May 24 marked the official 20-year anniversary of Carthage Community Foundation (CCF) and the organization capped off a month of celebrations, to include Give Carthage Day, with three significant grants to further support and enhance the community. During mid-May, CCF Board Members showed up at three local organizations to surprise recipients with the exciting grants news. Bright Futures Carthage received a $5,000 grant to help purchase a vision spot screener for the Carthage R9 district, Area Agency on Aging was awarded a $10,000 grant to purchase kitchen equipment for the Carthage Can Do Senior Center, and Carthage Jr. High School received the grand prize grant of $20,000 to support the Feed the Need STEM Project. Videos of each surprise presentation can be viewed at facebook.com/carthagecf.
Founded in 1999 by a group of caring citizens including Bill Putnam, Jr., Stan Schmidt, Frank Dunaway, Dave Hokanson, and Kevin Checkett, CCF is a special kind of public charity created by and for the people of Carthage. Individuals, families, and organizations work with CCF to establish permanent charitable funds to support their charitable giving goals and meet community needs over time. CCF, along with parent organization Community Foundation of the Ozarks, invests and administers these funds. Grants and distributions are awarded from these community foundation funds to support various local nonprofit organizations, schools and government entities, and scholarships. Founder Bill Putnam, Jr. explained, “CCF is the perfect vehicle for any Carthaginian to fulfill their philanthropic intentions and leave a legacy to the community which means so much to them.”
Thanks to the forethought of the founders and generosity of Carthaginians who left, and continue to leave, portions of their estates to establish permanent endowment funds at CCF, the Board of Directors has had the pleasure to grant/distribute more than $6.7 million back into the community since 1999. Twenty years later, the Foundation’s mission remains the same – enhancing the lives of Carthage residents, now and for generations to come, through endowment building, community grant-making, providing leadership, and promoting collaboration on community issues. To accomplish that mission, CCF currently oversees more than 90 charitable funds, handles more than $8.7 million in assets, assists 18 nonprofit agency partners, distributes more than $70,000 each year in community grants, and funds and supports collaborative community initiatives such as H.E.R.E. 4 Carthage. Board President Danny Lambeth shared, “Anyone may use Carthage Community Foundation to give something back to the community. We really encourage everyone to consider leaving a portion of their estate, big or small, to support causes close to their hearts. It is our Board’s great pleasure to carry out donors wishes and provide support for local nonprofit organizations and community programs, now and for many generations to come.”
