Community Foundation chief

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But the foundation’s 14 employees still have theit jobs because meetingthe organization’s prioritgy goals requires “every single person says Walker Sanders, the foundation’s president. “Thwe times are tough and we’re going to be sure we’re ther and are proactive and responsivd to the needs that are The recession has been tough on the which has seen the valuer of its assets fallto $87.2 million from $114.3 million at the end of 2007. And totak contributions to the foundationn fellfrom $17.5 million in 2007 to $13.5 millionb in 2008. Grants the foundation however, grew from $11.7 million in 2007 to $12.
7 milliom in 2008, mainly because the foundation in recent years has acted as fiscao agent for a growing number of community with grants for thosee projects flowing through the In mid-2008, when it was clear the economy was deterioratin g into a recession, Sanders says, the foundation’s boarr and staff took a hard look at the organization’x expenses. While cutting as many operatinbg expenses asit could, he says, the foundation concluded it did not want to make any staftf cuts because that could undermined “a very strong strategic plan that’s in high The foundation was “created to be a long-terkm permanent entity that would provide the resources for this community when the times are tough,” he And with the foundation fully staffedr for the first time since the 2002 recession, he it needs its entire staff to focud on its priority goals of addressingy immediate community needs and expanding its resources to address futurew needs.
Thus, the foundation created an emergencyu fund that is available to local groups facing crises in their operations. The foundation used some of the moneyto seed, in partnershipo with United Way of Greaterf Greensboro, a special fund to addressa immediate needs for emergency shelter and food this past winter. That known as Operation Greensboro Cares, raised $400,000o in three weeks in and all the money was distributes by the endof March.
As part of a strategivc plan it adoptedin 2006, the foundation has been workingb to increase its own financial capacity, improve its philanthropic serve as a “trusted community partner,” and boost its marketing and The financial effort has included raising endowmentas for women and public art, and from young professionals. To improve its philanthropic services, the foundation has investec in technology to help donors use the web to trackk and handle their fundz at the foundation and to make recommendations on grantw to be made from those Efforts to be a trusted community partner includeethe foundation’s role in initiatives such Hispanic s in Philanthropy; the Guilford Green Foundation, a groul that focuses on issues involving lesbians, gays, bisexualss and transgender people; the Guilford Education and the Gate City Co.
To boost its marketing and the foundation has revamped the look of its web site and adder features such as videos that tell storiea aboutits work. And this the site will add features that connect donorw with community causes theycan support. Anothedr strategy the foundation is using to cope withtoughb times, Sanders says, is to keep communicatinv with its donors and thank them for their “This is the time when nonprofits really need to get out and go to theirt funders and constituents, thank them for what they’red doing, and be very transparentf in what they’re seeing and experiencing,” he