BCF History
So what is the Barry Community Foundation? It is a partnership of endowed funds established by individuals and organizations. A Board of Trustees, comprised of local community leaders, invest the pooled endowments. Income is made available for grants that address charitable needs right here in YOUR community. Staff and trained volunteers monitor the grants to ensure fulfillment of the grant contract. The full circle of philanthropy is carried out to help and involve the people of Barry County to make a difference in their lives.
Established in July of 1995, the Barry Community Foundation bridges community needs with donor interests, granting dollars to programs, projects and organizations that fit our vision, to be a trusted resource for positive change.
Community Foundations better their communities by performing three basic functions:
Community Endowment Builder: Community Foundations collect contributions of all sizes from a wide range of individuals and organizations, pooling these contributions into an endowment that is managed and invested by a team of professionals working closely with the foundation’s board of trustees. The purpose of endowing the contributions is to guarantee their permanence and to maximize their earning potential.
Community Grantmaker: Income from the endowment is used to provide grants that support charitable, scientific, literary or educational programs and services.
Community Convener/Problem Solver: Because they are uniquely positioned as neutral, objective, independent entities, with only the community’s welfare at heart, community foundations are able to bring together broad based groups of individuals and organizations to identify community problems, then develop the community’s resources to address those problems.
Policies
Contact information for the president/CEO, Board Chair, chair of the Audit Committee and board chair may be obtained by referring to the Meet Our Board and Staff page.