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WCF Welcomes Rebecca Putter
The Board of Advisors of the Westchester Community Foundation (WCF) announce Rebecca Kraley Putter was appointed program officer at the Westchester Community Foundation in December 2011. Her responsibilities include developing and implementing strategic grantmaking in the areas of the arts, academic opportunity, strong nonprofits, and the Westchester Fund for Women and Girls. 

Prior to joining the Foundation, Ms. Putter served as a consultant to regional community foundations and nonprofit organizations; a grantmaker at The Columbus Foundation in Columbus, Ohio; a development consultant for a government agency in the West Indies; and an associate at the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs in New York, New York. She has been an active volunteer with a number of nonprofit organizations, most recently Habitat for Humanity and the American Red Cross. She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Vassar College and a master’s certificate in international security from Stanford University.

“We are so pleased to welcome Rebecca to our staff,” said Catherine Marsh, Executive Director of the Westchester Community Foundation, “Her combination of talents, along with her background addressing community challenges, bring a unique perspective to our work as a community foundation.”

“I am thrilled to accept this position as program officer” said Ms. Putter, in accepting the appointment, “and look forward to bringing my experience in the nonprofit, government, and community foundation world to the Westchester Community Foundation where I join a group of skilled professionals dedicated to strengthening our community through charitable giving.”
 
"Community Matters" Film 3
307285_10150348690280966_131314930965_8342751_258809645_nWestchester Community Foundation is sponsoring a 2011-2012 film series dedicated to generating discussion around topics that affect us locally, including health, environment, education, housing, and energy. The third film in this series was "Mothers of Bedford" which was shown on Tuesday, November 15 at Jacob Burns Film Center.  This film offered a look into the minds and hearts of the women inmates of New York’s Bedford Hills Correctional Facility. 
 
Film Series "Community Matters"
Westchester Community Foundation is sponsoring a film series dedicated to generating discussion around topics that affect us locally, including health, environment, education, housing, and energy. The second film in this series was Wretches & Jaberers, scheduled for Wednesday, September 21.  This film debunks the myth that autistic individuals do not have feelings, cannot communicate, and have low intelligence.  The autistic individuals in the film use assistive technology to express themselves and communicate with others.  The Foundation has supported a range of programs that encourage persons with those with autism express themselves through music, theater, visual arts, and, with the help of assistive technology, be educated in the public school system.


 
Private Foundation & Community Foundation Funds PDF Print E-mail

The Weschester Commuity Foundation works with Private Foundations

  • WCF and private foundations work collaboratively to conceive and fund local and regional initiatives
  • WCF program staff can identify local nonprofit organizations to support in order to fulfill a foundation's articulated philanthropic goals
  • The annual mandatory payout can be transferred into a WCF fund
  • The assets of a private foundation can be transferred into a WCF fund support local efforts to build community.

 

The Weschester Commuity Foundation OR a Private Foundation?

Private foundations are a popular option for today’s donor, and for some donors they are the right option. But as the Wall Street Journal reported on April 22, 2009, there is an increasing trend toward transferring them to community foundations or commercial gift funds, suggesting that they weren’t the correct vehicle in the first place. And the president of the Foundation Center, which recently surveyed family foundations, said:  “As these young foundations face transition in leadership from the first to the second generations, questions about sustainability, family capacity or commitment, donor intent, and foundation impact may lead them to consider their options.”

Read more about transferring a private foundation to a community foundation.

 

The Westchester Community Foundation AND a Private Foundation?

Many families who set up charitable funds at Westchester Community Foundation also have private family foundations. Often, the donor uses a fund here to support causes and nonprofits that are outside the general focus of the private foundation. Many set up a fund with us to take advantage of our grant staff, who are expert in a variety of local issues and can vet proposals, read financial statements, evaluate programs, study trends, and make grants that address critically important needs. And almost all want to join with other generous donors who care about Westchester.


Terminating a Private Foundation

If the vision of its founders fades, continued administration of a private foundation might become a burden to successors. A private foundation can be terminated and its assets transferred into a fund in WCF without incurring penalties. WCF takes over the management of investments and all administrative aspects of giving. Directors may remain involved as donor advisers to the fund so that they retain the fun part of giving.