Local organization accredited with rigorous philanthropic standards
St. Cloud, Minn. – CommunityGiving is pleased to announce that they have recently received reaccreditation with the National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations®, the nation’s highest standard for philanthropic excellence. National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations® establish legal, ethical, and effective practices for community foundations everywhere. CommunityGiving and its partner foundations have been accredited with the National Standards of U.S. Community Foundations® since 2006.
“Meeting the National Standards benchmarks is a rigorous, comprehensive process,” said Randy Royster, Chair of the Community Foundations National Standards Board. “This accreditation is a significant accomplishment that indicates CommunityGiving and its partner foundations demonstrate a commitment to transparency, quality, integrity and accountability as it carries out its mission.”
“By becoming reaccredited with National Standards, we are affirming our promise to serve our communities to the highest standard in the field.” says John Herges, chair of the CommunityGiving Board of Directors.
The National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations® program requires community foundations to document their policies for donor services, investments, grantmaking and administration. With over 500 community foundations already accredited nationwide, the program is designed to provide quality assurance to donors, as well as to their legal and financial advisors.
“It is important to our donors and fundholders that we meet National Standards,” said Steve Joul, President & CEO of CommunityGiving. “When people make a charitable bequest or establish a fund, they are putting their trust in us. They are counting on us to manage the investment wisely, honor their charitable wishes and, in some cases, provide lifetime income to a loved one. The National Standards accreditation says our house is in order.”
CommunityGiving is a network of community foundations united to create efficiencies that maximize the impact of our donors. The core foundations working with CommunityGiving include the Alexandria Area Community Foundation, the Brainerd Lakes Area Community Foundation, the Community Foundation for Carver County, the Central Minnesota Community Foundation, the Paynesville Area Community Foundation and the Willmar Area Community Foundation. Collectively, CommunityGiving administers over 1,000 funds totaling nearly $195 million. Learn more at CommunityGiving.org.