A Gift to Grow

This has been quite a year, hasn’t it? The eyes of the nation were upon us as we experienced the third largest wildland fire in the recorded history of California; continued to search for a path to recovery from a stubborn economic recession; found our way through any number of weather related events; and celebrated victories big and small that came along the way.

And through it all, you continued to give. Whether it has been time, money, equipment or supplies, you have stepped up to support the charitable needs of our community.

You always do.

Irving J. Symons knew this about Tuolumne County when he set out to establish the Sonora Area Foundation some twenty-four years ago. Although financial gifts from Mr. Symons and his sister, Elaine Symons Baker, were crucial to the beginnings of the Foundation and are still important today, he knew that the long-term success of a community foundation is dependent upon support from the greater community to grow the foundation.

By helping the Sonora Area Foundation to grow, you help our community find its way through the difficult situations that occasionally present themselves. For example, during the Rim Fire, gifts that you made to our Local Emergency Services Support Fund allowed us to make grants to a number of our local non-profit agencies to help recover costs incurred during fire. We will continue to look to that fund to award grants for on-going, longer term recovery efforts from the fire.

The Board of Directors, staff and I are pleased to observe the results of your giving through the Sonora Area Foundation. Whether it is a gift to one of the many donor funds that we hold at the Foundation, a grant that is awarded to one of our worthy local organizations, or the scholarships that our graduating high school seniors have in hand as they head off to college, we daily witness the benefits of your generosity.

If you have been thinking about making any year end charitable gifts, you may want to consider how a gift made through the Sonora Area Foundation – your community foundation – can positively impact upon local needs in so many ways. Give me a call or stop by our office on S. Stewart Street. Let’s discuss how your gift can respond to community needs and grow your community foundation.

On behalf of the Board of Directors and staff of the Sonora Area Foundation, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year in 2014.