Caring for Our Communities

Community funds managed under CFA’s umbrella create a special opportunity: They allow for localized, collective philanthropy so individuals can make a difference in their communities forever.

Both the Bedford County Community Fund and the Somerset County Community Fund are endowed, meaning the principal will never be spent and the funds will be able to make grants to causes in those counties in perpetuity.

In Bedford County this year, the Bedford County Community Fund reached the $100,000 milestone—allowing for the first grants to be distributed from that fund.

The Somerset County Community Fund continues to grow and, through the #SomersetCountyGives campaign, it is moving closer to a $1 million goal. By June 30, 2020, the balance had reached more than $714,000, and over the past year the fund distributed $26,400 in grants to Somerset County organizations, including funding to address needs that arose due to the coronavirus pandemic. Donors who contributed to the Somerset County Community Fund—past, present, and future—helped feed families, care for children, support arts, sustain emergency services, and house the homeless this year.

CFA also brought on new directors for the Bedford County Endowments and Somerset County Endowments this year: Dina McGee and Lladel Lichty. They now serve as the primary point of contact for anyone interested in opening a fund in one of those counties, contributing to the counties’ community funds, or creating a legacy to benefit a cause in Bedford or Somerset counties. To find out more, reach out to Dina at dmcgee@cfalleghenies.org or (814) 623-0044 or Lladel at llichty@cfalleghenies.org or (814) 525-9020.

CLICK HERE to explore more of the 2020 Annual Report.