Golden Belt Community Foundation recently received its re-accreditation with the nation’s highest standard for philanthropic excellence. National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations™ establish legal, ethical, effective practices for community foundations everywhere.
“Meeting the National Standards benchmarks is a rigorous, comprehensive process,” said Hugh Ralston, Chair of the Community Foundations National Standards Board. “This accreditation is a significant accomplishment that says Golden Belt Community Foundation has demonstrated a commitment to quality, integrity and accountability.”
The National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations™ program requires community foundations to document their policies for donor services, investments, grantmaking and administration. With over 500 community foundations already accredited nationwide, the program is designed to provide quality assurance to donors, as well as to their legal and financial advisors.
“This is critically important to our donors,” said Christy Tustin, Golden Belt Community Foundation Executive Director. “When people make a charitable bequest or establish a fund, they are putting their trust in us. They are counting on us to manage the investment wisely and honor their charitable wishes. The National Standards accreditation says our house is in order.”
Golden Belt Community Foundation works to meet critical community needs and support local causes, including the health and well-being of youth, the arts, and services for those in need.
Golden Belt Community Foundation offers a range of charitable funds, allowing donors to advance a cause, support an individual organization, provide flexible support for community needs or recommend individual grants. In addition to affirming the organization’s philanthropic services, the accreditation validates Golden Belt Community Foundation’s grantmaking practices for the nonprofit community.
“Grantmaking is a lot like investing,” said Tom Smith, Golden Belt Community Foundation board chair. “We need to assess risks, weigh potential gains, diversify assets, monitor performance and operate fairly. With our National Standards accreditation, you can be assured that we’re doing just that.”
National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations™ is the first program of its kind for charitable foundations in the United States.
Through philanthropic services, strategic investments and community leadership, Golden Belt Community Foundation helps people support the causes they care about, now and for generations to come.
The Community Foundations National Standards Board is a supporting organization of the Council on Foundations and is responsible for the quality, value and integrity of compliance with National Standards. For more information on the National Standards Board, visit its website at www.cfstandards.org.