---

News & Events

News Release

September 1, 2006

Community Foundation Website Wins National Award

The Middlesex County Community Foundation has received a national award for its website. The 2006 Wilmer Shields Rich Awards Program gave the Community Foundation a Silver Award for its website, www.MiddlesexCountyCF.org. Sponsored by the Council on Foundations, the awards program recognizes effective communications efforts to increase public awareness of foundations and corporate giving programs. This is the fifth national communications award presented to the Community Foundation since its founding in 1997.

The website provides information for donors, grant seekers and professional advisors in an easy to navigate format. The site, which is updated on a regular basis, has many sections including the community foundation's history, leadership, financial summaries and investment results.

“We are pleased to use the internet to broadcast information about the Foundation in such a cost effective manner while receiving national recognition for our communication efforts,” stated Herb Clark, Community Foundation Board Chair. “We hope to reach even more people, through the website, and have them learn about the many ways our Community Foundation helps build a better community.”

Potential grantees will want to check out the Grants Section for Foundation Guidelines, the timetable and processes for annual competitive grantmaking cycle which begins with Letters of Intent due later this month. Grants made in the past three years are listed by year detailing the focus area and amounts awarded.

Donors and prospective donors can learn about the many types of funds that can be established to benefit the community, including unrestricted, field of interest, designated and donor advised funds. A list of donor and board established Funds is provided to provide examples of these types of funds.

A recently added section provides information on Planned Giving and the Community Foundation's newest offering, Charitable Gift Annuities. Definitions and rate tables are included to give interested persons an idea of how they can benefit from these planned gift options.

Additional sections have copies of media releases, newsletters and annual reports. Community Foundation partners are also named with links to their websites.

Middlesex County Community Foundation website was designed by a collaborative effort of Foundation volunteers and staff and webmaster Stephen Shaw of Payson, LLC (www.whoistheoldguy.com) which hosts the site.

The Middlesex County Community Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life in Middlesex County. Its mission is to work with charitably-minded individuals and organizations, to build permanent endowments and other charitable funds to support local non-profit organizations through effective grantmaking to address community needs.

The Foundation works cooperatively with other funders and non-profits to enhance philanthropy and improve conditions in the county. Since its founding in 1997, Middlesex County Community Foundation has provided over $700,000 in grants to more than 125 organizations to improve the arts; cultural and heritage programs; educational activities; environmental conditions; and health and human services. The Community Foundation welcomes conversations with good people who want to do great things. More information can be obtained at www.MiddlesexCountyCF.org or by calling Patti Anne Vassia, president at 860.347.0025 x203.