What is a Community Foundation?
Ohio is the birthplace of one of today's fastest growing forms of philanthropy – the community foundation. In 1914 a Cleveland attorney, Frederick Goff, envisioned a single entity that could steward the charitable wishes of many different citizens for a community's perpetual benefit. His vision was compelling and took hold.
Purpose
Community foundations invest and administer a pool of funds contributed by numerous donors. Together, these donors contribute to endowments – in essence community savings accounts – designed to ensure the long-term health of the community. Donors who give through the community foundation enjoy the satisfaction of knowing that their gifts will be safely and efficiently administered for the charitable purposes they specify, plus they receive the maximum tax deduction for their contributions.
Mission Statement
Our mission of raising and distributing permanent funds to improve the quality of life for residents of Clark County began in 1948. Modeled after the vision of Fredrick Goff, the Springfield Foundation continues to be a catalyst for philanthropy in the region. The Foundation celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2023. In those 75 years, the Foundation has awarded $69.5 million in grants and awards, with $7.5 million of that total being scholarships. We are proud of all we have accomplished with our donors, partners, leaders, and the community. We are excited for all we can accomplish together in the future.
Download our 75th Anniversary timeline book, which highlights our accomplishments:
Finance & Investing
Investment Advantages
Our investment committee, comprised of local leaders, business owners, and financial executives, work tirelessly to oversee our Investment Manager, Marquette Associates. By pooling assets, our $100+ million balance pool is diversely invested, giving you access to investment opportunities not commonly available to individuals or small to mid-size nonprofits.
About Marquette
An independent investment-consulting firm, Marquette Associates guides institutional programs with a focused three-point approach and careful research. Marquette has served a single mission since 1986 – enable institutions to become more effective investment stewards.
Financial Reports
Our commitment is to maintain and grow the charitable assets entrusted to us. The financial information contained in our Annual Reports are condensed versions of our financial statements. A complete set of the Foundation’s audited financial statements with accompanying notes and report from independent auditor, Clark Schaefer Hackett, along with the 990 is available at the Springfield Foundation office or in PDF format below:
