Community Leadership

Since GCF’s founding in 1963, more than half a billion dollars has been made in grants, many in response to specific needs identified by nonprofit organizations working across our region to build a strong community. (Read more about applying for a grant from GCF)

Extending our Reach
Beginning in 1997, GCF led a cluster of initiatives addressing some pressing needs in our community, including racial equity, community revitalization, education, and regional cooperation. These initiatives represent a proactive, long-term, high-dollar commitment to solving systemic problems – a logical next step to our years of responding to current and critical community needs through competitive grants.

Listening to the Community
In 2002, GCF conducted a “community listening” process to identify additional priority community issues in our six grantmaking areas. More than 300 community leaders and volunteers participated. As a result of these conversations, GCF committed $2.2 million over five years to four new initiatives. Today, GCF gets input throughout the year from six advisory committees, full of volunteers with expertise and a passion for our six focus areas.

As the region’s community foundation, GCF is uniquely positioned to provide long-term leadership. We make grants and support positive change in: Arts & Culture, Community & Economic Development, Education, Environment, Health, and Human Services. As a permanent endowment, we can invest time and resources over years, even generations, to lead on longstanding issues and emerging concerns.

Collective Impact
GCF’s community leadership work is often characterized by strategic partnerships between grantmakers, creating greater impact than any one foundation or corporation could accomplish alone. 

Leverage
Our grants – often the first money into a project – help bring additional resources to the table. In some cases, the multiplier effect is huge – far more resources are brought to bear on an issue than GCF could ever invest on its own.

Building On Our Best
Many people and organizations work hard across this community to make it better – we believe in building on those strengths wherever they are, and making sure that citizens have a way to participate in changes that affect their community.