On Wednesday evening, The Community Foundation of Noble County welcomed donors, educators, business leaders, and community members to its Annual Philanthropy Dinner celebrating the power of generosity and the collective impact shaping Noble County’s future.
Throughout the evening, Foundation leadership highlighted the impact made possible through local philanthropy over the past year, including more than $2 million awarded in grants and scholarships supporting nonprofits, students, and community initiatives throughout Noble County.
Community is not just a place where we live, community is how we show up for one another.
Following the release of the organization’s 2025 annual report, the event also marked the public kickoff of the Foundation’s new “30 by 30” initiative, a long-term effort designed to strengthen unrestricted community resources for future generations. Through the initiative, donors commit to contributing $2,000 annually through 2030, while the Foundation provides a 2-to-1 match to establish a $30,000 named opportunity fund dedicated to supporting Noble County.
This effort is focused on building unrestricted community resources that allow the Foundation to respond quickly and strategically to the needs of Noble County, both now and in the future. It is about building a culture of local philanthropy and investing in the future of the place we call home. At its core, philanthropy is really just love for a community put into motion.
Along with the campaign kickoff, the event featured a panel discussion with students from PULSE, the Foundation’s long-running youth philanthropy initiative as well as a keynote address by PULSE alumnus and community leader Ashlee Guthrie.
PULSE changed the trajectory of my life because it helped me believe I had something valuable to offer the world. Through PULSE, I learned that leadership isn’t about titles, it’s about service. I learned about something bigger than myself. I learned that we all have the ability to help someone else realize they can change the world every day.
Guthrie encouraged attendees to continue investing in opportunities that empower young people to discover purpose, confidence, and belonging through philanthropy and community engagement.
Philanthropy isn’t just about writing checks or running programs. It’s about believing people matter. It’s about creating experiences that help someone discover who they are and who they can become.
As CFNC Board President Sandy Saggars said in her closing remarks “CFNC and our donors are reminded that the strength of a community is not measured only by the resources, but also by the willingness of people who care for one another.”
More information about PULSE can be found at https://cfnoble.org/about-us/youth-philanthropy/, and additional information about the 30 by 30 Campaign can be found at https://cfnoble.org/donors/30-by-30-opportunity-fund-program/.
