Community Chest, Foundation join forces for charity

McCook, Nebraska -- The McCook Community Foundation Fund has announced plans to welcome the Community Chest of McCook as an account within the Fund. The move is designed to strengthen Community Chest's support of local social service agencies, enhance services for donors and allow Community Chest to focus on "what it does best."

Following unanimous approval by the Fund Advisory Committee of MCFF and the Board of Directors of Community Chest of McCook, Community Chest of McCook (formerly doing business as McCook United Way) will dissolve as a separate organization and come within MCFF's philanthropic network. Final authorization for the venture is anticipated within the next month.

Under the new partnership, the Community Chest of McCook will operate as an Account of McCook Community Foundation Fund while retaining its support for local social service agencies and maintaining volunteer involvement through an Account Committee. As an affiliated fund of the Nebraska Community Foundation, MCFF provides each of its accounts unmatched financial management, strategic development and security. The new Community Chest Account Committee will continue to be responsible for fundraising.

"We are thrilled to become a part of McCook Community Foundation Fund. We have been very deliberate in taking this next step and we believe we have found the best partner possible. This new structure allows us to focus on what we do best: raising money to support organizations that provide essential services to McCook's neediest community members," explained Community Chest Coordinator Linda Schiffelbein.

The merger will provide Community Chest with new and extensive administrative, operational support, marketing resources and fundraising expertise provided by McCook Community Foundation Fund. Immediate benefits for the community will include:

* Lower administrative fees, allowing for more money to flow to the agencies Community Chest supports

* Increased resources committed to engagement of existing and prospective donors

* Active and engaged donor services and expertise so that Community Chest may better utilize planned giving opportunities and innovative charitable gifting tools

* Enhanced efficiencies and cost-savings through the Nebraska Community Foundation's wide range of support services, including finance and administration, development and donor services, grantmaking and marketing,

* Access for Community Chest to the Nebraska Community Foundation's robust investment options for funds.

"Our overarching objective is to create strong and resourceful community support for the vital social service organizations in McCook. MCFF is better positioned to serve the families, individuals and organizations of McCook than our previous partner," said Karen Kliment of Community Chest's Account Committee. "We are honored and delighted to be joining with McCook Community Foundation Fund, an organization that is recognized regionally and state-wide for transformative philanthropic work."

Discussions between both organizations began in early 2013, initiated by Community Chest, concerned that it was not receiving the attention and resources needed to maintain its annual giving in the post-recession economy. Established in 1962, then joining the United Way network in 1992, Community Chest currently raises and distributes more than $90,000 annually to 13 social service organizations in Southwest Nebraska.

"It is an issue of capacity and on our own, we lack the critical mass to continue to develop our organization at the pace we believe is required in order to provide the impact, engagement and resources that are so needed in our community," said Lisa Felker of the Community Chest Account Committee.

"We embrace this exciting new step . This organization has been helping McCook for over 5 decades, and we are embracing this exciting new step as we've embraced other steps in our past. This is the right time and the right move for us and provides us with the perfect partner in McCook Community Foundation Fund," says Karen Shepherd of Community Chest.

The McCook Community Foundation Fund works to maintain McCook as a vibrant, inclusive community with access to the world for generations to come. McCook's legacy and heritage have endured for 130 years. MCFF helps prepare McCook for the next 130. If you would like more information about the McCook Community Foundation Fund, please visit nebcommfound.org/fund/McCook, email foundation@mccookne.org, like us at facebook.com/McCookCommunityFoundationFund or call (308) 344-9363.