Letter from the Foundation President & CEO
Dear Friend of the Foundation,
Every day I’m inspired by the unwavering dedication and efforts of our local nonprofit organizations. I wanted to take a moment to say a huge thank you to all the amazing nonprofits right here in Hancock County. Day in and day out, these organizations work on the front lines, addressing crucial needs and enriching the lives of our neighbors. Whether helping families, supporting kids, caring for our environment, or enriching our lives in countless other ways, your work is truly the heart of our community. We see your passion, and we’re so grateful for everything you do.
In addition to grantmaking, one of the ways The Community Foundation supports local nonprofits is through a program called Organizational Strengthening. We know that a strong, effective organization is better equipped to achieve its mission and serve our community. We also know that running a nonprofit requires a lot of hard work behind the scenes – like planning for the future, board and governance work, managing finances, and raising the funds needed to keep going. The Organizational Strengthening program is our way to help local nonprofits go from good to great.
Our Organizational Strengthening program offers support in all the aforementioned areas through workshops, one-on-one coaching and more. We provide resources and guidance to help these vital organizations build a solid foundation so they can focus on what they do best: serving our community. It might not be as visible as some of the direct services our nonprofits provide, but it’s an important way we can help them thrive and continue making a difference in Hancock County for years to come.
Of course, none of this would be possible without the incredible generosity of those in our community. Your kindness and belief in our community make programs like ours possible. When you give to The Community Foundation, you're investing in the future of Hancock County, and we can't thank you enough for that trust and support.
The dedication of our nonprofits, combined with the generosity of our donors and the support we offer through programs like Organizational Strengthening, creates a fantastic team effort right here at home. We're all working together to make Hancock County the best it can be, and we're so thankful to have you on this journey with us.
Sincerely,
BRIAN P. TREECE, ED.D. PRESIDENT & CEO
Responsive Grants
At the May meeting, the Foundation Board awarded grants totaling $519,104. Responsive grants were awarded to:
• Awakening Minds Art
• Children’s Mentoring Connection
• City Mission
• Cory-Rawson Local Schools
• Findlay Art League
• Findlay-Hancock County Chamber Alliance Foundation
• Findlay YMCA
• Fort Findlay Playhouse
• Fostoria First Church of the Nazarene
• Habitat for Humanity
• Hancock County ADAMHS Board
• Hancock County Agricultural Society
• Hancock County Educational Service Center
• Hancock Historical Museum
• Marathon Center for the Performing Arts
• Open Arms Domestic Violence and Rape Crisis Services
• Village of Arlington
• Village of McComb
• Village of Mt. Blanchard
A Rising Tide
How the Foundation partners with donors to lift the ships of local nonprofit organizations for the benefit of all in the community
Since 2011, The Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation has offered a customized curriculum of unique programs – programs only offered to nonprofit leaders, staff and boards. The intent behind the program is to take nonprofits from good to great. These organizations provide high-performing initiatives and programs to community members in need and improve systems to support their missions. Organizations involved in this program demonstrate their commitment to ongoing improvement to donors and funders, like the Foundation.
History of Support
The Schneider Circle was the first version of this nonprofit support program. Twelve local nonprofit organizations were part of the first cohort, which met from 2011 to 2012 to build synergy and stability among agencies that provide vital services to the community.
“We wanted to give them tools to become selfsustaining,” said then Foundation program director Julie Brown. “We wanted good agencies to reach for greatness.”
The Schneider Circle was funded through a two-year, $98,914 grant from the Madeline T. Schneider Fund at The Community Foundation. The program was named in honor of Madeleine Schneider, who, upon her death, left an endowed gift of $25 million to The Community Foundation.
Schneider Circle brought national experts in fundraising, leadership, strategic planning, organizational effectiveness and more to Hancock County at no cost to the organizations. The consultants worked one-on-one with all Schneider Circle members.
A second Schneider Circle cohort launched in 2013 with a $130,190 grant from the Foundation. After the second iteration, Foundation staff recommended moving to an annual curriculum model called Nonprofit Capacity Building to offer continuous training to more nonprofit organizations, which continued through 2020.
Sustaining Strengths
In 2021, the Foundation launched the current iteration of its curriculum, now known as Organizational
Strengthening. The Organizational Strengthening Program has four key aspects: workshops, coaching, individual professional development and professional services assistance. Each year, the Foundation surveys organizations on their current needs or wishes for future training, which are built into the program.
"Our agency, and many others, are stronger and functioning at a high capacity thanks to the offerings from The Community Foundation,” said one participant.
Workshops
Organizations are invited to attend a variety of customized workshops each year. In 2025, there will be 12 opportunities. Three seminars are led by the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy instructors, including a webinar and two in-person classes geared toward nonprofit fundraising staff. Others include AI, advocacy strategies, strategic marketing, and leadership development.
Coaching
Four coaches contract with the Foundation to offer services at no cost to local nonprofits. Their expertise covers advancement, advocacy, communication, governance, human resources, strategic planning and more. Nonprofit organizations can sign up for up to four two-hour sessions annually. Each session, they can work one-on-one with the coach to solve a problem, work on a project, ask for expert advice or whatever would best help their organization.
"The fundraising support we received by working with coaches helped us improve our outreach efforts,” said one participant. “The consultants helped us develop compelling fundraising messages and encouraged us to
think about the donor's perspective as we developed our fundraising campaign. With their assistance, we have developed focused plans for future projects.”
Individual Professional Development
The Individual Professional Development (IPD) program is the most customized of the Organizational Strengthening offerings. A pool of funds is set aside. Nonprofits then apply for funds to participate in experiences relevant to their leaders or organizations irrelevant to the entire nonprofit community. These funds are available not only to nonprofit leaders but also to staff throughout the organization.
In five years, 105 participants representing 45 nonprofit organizations have been awarded $67,562 in IPD funds.
Professional Services Assistance
The Professional Services Assistance (PSA) Program is the newest part of Organizational Strengthening. In recent years, The Community Foundation staff noticed an increased need locally for professional services in specific areas, like crisis communications, legal, and information technology. These needs can emerge quickly and unexpectedly, potentially leaving nonprofits unprepared. To address this need, The Community Foundation is piloting the PSA program to assist and stabilize nonprofits in crisis circumstances.
Examples include billable hours for a consultation with a lawyer, a communication specialist, or technology consultation services. Technology assistance could include consultation regarding cyber security, malware or a technology failure.
Funding Forever
The Foundation has invested more than $1.4 million in supporting nonprofits through Organizational Strengthening efforts in the last 15 years. This is an investment in more than an organization; it is an investment in its people, the clients it serves, and the community as a whole.
“Our community is at its best when we work together, and the Organizational Strengthening Program is a great example of that,” said Brian Treece, President & CEO of the Foundation. “Donors invest with the Foundation, the Foundation invests in nonprofits, and nonprofits invest in our community. We’ve seen organizations raise funds, make successful leadership transitions, implement new programs, collaborate with new partners, and so much more. This growth is incredibly impactful, and the work each organization is doing will benefit our community for generations.”
Many nonprofits are seeing increased demand for services, making the need for funding and support even more critical.
“The nonprofit sector is the front line of serving Hancock County residents of all ages, backgrounds, and socioeconomic backgrounds,” said Cassie Turner, Community Engagement Officer at the Foundation.
“By providing resources such as local workshops, coaching and financial support through Organizational Strengthening, the Foundation builds deeper relationships with our partners and better understands their work and the clients they serve. Our work with nonprofits helps strengthen organizations and staff members serve the community.”
The Organizational Strengthening Program benefits the organizations and their clients, and the investment also means more opportunities for the Foundation.
"Hancock County is blessed to have collaborative nonprofits committed to supporting and strengthening our community,” said Chief Community Engagement Officer Kimberly Bash. “Our nonprofits and systems, like housing, mental health, childcare and more, must be strong, resilient, and responsive to changing community needs. By building the capacity of our nonprofits and coalitions to do this critical work through our Organizational Strengthening initiative, the Foundation can better meet its mission of improving the quality of life for all in the community.”
2024 Donor Perception Report
Your input is invaluable to us, and we are grateful to all the donors* who participated in our second Donor Perception Report, facilitated in 2024 by the Center for Effective Philanthropy (CEP). Your perspective helps us understand how you feel about your relationship with The Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation, what you’d like that relationship to look like in the years ahead and share suggestions for improving our services. As we strive to serve our community to the best of our ability, your feedback helps us benchmark against ourselves and nearly 100 other community foundations nationwide.
HIGHLY SATISFIED DONORS
OUTSTANDING IMPACT
Top 10% of community foundations for donors’ overall satisfaction with the Foundation.
Top 15% of community foundations for donors’ likelihood of recommending the Foundation to a friend or colleague.
More than half of donors say their top reason for giving with TCF is our knowledge of the community and nonprofits.
TCF’s donors rank the Foundation higher than 93% of community foundations for impact and understanding of the community.
Top 5% of community foundations for the extent to which the Foundation makes them feel more connected to Findlay and Hancock County, enhances donors’ knowledge of issues, and how wellknown the Foundation is among their friends and colleagues in the community.
In their written comments, donors emphasize that the Foundation’s greatest strengths include “listening to the needs of the community” and “being a leader in the community to help solve the most important issues in Findlay-Hancock County.”
*28% of our fundholders completed the survey; CEP typically sees a 25% response rate.
STELLAR INTERACTIONS AND VALUABLE EVENTS
Top 5% of community foundations for staff responsiveness to donors.
Top 5% of community foundations for clearly communicating our goals and community needs.
They have a team who truly cares about matching donors with the needs of the community. They are not simply looking to raise money, but to build life-long relationships that benefit the community. "
ANONYMOUS SURVEY PARTICIPANT
NEXT STEPS
Based on donor feedback, TCF is working to build on its strengths to address areas for improvement:
Lindsy, here are pull quotes, if needed:
• Reinforce strengths and share successful practices with more of the community.
• Continue sharing educational materials and events for donors.
• Share more impact stories.
• “Bringing community members together to best address needs is one of the Foundation’s greatest assets. They really care about the impact they are making, and the difference it has on our community. We are blessed to have this wonderful Foundation making a forever difference in Hancock County.”
• “The Foundation is deeply embedded in our community. They foster collaboration and are extremely knowledgeable about the entities involved in charitable work in our community.”
DID YOU KNOW?
About The Family Center
In 2002, The Community Foundation celebrated its 10-year anniversary. The board dreamed of celebrating by making a notable impact in the way human services were delivered in Hancock County. Many local agencies were struggling with an increased demand for services, reduced funding, and inadequate facilities, which hindered them in effectively providing services to individuals and families.
A separate organization called Hancock Properties Foundation was formed as an extension of The Community Foundation to manage The Family Center and other real estate. The Board purchased a vacant grocery store in May 2005 and planning for The Family Center began.
The Family Center opened its doors May 1, 2006, with 17 agencies housed in the building. Nine of the original agencies remain and several others have joined. Since then, several agencies have outgrown The Family Center and the building has been renovated to meet the changing needs of tenant agencies.
New Funds of the Foundation
The latest funds established by generous philanthropists and organizations in the community.
• Awakening Minds Art Fund
This fund supports Awakening Minds Art in its mission to provide therapeutic and educational visual art programs to all ages and abilities.
• Richard & Sabrina Kirk Youth Scholarship
Established in memory of Richard Kirk. This scholarship will support Hancock County youth pursuing careers in agriculture and the trades.
• Miracle League of Findlay Fund
This fund supports Miracle League of Findlay in its mission to provide a safe and fun environment where those with special needs can play baseball in a stadium of their own.
• Michael J. Rossi Memorial Scholarship
This fund was established in memory of Michael J. Rossi and will support a student in the Electrical Engineering program at the University of Toledo.
• Scarlet G. Smith Findlay Silver Blades Figure Skating Club Support Fund
This fund, established in Scarlet’s honor by her parents, will support covering membership fees for students in need at the Findlay Silver Blades Figure Skating Club.
• Wyatt C. Smith Findlay Trojan Marching Band Fund
This fund, established in Wyatt’s honor by his parents, will support the Findlay City School Findlay Trojan Marching Band.
Visit community-foundation.com to read about these funds and many others.
NONPROFIT SPOTLIGHT
Marathon Center for the Performing Arts
The Marathon Center for the Performing Arts (MCPA) mission is to enrich our community through arts, culture and entertainment. MCPA hosts over 300 events a year, from concerts and Broadway performances to weddings and preschool graduation ceremonies. The Foundation has supported MCPA since the original Save Central committee was created in 2013. MCPA is a regular partner of the Foundation’s Fun for All series of free community events, and staff attend the Foundation’s Organizational Strengthening programs. Consider the following funds on communityfoundation.com to help MCPA foster an appreciation for the dramatic, dance and musical arts in and around our community.
• Beverly Fisher Fund for the Fisher/Wall Art Gallery of the MCPA
• Beverly Fisher Fund for the Marathon Center for the Performing Arts
• Hancock County Performing Arts Center Fund dba MCPA
• Marianna Hofer Arts Endowment (administered by MCPA)
• Judy D. Sink Fund for the Marathon Center for the Performing Arts
• James R. and Patricia A. Wall Family Fund for the Marathon Performing Arts Center
• Gene and Margie White Piano Fund for the MCPA
Your support of their work is appreciated!
Gifts from a Retirement Plan
Your IRA can be subject to double taxation if passed on to heirs, but there is no tax when it is used to make a charitable gift to The Community Foundation.
How It Works
• Name or designate the Foundation as a beneficiary of your IRA, 401(k), or other qualified retirement plan.
• Leave your assets to your heirs, your IRA to the Foundation and nothing to the IRS.
• Important! Please notify the Foundation of your gift so we can honor your intent. Your plan administrator is not obligated to notify us.
Benefits
• Continue to take regular lifetime withdrawals.
• Maintain flexibility to change beneficiaries if your family’s needs change during your lifetime.
• Your heirs avoid double taxation and may receive an estate tax deduction.
For more detailed information, please contact Tasha Dimling, Director of Major and Planned Giving, who will assist you through every step of the process. Contact Tasha at (419) 425-1100 or tdimling@community-foundation.com.
Fun For All.
Visit communityfoundation.com/fun for the schedule, which we add to regularly!
In January 2023, The Community Foundation launched Fun for All. The goal of this program is to provide affordable, family-friendly activities in Hancock County, which we’ve repeatedly heard is a challenge. More than 20,000 people attended these events in 2023 and 2024, and we’re thrilled to continue these offerings.
JUNE 5
Teen Event at Bernard Park 3-5 p.m.
JUNE 9
Symphony Storytime at the Findlay-Hancock County Public Library 10:30 a.m.
JUNE 14
Tile Painting at Findlay Art League 1-4 p.m.
JUNE 15
Free Pool Day at McComb Pool 12-6 p.m.
JUNE 21
Game-A-Palooza at 50 North 12-4 p.m.
JUNE 21
Free Pool Day at Riverside Pool 12-6 p.m.
JULY 3
Kids Zone at Red, White and Boom! At the Hancock County Fairgrounds 12-8 p.m.
JULY 4
Free Pool Day at McComb Pool 12-6 p.m.
JULY 12
Free Pool Day at Riverside Pool 12-6 p.m.
Make Your Own Candle Holders at Findlay Art League 1-4 p.m.
Flag City Sluggers Game at the Cube 6:30 p.m.
JULY 19
Game-A-Palooza at 50 North 12-4 p.m.
