The Carthage Community Foundation received the award for Outstanding Philanthropic Foundation of the Year at an annual event marking National Philanthropy Day.
The award was presented at a Nov. 13 luncheon hosted by the Association of Fundraising Professionals: Ozarks Region Chapter at the White River Conference Center in Springfield. CCF President Danny Lambeth and Foundation Coordinator Heather Goff Collier accepted the award on behalf of the CCF Board of Governors.
The CCF was cited for its work in creating charitable funds to support donor and community goals. One recent example of its community leadership work is a collaborative project to reshape the way Carthage addresses the health and fitness of its residents. This was one of three proposals selected for the Rural Ozarks Health Initiative, a three-year grant program to address priority health issues in communities or regions served by the CFO’s rural affiliate foundations.
The CCF’s project seeks to lower obesity rates and redesign Carthage into a healthier city through the hiring of a Community Health Coordinator to engage schoolchildren through educational programs, improve local dining and food options and increase opportunities to lead a healthy lifestyle.
National Philanthropy Day has been observed on Nov. 15 every year since 1986 when President Ronald Reagan signed a proclamation to celebrate charitable activities in financial, in-kind and volunteer support. It is also recognized in Canada on Nov. 15. The Ozarks Chapter of the AFP honors individual, business, youth, professional fundraising, and media for philanthropic activities each November.
The Carthage Community Foundation is an affiliate of the Community Foundation of the Ozarks. Founded in 1999, the CCF now holds more than $8.3 million in assets in about 90 funds. The CCF has received first- or second place as a CFO Affiliate of the Year over the past four years of the program. For more information, visit:cfozarks.org/carthage.
