Capital Region Cares Capital Region Cares 2017-2018 | Page 140

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young people donating in smaller amounts, so they can get
to know and appreciate the work these foundations do over
time. The more points of contact between a community
foundation and young folks who want to give back, the logic
goes, the better the chance of building a lasting relationship.
One way to maximize engagement is the one-off fund-
raising event, such as Giving Tuesday or the Big Day of Giv-
ing. Last year, Amador raised $110,000 on Giving Tuesday,
with all 26 participating regional nonprofits reporting new
donors.
Other foundations seek youth in leadership roles. “We
recognize that the future is in that next generation,” Philipp
says. “What we have done is added new board members who
are younger and who represent that next generation coming
in.” Philipp is retiring as head of the San Joaquin Communi-
ty Foundation later this year. Her successor is just 36 years
old.
And then there’s the challenge of fostering a culture of
giving.
Historically, according to Harris, Solano County has
the lowest per capita rate of giving in the Bay Area. Just last
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CAPITAL REGION CARES 2017 | comstocksmag.com
year the county’s largest source of giving — the Frank H.
and Eva B. Buck Foundation — folded, leaving the Solano
Community Foundation as the largest grantmaker in the
county, and not before leaving the community foundation
some of its grant money. A new fund could mean the world
to the county’s 600 nonprofits.
The modern community foundation’s strongest value
sell is its role as the nexus between do-gooder organiza-
tions and folks who want to see their money go back into
the community. But in a time of diverse challenges, how
should it look to the future?
“I think there’s a golden opportunity for communi-
ty foundations moving forward,” says Kaufman, of Third
Plateau. “They sit at the intersection between the philan-
thropic community and the nonprofit community, and if
they strategically collect data from both sides they can
very smartly and efficiently move philanthropic capital to
the needs of the community.” n
Dave Kempa is a freelance reporter and adjunct journalism
professor at American River College.