The Community Foundation of Switzerland County, Inc., is pleased to announce that Duke Energy recently established a new endowment with a donation of $20,000 to the Community Foundation.
The Duke Energy Community Fund is an unrestricted endowment. This type of endowment enables current and future Boards of the Community Foundation the maximum flexibility in addressing the changing and most critical needs of Switzerland County.
“We wanted to give to a local organization that knows Switzerland County’s needs,” said Duke Energy Community Relations Manager Chip Orben. “The Community Foundation of Switzerland County connects donors with causes that matter in the county and is a way for us to give back to the community.”
Because the Duke Energy Community Fund is an unrestricted endowment, the donation to start the fund will be matched $1 for $1 through a matching gift initiative currently being offered through Lilly Endowment Inc.’s Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow (GIFT) initiative. This will enable Duke Energy to automatically have twice the impact in Switzerland County through its generous donation.
“We are very grateful to Duke Energy for their contribution to Switzerland County,” said Steve Lyons, former President and current board member of the Community Foundation. “Because they have decided to permanently invest in Switzerland County through an endowment, their gift will give back to our community forever.”
Endowments created at the Community Foundation of Switzerland County are permanently invested and each year, a percentage is given back in the form of grants to improve the community. Because of unrestricted endowments such as the Duke Energy Community Fund, the Community Foundation has been able to:
• Assist nonprofits serving Switzerland County with their valuable programs and projects.
• Administer Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library program.
• Provide programming at the high school to help prepare our students in pursuing post-secondary educations.
• Award grants for charitable projects in the areas of youth & families, recreation, lifelong learning, health and safety and animals and environment.
• Provide financial assistance to area organizations that are helping those in need.
Until March 31st, 2016, all gifts to unrestricted endowments will continue to be matched $1 for $1. If you are interested in learning more, please contact Pam Acton or Melissa Andrew at the Community Foundation’s office, located at 303 Ferry Street in Vevay. They can be reached at (812) 427-9160; or info@cfsci.org.
The Community Foundation of Switzerland County, Inc., is a public charity whose mission is “Connecting People Who Care with Causes That Matter for Good For Ever for Switzerland County”.
Duke Energy Indiana’s operations provide about 7,500 megawatts of owned electric capacity to approximately 810,000 customers in a 23,000-square-mile service area, making it the state’s largest electric supplier.