 September 17, 2007 – A desire for preserving a safe and growing community brought together residents and community leaders to mark the formal launch of The Ranch Community Foundation, an affiliate of The San Diego Foundation that will serve residents of 4S Ranch and the surrounding communities exclusively. Community leaders, businesses and nonprofits met last week over wine and cheese to celebrate the new community foundation and to inform others about the benefit of the initiative.
This new Community Foundation is part of an ongoing initiative and will also be known as Endow The Ranch Community. Residents of 4S Ranch and the surrounding area recognized the need for Endow The Ranch Community, already seeing successful community foundations in Escondido, Rancho Bernardo, Oceanside and Carlsbad.
The Ranch Community Foundation has already attracted 16 members, all of whom are founding members and include both businesses and individuals. These founding members have made a commitment of at least $250 for individuals and at least $1,000 for businesses per year, for three years. The Ranch Community Foundation already has contributions and commitments totaling $45,000 over the next three years.
“4S Ranch and its surrounding communities are unique and we feel it is important to preserve our quality of life now and for generations to come,” states Chair Ray Shay. “The Ranch Community Foundation is an opportunity for individuals and businesses to pool their resources and make a significant impact on the community for the benefit of children, schools and safety issues.”
Endow The Ranch Community is a community-specific effort to meet the emerging needs of the 4S Ranch area and the surrounding communities by encouraging and increasing responsible and effective philanthropy. The aim is to build endowments, which will provide support for charitable causes in these communities, enhancing residents’ quality of life now and for generations to come.
Half of the membership contributions go into annual grant making, while the other half are placed in a permanent community endowment. Each year, the members of The Foundation will vote to decide where the grant making dollars go. Funds have already been placed in the Ranch Community endowment to support the community for generations to come.
Endow The Ranch Community is an ongoing effort in The San Diego Foundation’s region-wide initiative, Endow San Diego. The initiative informs and inspires San Diegans regarding the benefits of endowment. Endowments are permanent charitable funds with the requirement that the principal is never spent. The balance of these funds is invested, earning income that is then spent to support charitable works in perpetuity.
If you would like to join The Ranch Community Foundation, or to get more information, please call Heather Dugdale at (858) 385-1595, or e-mail heather@sdfoundation.org. You can also visit our website at www.endowyourcommunity.org.
About The San Diego Foundation
Founded in 1975, The San Diego Foundation is a broad-purpose community foundation helping individuals, families and organizations carry out their charitable plans, with the common goals of improving the quality of life in the greater San Diego region, now and for generations to come.
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Confirmed in Compliance with National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations.