Page 28 - Leisure Living Magazine: July 2021 Edition

Doing Good. Forever.
The Ottawa County
Community Foundation
By Shea McGrew, Executive Director of the OCCF
As new Executive Director of the Ottawa County Community Foundation (OCCF), I witnessed a routine but remarkable occurrence during my first several weeks. Our Board of Trustees finalized grants, totaling almost $95,000, to 34 worthy organizations and also awarded more than $141,000 in academic scholarships to 112 area high school students. With the mot- to of “Doing Good. Forever,” OCCF’s impact is broad-reaching and only made possible thanks to its generous donors.
What is a community foundation? A com- munity foundation is a non-profit charitable or- ganization providing support – primarily for the needs of its geographic area – from funds main- tained and administered on behalf of multiple donors.
Established in 1999, OCCF grew through the efforts of founder Joy Roth and dedicated board members. Receiving contributions from individ- uals, families, businesses, and other entities, it currently administers over 90 funds and, since its inception, has distributed more than $6 million in Ottawa County community grants and schol- arships.
“Shea’s breadth of experience will enhance and increase our organization’s ability to contin- ue Joy’s mission and to provide leadership and support of important community projects,” noted OCCF Board of Trustees President Jan Preston, in response to the Board’s decision to add an execu- tive director.
Recent grants and scholarships included 4-H camp counselor training, Lake Erie Islands Nature and Wildlife Center exhibits, Port Clin- ton firefighters’ CPR equipment, and support- ing children with disabilities in Boy Scouts. Last year, the Regional Incubator for Sustainability and Entrepreneurship (RISE) program, a collab- orative effort of OCCF and the Ottawa County Improvement Corporation, also provided more than $63,000 in grants to 23 businesses. RISE was
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almost entirely funded by a grant from the Burton D. Morgan Foundation.
OCCF donors may establish named funds to aid a specific organization or program, to provide student scholarships, or to provide unrestricted fundsusedforannualgrantsbenefitinglocalnon- profit organizations. Think of it as a “one-stop” service. Make a gift, indicate how you would like it used, and OCCF does the rest.
Opportunities to give
• Establish a named fund. Annual fund distri- butions may be directed to designated orga- nizations and programs or may remain unre- stricted.
• Give an unrestricted gift. Pooled with other gifts and used to support multiple organiza- tions, unrestricted gifts enable OCCF to ex- pand county support.
• Set up a donor-advised fund. This “personal giving account,” through which donors rec- ommend grants for one or more organiza- tions, allows directed support both within and outside of Ottawa County.
Among OCCF’s most generous donors are those who establish funds through estate plans by including, in a will or revocable trust, a “charitable bequest” provision directing a portion of the es- tate to OCCF as either a specific dollar amount or a percentage of the value of estate assets.
Regardless of how you choose to give, your generosity touches the lives of the people of Ot- tawa County and ensures that its future is bright.
Donations may be sent to OCCF, P.O. Box 36, Port Clinton, OH 43452, or online. Contributions may include donated stock, mutual fund shares, or other assets. Email ottawaccf@gmail.com or visit ottawaccf.org. The OCCF office, 306 Mad- ison Street, Port Clinton, is open Wednesdays, noon – 3 pm.
To OCCF, Shea McGrew brings 37 years of ex- perience in fundraising and marketing. Shea may be contacted at 906-281-1251.
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