PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. – On June 5, 2014, Bridge Builders Community Foundations entered into an agreement with members of the Punxsutawney community to establish the Punxsutawney Area Community Foundation as an affiliate.
The new affiliate adds Jefferson County to Bridge Builders’ regional reach, which has included Clarion, Forest, and Venango County.
The new Punxsutawney Area Community Foundation will support charitable causes considered to be beneficial to the greater Punxsutawney area community, and will be advised by a Punxsutawney Area Community Foundation board of directors.
The new Bridge Builders affiliate sprang from Punxsutawney’s PRIDE organization, which stands for Punxsutawney Revitalization: Investing, Developing, Enhancing. The organization had thoroughly researched foundations and felt Bridge Builders best met the group’s needs.
The founders of the affiliate will comprise the initial board of directors for the affiliate, and currently include Katie Laska, president; Michele Neal, vice president; Patti Schreckengost, treasurer; and Shirley Sharp, secretary. The board of directors will be primarily responsible for building the assets of the Punxsutawney affiliate through marketing and development efforts, advising distributions from the affiliate, and building awareness of the affiliate and the opportunities it provides the greater Punxsutawney area.
The Punxsutawney board of directors has designated Michele Neal, acting as the affiliate’s vice president, as the official liaison to Bridge Builders. Neal will be the contact person for Bridge Builders and will receive all communications from Bridge Builders.
Neal also serves as the executive director for the Punxsutawney Area Chamber of Commerce.
Neal explains, “We liked the affiliate program with Bridge Builders and felt it best suited PRIDE, especially since we were starting our foundation from the ground up. Bridge Builders provides the expertise and support we need as a fledgling community foundation giving us the best opportunity to succeed.”
Bridge Builders brings the professional investment and grant-making expertise needed to help facilitate the start-up and management of a local, thriving foundation.
Bridge Builders will provide key philanthropic and investment services to the Punxsutawney affiliate including:
▪ Processing, depositing, recording and acknowledging all gifts
▪ Making distributions to qualifying charities
▪ Paying qualifying expenses as outlined
▪ Providing balances of the Punxsutawney Area Community Foundation Funds and Passthrough fund information as needed
▪ Investment of Fund assets 3
▪ Public recognition, as appropriate, via Bridge Builders communication vehicles
▪ Anonymity for donors who request discretion
▪ Field expertise from the Bridge Builders’ staff
Trenton Moulin, Executive Director for Bridge Builders Community Foundations, adds that “We want to improve the quality of life for the Punxsutawney area by our first priority and that is serving donors by connecting them to the charitable causes that matter to them. We are also very excited to help to meet the charitable needs of Punxsutawney area nonprofit organizations and programs, and helping to fund unique projects.”
In addition to the affiliate, the founding members of the affiliate or other donors may establish other component funds of Bridge Builders to benefit the greater Punxsutawney area community. Each of these other funds will be subject to a separate fund agreement between Bridge Builders and the individual or organization who establishes the fund. The Punxsutawney Area Community Foundation unrestricted fund will accept all undesignated donations.
Contributions can be made to the Punxsutawney Area Community Foundation in any amount. Contributions can be mailed to:
Bridge Builders Community Foundations
206 Seneca Street
National Transit Building, Suite 10
Oil City, PA 16301
Please include a memo for the “Punxsutawney Area Community Foundation” or “PACF”, and note how you’d like the funds used. Contributions may be made in honor of an individual or organization. Donations received are fully tax deductible under applicable federal and state laws.
Information about the Punxsutawney Area Community Foundation will soon be online at www.BridgeBuildersCommunityFoundations.org. Inquiries about giving can be made to Trenton Moulin at (814)677-8687.
Photo left to right: Making the new Bridge Builders’ Punxsutawney affiliate official are Dr. Charles Marlin, who serves as president of the Bridge Builders board of trustees, and Michele Neal who is the vice president of the new Punxsutawney Area Community Foundation affiliate. Trenton Moulin is the executive director of Bridge Builders who will oversee the affiliate.
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