Disasters need philanthropic response

A news release from the Eastern Carolina Community Foundation underlines the idea that community foundations can often be excellent places for your donations to areas hit by disasters. The following release was posted today, May 5, by Susan Bankston of the Eastern Carolina Community Foundation that serves the seven counties of the Pee Dee Region of South Carolina:

Disaster Relief Funds in Alabama and the Pee Dee Region

The tornadoes in the southeast last week left hundreds of individuals homeless and helpless. Volunteers and donations began pouring in within 24 hours to offer assistance and comfort to those affected by the devastation. The Pee Dee Disaster Relief Fund of the Eastern Carolina Community Foundation (ECCF) was established for just such a purpose when natural disasters strike the Pee Dee region. When tornadoes damaged homes in Darlington in 2010, a grant of $3,500 from this fund was matched by the City of Darlington and used for roof repairs on several homes.



Local community foundations are a natural fit for such responses. Should you wish to respond to the need in Alabama, The Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham has established the Alabama Tornado Recovery Fund to accept gifts that will in turn be used throughout the state in the regions impacted by the April 27 tornadoes. They will work to effectively deploy the resources that will be needed for long-term recovery. The Alabama Tornado Recovery Fund at The Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham follows a model used by community foundations in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. You can link to their homepage at www.foundationbirmingham.org. Please consider a gift to the ECCF Pee Dee Disaster Relief Fund so that we are poised to respond when natural disaster relief funds are needed in our own communities. Further information is available at our website www.easterncarolinacf.org or by calling 843-667-1131.

Susan B. Bankson

Executive Director

Eastern Carolina Community Foundation

234 West Cheves Street

Florence, SC 29501

843-667-1131

susan@easterncarolinacf.org

Full disclosure -- I have been on the board of the ECCF just about since the founding though my term ends at the end of May.

'Philanthropy is not a solo act'

The title of this blog is borrowed from an article on the web site of the CHRONICLE OF PHILANTHROPY that is about the Giving Pledge that garnered a great deal of news coverage on Wednesday. This article discusses how much the idea of philanthropy has evolved since 1899 when Andrew Carnegie attempted to persuade some of his rich friends to give away some of their money.

While the article catches my interest because of my involvement with The Byerly Foundation, it is also of most interest because I serve as a board member from Darlington County on the Eastern Carolina Community Foundation. The ECCF is the first community foundation to be established to serve the Pee Dee of South Carolina. The Eastern Carolina Community Foundation, which was founded in 2006, joins at least seven other community foundations in South Carolina. Those Foundation in total have assets of more than $350 million in philanthropic funds. The largest community foundation in the State is the Coastal Community Foundation, which is located in Charleston, SC with assets around the $110 million mark.

The purpose of community foundations is to make philanthropy efficient, effective and energizing for both the donors and the communities and projects they serve. Donors can set up dedicated funds that are managed by the Foundation, allowing them to let the paperwork and the worries rest with the Foundation while the donors get a say in helping direct the monies to those areas they most want to serve.

There is a lot more to the story of community foundations in general and the Eastern Carolina Community Foundation in particular. Anyone wishing to know more about the ECCF, which is headquartered in Florence, should call Susan Bankston, executive director, at 843-667-1131. A major advantage of the community foundation concept is that the funds develop much more power working together than they can ever have alone.

Community Foundation Sparks Disaster Relief Fund

The tornadoes from a week or so ago in Darlington County were the spark for a new fund at the Eastern Carolinas Community Foundation, which serves the Pee Dee. The fund and a way to expand the fund was developed after former Mayor Frank Willis of Florence talked with Susan Bankston of the ECCF to see if the Community Foundation could help with relief efforts in Darlington County. I am attaching an email that announced to the ECCF board that the fund had been established and that the Darlington Raceway had agreed to allow the fund raising:

It’s official, race fans!! We have established the Disaster Relief Fund and put $2,500 in it. Thanks for your voting responses.

Hats off to Paul DeMarco for giving us 5 hours today to make money collection at the race tomorrow a reality. Not only did he go to bat for us by cold calling raceway officials yesterday, but he received permission for volunteers to stand with buckets just inside the entry gates for collection purposes. THIS IS AN EXCEPTION they are making for us!!

So this morning, Paul and I have been to Darlington and Lowe’s and have put together the buckets w/ our identification. We are in the process of finding volunteers to man the buckets/gates and are hopeful that Boy Scout troops in Florence and Darlington counties will help us tomorrow. I have had three conversations already today regarding scout availability, and Paul is taking it from here. He is even returning early from a family trip tomorrow in order to be at the raceway and coordinate the volunteer effort. Thank you, thank you, Paul!

Please help us spread the word. If you have friends or relatives attending tomorrow, remind them that the ECCF will have tornado relief buckets inside most of the gates and would appreciate donations of any amount. Who knows………………we are probably setting ourselves apart as the first community foundation ever to have a collection process in place at a NASCAR race!

Gentlemen (and ladies), start your engines,
Susan

Susan B. Bankson
Executive Director
Eastern Carolina Community Foundation
234 West Cheves Street
Florence, SC 29501
843-667-1131
Susan@easterncarolinacf.org
For Good. For Ever.