Lake County Community Foundation

A community foundation is a tax-exempt public charity serving people who share a common interest: improving the quality of life in a specific geographic area. Unlike many foundations, a community foundation both accepts donations and makes grants. Community foundations play a key role in identifying and addressing current community issues, while anticipating new ones. Since 2003, The Lake County Community Foundation has been one of more than 750 community foundations across the country, pooling the financial resources of individuals, families and organizations to drive positive change. By harnessing the power of endowments, assets left to the Foundation will continue to grow, supporting good work and emerging needs today and for generations to come. As a nonprofit organization, LCCF, its donors and community partners leverage collective knowledge, creativity and resources for a greater impact than any of us can make alone. **What We Do** LCCF brings together philanthropists and donors, dollars and ideas to build permanent funds to benefit Lake County, Illinois – today and for generations to come. Since 2003, LCCF has grown to almost $25 million in assets and has served as a catalyst for generosity and change; a connector of people and organizations; and as the permanent steward of charitable funds dedicated to improving the lives of Lake County’s residents. The Lake County Community Foundation has invested more than $18 million into Lake County’s nonprofit sector. The Foundation provides leadership on key issues, insight on emerging trends and helps donors learn more about local needs to make their giving as effective as possible. **Our 3 Focus Areas** - Community Leadership - Donor Services - Grant Making **Our Mission** The mission of The Lake County Community Foundation is to improve the quality of life of the most vulnerable residents of the county by providing civic leadership, promoting collective philanthropy and partnering with our grant recipients. In pursuit of this mission we act as a: - **Catalyst** by mobilizing community leadership to find and fund collaborative, innovative approaches to address Lake County’s most pressing issues - **Connector** by maintaining in-depth knowledge of the nonprofit sector, sharing it with others and building partnerships that strengthen our community - **Grant Maker** by leveraging the power of collective philanthropy to pool charitable dollars to achieve the greatest possible impact - **Steward** by acting as a trusted guide of donor resources and partnering with community-minded individuals, families and organizations to ensure a legacy for charitable solutions **Our Vision** The Lake County Community Foundation serves as the center of knowledge of community needs, a strategic resource for the nonprofit sector and a valued collaborator with donors who consider the Foundation as the premier partner for their collective philanthropy. * * * **Our Values** **Six values define our promise to the individuals and communities we serve:** **Community and Connectedness** We believe that a healthy region maintains interconnections between people and place and actively pursues solutions to community challenges through a sense of shared responsibility that extends beyond boundaries of neighborhoods, villages and townships. We believe that Lake County is part of a healthy and sustainable regional community; one that is diverse, works toward inclusion, cares for the well-being of everyone, plans economic development in a responsible manner and sustains the land and environment while encouraging fairness and respect toward all. **Civic Leadership** We believe in a productive civic leadership that is inclusive and representative of the full spectrum of the county’s residents. We further believe that civic leadership is a conduit for leveraging resources and advancing strategic solutions toward the county’s most pressing needs. **Equity** We believe that equity is a basic human right. Everyone benefits from an equity-centered community. In order to empower all who live, work, learn and play in Lake County, we are committed to supporting and championing policies and practices that contribute to a more just, inclusive and equitable environment by ensuring resources, opportunities, and access for all. **Integrity** We believe that the Foundation’s mission will be best advanced by upholding the public trust placed in us as a community foundation; establishing reliable and trustworthy partnerships with our donors and grantees; maintaining open and honest dialogue with civic leaders; and embodying the highest ethical standards for the community. **Innovation** We believe that the Foundation’s countywide focus and local expertise propels us to be a catalyst for a transformative, system-wide impact. While not all innovation must be new, the Foundation seeks strategic solutions to current challenges so as to improve the quality of life for the most vulnerable residents. **Opportunity** We believe that the Foundation’s mandate is to foster opportunity for all residents of Lake County by (1) increasing access to county resources for the county’s most vulnerable residents, (2) engaging donors to give back to the community where they live and work and (3) enabling the county’s undeserved residents to have a greater voice in decision making and an equal opportunity to prosper.