CFNC Looking to the Future
CFNC Looking to the Future
After celebrating its 30th anniversary, the Community Foundation of Noble County (CFNC) is turning its focus to the future. When the community foundation was founded in 1991, its office was located in the Noble County Office Complex–South in Albion. In December 1999, the foundation moved to its current location south of Ligonier on US 33. The current location has served the foundation and the Noble County community well, but many factors have prompted the community foundation’s board of directors to begin thinking about next steps. These factors include sustainability, community involvement, and community investment.
The board of directors of any nonprofit organization has three primary legal duties known as the “duty of care,” “duty of loyalty,” and “duty of obedience.” Looking at the “duty of care,” board members have the responsibility to ensure an organization has adequate resources and that it manages those resources effectively. Using this as part of the decision-making process, it was determined that potential capital expenditures associated with the current location make it less fiscally sustainable. The board will look for a well-suited location that supports the operational sustainability of the foundation and promotes good stewardship of the foundation’s resources.
The board is beginning the process of evaluating potential locations. The hope is that the location will be in, or within walking distance of, a community’s population center thereby promoting greater connectivity between the foundation and the community where it is located. This can increase both the foundation’s involvement in the community and the community’s awareness of the foundation. The board is also looking at the potential of investing in more than one dedicated space in order to maintain its presence in the current community along with other areas in the county. This investment could make strides towards lessening some of the gaps identified by stakeholders during focus groups and surveys conducted by the community foundation in 2019. These gaps included bridging educational opportunity with economic opportunity, early childhood education & child care, and housing. The forming of the early childhood coalition, Noble Thrive by 5, by CFNC, Noble County EDC, and United Way is a step in that direction. The foundation hopes to invest in a current community asset with the intention of enhancing the asset’s value to the community. Lastly, the foundation is researching the potential uses of the current property to see how it could best benefit the community foundation, Ligonier, and Noble County.
The mission of the Community Foundation of Noble County is to improve the quality of life in Noble County by serving as a catalyst for positive change, enabling donors to carry out charitable intent, and making grants. The foundation’s board and staff greatly appreciate all that the current location has provided over the past 20 years. Now, they are excited to see how a new location will support the community foundation in its role as a community leader and positively impact Noble County moving forward.
