NURTURE


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SPARK EDUCATION From Zero to a Hundred (Thousand) in No Time at All


In 2012 The Community Foundation of the Chattahoochee Valley celebrated a huge milestone — $50 million in charitable grants since its founding — by making the community a deal: They donated $50,000 to schools around the region and challenged donors to match it.


The community rose to that challenge. In just eight weeks.


“From my talks with colleagues who’ve done similar matches, I was prepared for the project to take up to eight months to complete,” says Betsy Covington, executive director of the CFCV. “One community foundation saw a $50,000 match met in six weeks, but they spent $37,000 to promote the project in their community. We spent $75 on some business cards to tell the story. Never doubt that this is a generous community!”


Maybe local donors were attracted by the fact that they could choose where their donations went. The Community Foundation directed them to make their donations through DonorsChoose.org, where teachers


post projects and list the materials needed to make them happen — and donors select specific projects to receive their gifts. The challenge attracted 641 matching contributions, which ultimately provided full funding for 253 projects reaching more than 23,000 area students.


“My students and I are beyond overwhelmed at the outpouring of generosity from all of you!” wrote one grateful teacher from LaGrange. “What a wonderful testament to the kindness that can come from other human beings. This is a wonderful teaching opportunity for not only science, but also for character education.”


Covington says she hopes the success of this project will forge a lasting partnership between area residents and DonorsChoose.org and create what she calls “raging philanthropists.”


“That’s one of the things we’re passionate about at the Community Foundation,” she says. “We hope that our community has caught some of that passion and will continue to use DonorsChoose.org to make a difference.”


The $1,707,144 in Education support included the annual grant from the Mother Mary Mission Endowment Fund at the CFCV, purchase funds for the Columbus Public Library’s Southern Literature Collection, 61 grants for various programs at Columbus State University, equipment for visually impaired students in the Muscogee County School District, and college scholarships for 27 WestPoint Fund Community Scholars. Above, Eric Crouch, 1st grade teacher at Double Churches Elementary, uses technology he received through DonorsChoose.org every day.


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