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At NPCF, It’s All About Paying It Forward
At NPCF, It’s All About Paying It Forward
By Jodi Nash
Start with the basics, like exactly what is a community foundation?
Simply put, it’s a tax-exempt, non-profit philanthropic institution, publicly supported by individuals, families, businesses and a number of other charitable organizations, which aspires to enhance the quality of life for underserved populations in a local region.
Northern Piedmont Community Foundation (NPCF) based in Warrenton does this by building a permanent endowment fund, managed by primary investment professionals; returns from these funds are then invested back into the community through a variety of grant cycles, scholarships, and programs. First conceived by Cleveland banker and lawyer Frederick Geoff in 1914, he came up with the idea of a “community trust,” where the charitable resources of Cleveland’s philanthropists (living and dead), were pooled “into a single, great and permanent endowment for the betterment of the city.” The interest earned on these funds was then distributed to meet the city’s evolving needs.
While both public and private foundations (like The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation or Coca Cola Foundation) serve the public, they’re distinct in how they’re funded.
Pubic foundations must secure a significant portion of their revenue from a base of relatively small and diverse donors, while “private” foundations are funded by a single source (an individual, family or business entity). Additionally public foundations are simpler to set up and provide favorable tax benefits to the donor.
NPCF was founded in 2000 by nine concerned citizens from Virginia’s Piedmont region, who were seeking a way to meet the charitable needs of Culpeper, Fauquier, Madison and Rappahannock Counties.
From a modest start, it now manages 150 different funds, with assets of $42 million in support of local charities and community needs.
Retired in December. of 2024, Jane Bowling-Wilson, Executive Director of NPCF for a decade, described their mission in distilled terms as “get, grow and give. I call it ‘the get’ when we first acquire funds from someone. Then we ‘grow’ their money through strategic investment. Finally, we ‘give’ through competitive grants or scholarships to worthy recipients. It’s about serving others where there is real need.”
There are five basic fund types for donors to consider when initially giving funds to NPCF. Donor Advised Funds (DAF) for maximum flexibility in what a donor supports; Field of Interest Funds which focus on a broad area of interest (i.e. the arts, education, childcare, healthcare); Designated Agency Funds where a specific organization (i.e. the SPCA, Boys and Girls Club, a church or garden club) is supported; Unrestricted Funds, which support the most pressing needs of a community based on NPCF’s extensive evaluation; and Scholarship Funds.
NPCF currently manages 49 scholarship funds and 54 Donor Advised Funds. (The other fund types comprise the remainder). The objective is to address the four counties’ overall needs around shelter, animal care, food scarcity, education, and healthcare.
For those applying for a grant or scholarship for a community-based organization or program, it’s a robust competitive process with a set of grant guidelines and eligibility requirements which must be met and vetted by NPCF staff.
“The upside of us managing donor funds is we make sure the return goes where the donor wants,” Bowling-Wilson said.”Our approach to the market is conservative, long-term, and our bench mark is a 6.5 percent return on investment (with $10,000 the minimum amount of a donation).”
Warmly enthusiastic as a past educator, BowlingWilson was instrumental in creating the Youth in Philanthropy (YIP) leadership program, which provides teenagers with hand-on experience in philanthropic giving.
Started three years ago, it’s a four-county opportunity for young people from both public and private schools to learn about altruistic giving for a positive local impact.
“They learn what a non-profit is, why they exist, the historical origins of philanthropy, how hard it is to be fair in matching needs to funds, and how to read an IRS Form 990,” Bowling-Wilson said.
YIP provides guidance, money, and mentorship to them in directly funding (through an application process) a local non-profit. Students are exposed to interview techniques, data analysis, governance, budget management, and learn to work collaboratively to problem solve.
“At the end,” she said, “we have a performance for parents, sponsors (like PATH) and NPCF Board members where they demonstrate what they’ve learned.”
Bowling-Wilson clearly has been a force of nature. Under her tenure, NPCF’s assets grew from $9 million to $42 million. Part of managing the succession plan for NPCF, Jane is confident about veteran non-profit leader Jim LaGraffe’s ability to spearhead the next chapter.
“He was executive director of Encompass Community Supports,” she said. “He’ll be excellent.” At NPCF, it’s all about paying it forward. Literally.
