#CF100 - A Century of Making a Difference

100 Years of History...

In 1914, Frederick Goff had a novel idea.

Goff, a Cleveland banker and lawyer, believed that by pooling their resources into a single endowment fund, philanthropists in his city could collectively improve the community.

Today, a full century later, his groundbreaking idea has not only led to the investment of more than $1.7-billion in grants in Cleveland through The Cleveland Foundation, it has spawned a form of philanthropy that is improving lives in communities across the country and around the world.

100 Years of Making a Difference...

The Council on Foundations is celebrating the 100^th anniversary of Goff’s simple yet enduring idea by shining a spotlight on the myriad ways community foundations are making a difference – and discussing how these vital institutions will serve their communities during the next 100 years.

Starting today and continuing through Community Foundation Week in November, the Council will feature stories that show how these vital institutions are addressing critical local and regional issues. In particular, we will look at innovative programs and projects that will shape their communities for years to come.

The stories will be organized into monthly themes that correspond to the 10 roles of community foundations, which were featured in the Monitor Institute’s What’s Next for Community Philanthropy,an initiative supported by the Council, that was presented at the Council’s 2013 Community Foundations Conference in San Diego.

This month, we will begin the series by telling stories and hosting conversations that describe how community foundations collect and share information. These stories will be featured on the Council’s website and social networks, and distributed through the monthly #CF100 e-mail.

Help Us Shape the Next Century

We need your help to identify stories that speak to the value and impact of community oriented philanthropy.

• If you know of a community foundation that is fulfilling one of the 10 roles in its community, please send an e-mail to CF100@cof.org with the story.
• Please submit guest blog posts, videos, and other content you want highlighted at CF100@cof.org.
• Use the #CF100 hashtag on Facebook and Twitter to bring attention to the centennial celebration and spread these stories through your own social networks.

We look forward to sharing these compelling stories about community foundations that are making a difference.

We hope to hear from you and see you in October at our Fall Conference for Community Foundations in Cleveland, where we’ll celebrate the centennial in Frederick Goff’s hometown.