2024 Community Impact Report

We invite you to review the Community Foundation of Fayette County’s 2024 Community Impact Report, which highlights our efforts in building a stronger Fayette County. Flip through to learn about our mission to inspire charitable giving, support nonprofits, and nurture positive community impact.
This Community Impact Report also reflects on the foundation’s growth in its 25th anniversary year and the generosity of many people who have made our charitable impact possible. We are committed to supporting Fayette County, and we welcome you to call us with any questions about how you can get involved:  724-437-8600 x1.

Please Consider CFFC for Year-End Giving

Join us in building a stronger Fayette! We are asking for your help to support the Building a Stronger Fayette Fund, an endowment that is used for general grantmaking to support the Fayette County community. Your donation will strengthen the Community Foundation of Fayette County’s grantmaking to local nonprofits that make a positive impact for the county.

Grants are awarded to local nonprofits to support arts and culture; education; community and economic development; health and human services; nonprofit capacity building; and other areas of interest.

The Building a Stronger Fayette Fund endowment will help address the ever-changing needs of the community for today, tomorrow, and forever. Will you help?

Your gift to the Building a Stronger Fayette Fund will be a special way to celebrate the foundation’s 25th anniversary, by strengthening our charitable impact for the next 25 years and beyond!

To donate online, please click here or use the “Donate Now” button at www.cffayettepa.org. To donate by check, please make your check payable to “CFFC” and write BASF Fund on the memo line. Thank you!

CFFC Celebrates Its 25th Anniversary

Today is CFFC’s 25th anniversary!

Established November 15, 1999

As the Community Foundation of Fayette County celebrates its 25th anniversary, we credit the collective effort of many generous and passionate people. The foundation was established in 1999 by community members who wanted to make a positive impact, and our philanthropy continues to grow with the support of individuals and businesses.

The foundation has grown since 1999 and now holds nearly 200 charitable funds and over $24 million in assets. Each year, a percentage of these charitable assets is used to support nonprofits and local students. Over the past 25 years, the Community Foundation of Fayette County has granted over $15 million to the community.

The foundation’s board of directors and staff are committed to our mission, and the recent strategic plan will help serve as a road map for continued impact and growth.

Make a 25th Anniversary Donation

Here’s even more reason to celebrate… November 15 is National Philanthropy Day, which falls within Community Foundation Week (November 12 – 18)!

Watch our Timeline Video

Mid-Year Letter from CFFC

View CFFC’s mid-year letter below. Make sure to click to the second page to see the back of our flyer!

2024 Mid Year Flyer

The Community Foundation of Fayette County’s (CFFC) 25 years of philanthropy would not be possible without the generosity and support of donors. Thanks to many individuals and businesses over the years, CFFC stewards nearly 200 charitable funds and has grown to over $24 million in assets. Each year, a percentage of these charitable assets is used to support nonprofits and local students, in an effort to build a stronger Fayette County.

Throughout the past 25 years, CFFC has granted over $15 million to the community.

This spring, over $22,000 in grants were awarded to nine local nonprofits. Grants supported a pregnancy medical center, a garden that will be used for educational sessions and a culinary program, transportation for meal deliveries to senior citizens, and plants for a park. The Building a Stronger Fayette Fund awarded “capacity building” grants to strengthen nonprofits’ sustainability and their efficiency in serving the community. This included funding for equipment, board training, and technology updates.


Will you help us build a stronger Fayette?

Please join us, by making an anniversary gift to our Building a Stronger Fayette Fund.
This endowment awards grants to local nonprofits each year, addressing a variety of community needs. Your donation will benefit Fayette County today, tomorrow, and forever.

Donate Now! Make checks payable to CFFC with “BASF Fund” on the memo line. For other giving options i.e. stocks, donor advised funds, IRAs, and RMDs please call CFFC.

In honor of our 25th anniversary…
Please consider making a gift of:   $25   $250   $2,500   $25,000


The third annual Gala of Giving ~ Catalyst for Change black-tie event was held on April 13, with over 300 guests attending at Seven Springs Mountain Resort. Proceeds will provide funding for projects that spark change and growth in Fayette County.

The first $50,000 Catalyst for Change Grant was awarded to Main Street Theatre Company, State Theatre Center for the Arts, and Fayette County Cultural Trust last fall. Their program “Encore! A Showcase of Local Talent” on May 9 was the first of its kind in Fayette County.

CFFC has created a Strategic Plan for 2024-2027 with goals and actions for our growth!

The foundation is awarding over $200,000 in post-secondary scholarships for the 2024-2025 school year. Thanks to scholarship fund donors, we are able to support local students. This, in turn, supports the future of Fayette County and helps to strengthen our local workforce.

CFNS Accredited FoundationCFFC received re-accreditation with the nation’s highest standard for philanthropic excellence. Community Foundations National Standards® establish legal, ethical, effective practices for community foundations everywhere.

Fayette Gives LogoSave the date for Fayette Gives on November 7 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at www.fayettegives.org. The community has raised over $2 million in the first four years of this 12-hour fundraising marathon. Join us again for this community-wide “day of giving” and celebrate the power of giving back.

CFFC Creates a Strategic Plan

This year, the Community Foundation of Fayette County (CFFC) is celebrating its 25th anniversary. To help reflect on CFFC’s role in the community and set focus on the desired impact for the future, the foundation has created a Strategic Plan for 2024-2027.

Pictured: (bottom row, left to right) Casey Leonard, Garnet Gordon, Angela Braun, Terry Burden, CJ Callahan, Renee Couser, (top row, left to right) Rebecca Wardle, Jim Kline, Jordan Pallitto, Josh Ellsworth, David Hughes, Jim Foutz, Ron Gabriel, Michael George, Larry Kiefer, Brandon Katzeff. Missing from photo: Ed Balling, Ed Capuzzi, Jim Higinbotham, Will James, John LaCarte, Lee O’Neil,

Throughout the past 25 years, the foundation has granted over $15 million to the community. CFFC’s philanthropy is credited to the collective effort of many generous and passionate people who help to make a positive impact.

Foundation board members and staff worked with The Hill Group, a management consultant firm, over the course of eight months to strategize for increased impact for the county, nonprofits, and donors.

CFFC’s Strategic Planning Committee during a meeting with Jordan Pallitto of The Hill Group.

The Strategic Plan includes an update to the foundation’s mission statement: “Our mission is to build a stronger Fayette County by inspiring charitable giving, supporting nonprofits, and nurturing positive community impact.”

CFFC created a vision statement: “We envision a thriving Fayette County that is uplifted by generous donors and strong nonprofits.” To complement the mission and vision, the foundation identified four values as stability, community, impact, and integrity.

 

Committee members categorized CFFC’s priorities.

Strategic goals will guide CFFC’s work in the coming years, centered around the following categories: growth and impact; awareness and engagement; organization and operations.

“Many of the goals and priorities in this Strategic Plan are targets we’ve discussed over the years. Now, the board and staff have a guide for achieving the charitable impact we all want to see. We’re grateful to everyone who helped throughout this Strategic Plan process,” said Renee M. Couser, CFFC Executive Director.

View the summary page of CFFC’s Strategic Plan.

CFFC Strategic Plan - Summary Page