Archive: Around Town

For the second year in a row, a long-time Ithaca resident has pledged a $100,000 gift to Community Foundation of Tompkins County to fund an endowment that supports a wide range of local nonprofit organizations.

The donor, who asked to remain anonymous, made the gift with the hope that she would encourage other Tompkins County residents to make a pledge to Community Foundation. Last November, the same donor also gave $100,000 to Community Foundation.

"This is someone who is showing her gratitude for living in our community," said George Ferrari, chief executive officer of Community Foundation. "As we enter the giving season and people reflect on giving thanks, this is a great example of somebody putting those thoughts into a powerful action."

Half of the donor's gift was designated for the Tompkins Today Tomorrow Fund, which has supported numerous local organizations, including the Newfield Public Library, the Finger Lakes Toy Library, Village at Ithaca and Historic Ithaca. Created in 2003, the fund is administered by the Community Foundation's board of directors.

The other half will be used to support Community Foundation's current operations. Community Foundation was established in 2000 by civic leaders who believed Tompkins County needed a local resource to address local needs. In 2017, it distributed 418 grants totaling $1.6 million to nonprofits in Tompkins County.

This fall, the anonymous donor learned that a couple is making plans in their will to donate a major gift to the Tompkins Today and Tomorrow endowment. "More people are seeing the value of making gifts for flexible grantmaking," the donor said. "That is just what I hoped would happen when I made these gifts."

Ferrari said the donor should be recognized for using her gift to encourage others to help support the work of nonprofits in Tompkins County. "The Community Foundation appreciates consistent and loyal donors who give regularly, and certainly we recognize and celebrate donors who give with a particular interest in inviting others to make gifts," Ferrari said.

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