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Community foundation offers gift giving ideas.
PENTWATER – Have you ever considered giving a holiday gift to your community? Oceana County nonprofits have made a list, and you can check it twice! As part of its philanthropy leadership, the Community Foundation for Oceana County (CFOC) annually invites area nonprofits to indicate which projects and purchases can only happen with the financial support from the community.
Over 89 “wishes” were submitted and can be found at www.oceana-foundation.org/community-wish-lists. The overall list is divided into those costing less than $500, $500-$1,500, and over $1,500.
“This is the sixth year we’ve posted these wish lists, and the enthusiasm keeps going up. Nonprofits need the help more than ever, and these wishes help to cover those extra items beyond their strapped budgets. Last year, we had over 20 wishes met, often by folks (and even employee groups) looking for holiday giving ideas. It’s exciting to see this platform catch the interest of so many,” said Executive Director Tammy Carey.
Wish list ideas span the county geographically and across different needs – you can support a wish in your town, your school, your favorite nonprofit or cause. “There’s likely a wish that’s just perfect for you. One area resident told us that it reminds her of her childhood, and going through the Sears Roebuck catalog in kind of a reverse Christmas list,” noted Carey.
The foundation encourages the greater community to check out the posted wish lists, and then contact the nonprofit directly to support a wish. Just let the nonprofit know that you saw its wish posted on the foundation website. If you have an advised fund in the foundation, you can make a grant directly from your fund to support one or more wishes.
The foundation envisions an Oceana where everyone has access to resources to thrive. It receives and manages contributions from donors and organizations and provided $827,427 in grants and scholarships in 2018. For more information about granting a wish, establishing a fund at the CFOC or otherwise supporting it, call Carey at 231-869-3377, visit www.oceana-foundation.org, or check out www.facebook.com/oceanafoundation.
