Questions & Answers

What is Communityworks?

Communityworks is a multi-year regional grantmaking program designed to take on significant challenges in the Effingham and Mattoon communities. It is a joint project of the Effingham County Community Foundation and the Mattoon Area Community Foundation. Communityworks will target the three areas of childcare, workforce development, and land use and protection.

What does Communityworks mean for our region?

Communityworks provides four exciting opportunities. The first is impact - the opportunity to have a real impact on how we care for children, develop workers and protect our environment. The second is relationships - the opportunity to engage residents in issues that affect their lives and connect leaders and organizations who might collaborate in new ways. The third is issues - the opportunity to learn about and highlight important issues on the local agenda. The fourth is resources - the opportunity to bring into the community a permanent source of funding for nonprofit organizations.

How does the initiative work?

Under the leadership of the Communityworks Advisory Committee, the community foundations will organize local listening sessions during early 2007 to hear from experts and residents about needs in the three areas of early childhood care, workforce development, and land use and protection. Based on those sessions, the Advisory Committee members will decide where Communityworks can make the greatest difference. In 2007, they will develop a program of grantmaking and leadership activities - which will be launched in 2008 by the two community foundations.

How are you raising the funds?

Through local donations and matching funds from The Grand Victoria Foundation, a private foundation in Chicago that partners with community foundations around the state, we have set a goal of raising a total permanent endowment of at least $500,000. This would create a permanent source of annual funding for local nonprofits in the three issue areas - one that will continue to grow and bring more philanthropy to the region.

What does an endowment fund mean?

The $500,000 will be a permanent fund that will continue to grow. As an endowment, its principal will be invested, allowing the interest income it generates to be granted on an annual basis while protecting the fund for future generations. And $500,000 is only the beginning - the fund can accept donations on an ongoing basis to continue to build community capital.

Why are the two community foundations partnering on this project?

Collaborating on this initiative will bring new opportunities and value that each community foundation couldn’t get on its own. Mattoon and Effingham share a lot - workforce, reciprocal commerce, a common nonprofit presence. Those connections were one reason we decided to partner. Another was the opportunity to partner with Grand Victoria Foundation. who, in addition to the matching grant opportunity, has also provided an administrative grant to the community foundations of $280,000. This has allowed the foundations to hire a full-time joint staff person, achieve certification based on national standards for U.S. community foundations, as well as add important technology for effective operations.

Why should residents get involved?

Communityworks is a chance for you to make your voice heard and your contributions count. Improving the areas of child care, workforce development and land use and protection are essential to the health of your community. These three issues ultimately have a significant impact on your families, your neighbors and yourselves.

How can residents get involved?

You can contribute your time and money in these two ways:

Community Works Partners

Communityworks, Building a Stronger Community
Effingham County Community Foundation
Mattoon Area Community Foundation
Grand Victoria Foundation

Copyright 2007