in us. They are counting on us to manage the investment wisely and honor their charitable wishes. The National Standards accreditation says our house is in order.”
GiveWell Community Foundation offers a range of charitable funds, allowing donors to advance a cause, support an individual organization, provide flexible support for community needs, or recommend individual grants. In addition to affirming the organization’s philanthropic services, the accreditation validates the Community Foundation’s grantmaking practices for the nonprofit community.
“Grantmaking is a lot like investing,” said Jeffrey Cox, Sr., Board Chair of the GiveWell Community Foundation. “We need to assess risks, weigh potential gains, diversify assets, monitor performance, and operate fairly. With our National Standards accreditation, you can be assured that we’re doing just that.”
National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations® is the first program of its kind for charitable foundations in the United States.
About National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations
The Community Foundations National Standards Board is a supporting organization of the Council on Foundations and is responsible for the quality, value, and integrity of compliance with National Standards. For more information on the National Standards Board, visit its website at www.cfstandards.org.
About GiveWell Community Foundation
GiveWell Community Foundation works with individuals, families, businesses, and nonprofits to build a stronger community throughout Polk, Hardee, and Highlands counties and beyond through charitable funds and competitive grant cycles. The foundation is home to more than 300 charitable funds and the Impact Polk and Empower Polk grant cycles. GWCF has awarded $182 million in grants since its founding in 1997. To learn more about GWCF, visit our website at givecf.org.