Dear Friends,
This year, we are marking the 20th anniversary of The Community Foundation in Montgomery County by extending a special and heartfelt thanks to the generous people who make up our Community Foundation family.
It is an honor to be a partner and facilitator with our many donors, helping them give to the causes they care about most deeply. Today, there are over 700 giving funds at The Community Foundation in the National Capital Region, 300 of which are under the care of the Montgomery County affiliate. Collectively, The Community Foundation’s funds have given a remarkable one billion dollars to organizations throughout the region and around the world. This year in particular, we are proud of the $88 million our donors have given to nonprofits right here at home in Montgomery County.
Behind those numbers are stories of people who bring tremendous passion to their giving, leveraging their creativity and strategic thinking to help organizations deepen their impact. Most importantly, their viral enthusiasm inspires friends and family members to learn more, get involved, and give.
As part of our anniversary, we are launching a year-long “thank-a-thon” series to share the stories of our donors and the collective impact we have made together. To kick it off, we want to introduce you to you to Susan Freed. Susan is a wealth advisor by day who wanted to find a fun way to teach her young daughter, Maddie, about the importance of giving time, talent, and treasure to our hometown community. As a member of the Sharing Montgomery Grants Committee, Susan got a close-up look at the many needs in the county and then asked the Foundation to replicate that experience for her daughter and friends. Through a giving circle, the girls learned the value of helping others and explored strategies to make a difference. As you will see in this video, Susan and Maddie demonstrate how philanthropy can be fun and profoundly rewarding for the whole family.
As you hear about other stories of our donors throughout the year, we hope you too feel proud of how our philanthropic investments play a unique and vital role in making Montgomery County a stronger community where all of our neighbors can thrive. Looking forward, we are confident that your example will inspire many others to “give where we live.”
Sincerely,
Anna Hargrave, Executive Director
The Community Foundation in Montgomery County