Dearborn Community Foundation in Top Philanthropic Tier Nationally

Receives national reaccreditation for rigorous standards

(Lawrenceburg, Ind.) - The Dearborn Community Foundation, Inc., (DCF) recently was reaccredited with the nation’s highest standard for philanthropic excellence. Community Foundations National Standards® establish legal, ethical, and effective practices for community foundations everywhere.

“Meeting the National Standards benchmarks is a rigorous, comprehensive process,” said Susie Nelson, board chair of National Standards. “This accreditation is a significant accomplishment that indicates Dearborn Community Foundation demonstrates a commitment to transparency, quality, integrity and accountability as it carries out its mission.”

The Community Foundations National Standards® program requires community foundations to document their policies for donor services, investments, grantmaking and administration. With more than 500 community foundations already accredited nationwide, the program is designed to provide quality assurance to donors, as well as to their legal and financial advisors.

"This is very important to our donors,” said Fred McCarter, Executive Director of the Dearborn Community Foundation. “When people make a charitable bequest or establish an endowment fund, they are putting their trust in us. They are counting on us to manage the investment wisely and to honor their charitable wishes. The National Standards confirmation says our house is in order.”

DCF, which was first accredited with the National Standards seal in 2009, offers a range of charitable funds, allowing donors to advance a cause such as education or the environment, support an individual organization, provide flexible support for community needs or recommend individual grants. In addition to affirming the organization’s philanthropic services, the confirmation validates the Foundation’s grant-making practices for the non-profit community.

“Some say it’s easier to create wealth than to give money away wisely,” McCarter said. “There’s some truth in that. Grant-making is a lot like investing … we need to assess risks, weigh potential gains, diversify assets, monitor performance and operate fairly. When you see the National Standards Seal, you can be assured that we’re committed to meeting the highest standards for grantmaking as well.”

For more information about the Dearborn Community Foundation, visit www.dearborncf.org.