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38 Supplement to the OBSERVER • Saturday, March 24, 2012 VISION 2012
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The NCCF reminds you to ‘give where you live’
Nestled on the shores of
Lake Erie in Dunkirk, N.Y.
the Northern Chautauqua
Community Foundation
(NCCF) is giving members of
local communities the opportunity
to give back to the
place that they call home. The
NCCF has been at the forefront
of local philanthropy
since its establishment in
1986. Assisting donors to
reach their philanthropic
goals is one of two parts to
the mission of enriching the
area in which we live and
work. Awarding local nonprofits
organizations grant
By TODD J. TRANUM
President & CEO of the Chautauqua
County Chamber of Commerce &
Executive Director of the Manufacturers
Association of the Southern Tier
Whether you’re organizing
an event or advocating
for change, the simple fact is
that we get more done when
we work together. That is
the true strength of membership
in the Chautauqua
County Chamber of
Commerce. Our membership
is what allows us to be
effective – in networking, in
offering opportunities in
health insurance and
employee benefits, and in
creating a strong voice
around public policy issues
that impact businesses in
our county.
There are many benefits
of Chamber membership
including tools to increase
profits, connections to new
customers, representation
where it matters, and information
and new ideas.
Businesses that are
Chamber members can participate
in the Shoptauqua
Gift Check program which
not only helps to bring customers
into their store or
restaurant, but also helps to
keep spending local. With
over $1 million in gift
checks sold through the
Chamber, the return to the
local economy has been
more than $1.4 million! In
addition, Chamber members
have access to member-tomember
discounts and
dollars necessary to run
ongoing projects and programs
is the second part.
With over $16 million in
assets, the NCCF is able to
distribute more than
$400,000 each year in grants
and scholarships to better the
northern part of the
Chautauqua County community.
The NCCF currently operates
three separate funding
programs.
The
Environmental Fund, awarded
in January of each year,
funds projects that promote
environmental education.
reduced prices on training,
marketing, and other services.
Offering specialized marketing
and advertising
opportunities to members
also helps Chamber member
businesses ways to improve
their bottom line.
The Chamber is our
region’s key advocate for
businesses. Through strategic
partnerships with other
business groups, the
Chamber of Commerce is
able to promote a pro-business
agenda focused on
reducing taxes and improving
the business climate.
The Chamber also works
throughout the year to
secure a direct audience
with elected leaders in order
to focus on the issues at
hand.
Networking mixers bring
Chamber members together
regularly to help provide key
business contacts. By helping
businesses to organize
open house celebrations and
grand openings, the
Chamber also brings visibility
and new customers in
your door.
With all of these things
going on, the Chamber
works hard to keep members
in the know. Through
weekly email news and an
online monthly newsletter,
the information component
of what the Chamber does
is critical. We also work
closely with other organizations
including the
The Community Pride
Program, awarded in March
every other year, supports
community-building projects
such as beautification projects,
signage, community
events and other projects that
promote a sense of community
pride amongst community
members. Finally, the
Community Grants Program,
awarded in March and
September of each year, is the
NCCF’s largest discretionary
grants program. The
Community Grants Program
gives support to non-profit
organizations for a number of
The value of membership
Industrial Development
Agency, the Chautauqua
County Visitors Bureau,
and more to make sure that
business has a strong voice
in Chautauqua County to
promote workforce development,
and tourism.
Over the next six weeks,
volunteers will reach out to
businesses throughout
Chautauqua County
encouraging them to join
the Chamber of Commerce.
Businesses that join during
the membership drive will
be eligible for prizes which
include a Sapphire GEM
sponsorship valued at
$1,000, a free membership
for a year (2012-14 dues),
and two free Chamber
event passes of a year
(excluding the Annual
Banquet, Golf Tournament,
and Community Chamber
events.)
But it’s not the prize
packages that count. It’s
the focus on working
together to improve our
economic well-being, to
provide better employee
benefits packages at costsavings
to companies, and
to bring business people
together in our county.
Those are the real reasons
for joining the Chamber of
Commerce.
For information, please
visit our website at
www.chautauquachamber.
org or call one of our offices
at 366-6200 or 484-1101.
varied programs and services.
“Our Community Grants
Program yields the largest
grants for local non-profits
and really does make an
impact on our community,”
says NCCF Grants
Coordinator, Eileen Dunn.
Northern Chautauqua
Community Foundation
administers 171 scholarship
funds. In 2011, awards were
made to 236 local students.
The awards ranged from $10
to $4,000 and benefited a
variety of students in eighteen
school districts.
Community Foundations,
like NCCF, provide individuals
with a simple, powerful
and personal way to support
these community efforts. Its
unique combination of personalized
service and local
expertise set NCCF apart
when it comes to contributing
to the community. The
dedicated staff at NCCF
assures that assets are distributed
throughout the community
where they’re needed
most and that the goals of
each and every donor are
met. Services and funds are
customizable to meet each
donor’s charitable objectives;
the funds that you care about
most are predominant in
NCCF’s mission to advance
our community.
The Northern Chautauqua
Community Foundation has
made it possible for donors to
continue enriching the lives
of northern Chautauqua residents
through bequests.
NCCF makes it simpler than
ever to leave behind a charitable
gift. Whether establishing
a new fund through
NCCF or contributing to an
existing fund, donors can be
assured that their bequest
will be used wisely for generations.
In 2011 alone, NCCF
awarded 212 grants, 236
scholarships and held 344
endowment funds supporting
the community. With the
assistance of local residents,
these numbers are continuing
to increase year after year. It
is the hope of the NCCF that
people in Northern
Chautauqua County find
themselves wanting to “give
where they live.”
The NCCF was incorporated
in 1986 as a tax-exempt
charitable organization.
Since its establishment, the
NCCF has distributed more
than $8.7 million in the community
through its various
grant programs. It is an
organization inherently committed
to enriching the
Northern Chautauqua community
and encouraging local
philanthropy. For more information
on the NCCF, visit
www.nccfoundation.org or
call 366-4892.
11187 Rt. 20, Irving NY
716-549-4894
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