Bath Community Fund convenes first-ever Annual Meeting

On March 30, leaders of Bath Community Fund convened their first-ever Annual Meeting before an audience of donors and supporters.

At the meeting, advisory board members recapped the history of the fund, reported on the progress of the recently launched “For Bath, Forever” endowment campaign, elected advisory board officers for the year, and outlined plans for continuing the growth and outreach of the fund.

Since November, Bath Community Fund has raised more than $187,000 through its “For Bath, Forever” campaign, announced advisory board chair Jody Miller Konstand.

“Our Founding Donors, through contributions ranging from $25 to $50,000, have helped us achieve that figure in a relatively short amount of time,” Konstand said. “We are grateful for and overwhelmed by such generosity, which speaks to the legacy envisioned for the fund.”

Konstand added that supporters who help BCF reach its initial goal of $250,000 will be publicly recognized as Founding Donors of the fund.

Going forward, fund leaders said they will focus on securing a $25,000 donation, which former Bath residents Roger and Judy Read have pledged to match. Together, the two gifts would propel the fund to more than 90 percent of its fundraising goal.

Continuing efforts will also be made to educate more of the Bath community about the lasting impact of this permanent charitable fund through small group and neighborhood gatherings over the next few months. The gatherings will educate residents about Bath Community Fund’s commitment to reinforcing and preserving Bath’s historical and environmental legacy, supporting the many nonprofits in Bath, responding to community needs, and helping the less fortunate.

“BCF will make an enduring impact on the Bath community through areas of interest that include historical and environmental preservation; arts and culture; youth education and recreation; and social service initiatives,” said advisory board member Nancy Fay during the meeting. “By meeting needs that will change from year to year, the fund will help improve residents’ quality of life and strengthen the community for generations to come.”

The slate of incoming advisory board officers elected at the meeting included Konstand as chair, Fay as vice chair, Kathy Sidaway as secretary, Kevin Kroskey as financial officer, and Nadine Clar as nominating committee chair. Terms of office commence July 1.

Established in June 2014 by a group of committed Bath residents, Bath Community Fund is a permanent charitable fund dedicated to strengthening the Bath community for current and future generations by providing leadership, fostering collaboration, and creating a legacy of charitable giving. Bath Community Fund is one of eight affiliate funds of Akron Community Foundation, each of which supports a geographic or issue-specific cause.

“As a permanent endowment of $185 million, Akron Community Foundation will preserve and grow the fund’s assets to ensure it provides a lasting source of support for the Bath community,” said Margaret Medzie, vice president of development and donor engagement at Akron Community Foundation. “We offer donors the peace of mind that their gifts will be used for the purpose they intended – not just now, but forever.”

To learn more about Bath Community Fund and becoming a Founding Donor, contact Jody Miller Konstand, advisory board chair, at 330-618-4477 or jmkmedia@msn.com. Bath Community Fund can accept a variety of charitable gifts, from the simple to the complex, including cash, bequests, stock, real estate, life insurance and retirement assets. To learn more, visit www.akroncf.org/BCF.

About Akron Community Foundation

Celebrating 59 years of building community philanthropy, Akron Community Foundation embraces and enhances the work of charitable people who make a permanent commitment to the good of the community. In 1955, a $1 million bequest from the estate of Edwin Shaw established the community foundation. Today, it is a philanthropic endowment of more than $185 million with a growing family of more than 480 funds established by charitable people and organizations from all walks of life. The community foundation and its funds welcome gifts of all kinds, including cash, bequests, stock, real estate, life insurance and retirement assets, just to name a few. To date, the community foundation’s funds have awarded nearly $121 million in grants to qualified nonprofit organizations. For more information about Akron Community Foundation, visit www.akroncf.org.

Photo credit: S.H. Abramson