High Point Community Foundation has recently been re-accredited with National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations®—the highest standards for philanthropic excellence.
At a board of trustees meeting in December, the community foundation was presented with the re-accreditation certificate by two representatives of the Council on Foundations. Lara Kalwinski is a member of the Council on Foundations legal and policy team and is also the Director of the National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations program. Jennifer Tolle Whiteside is the President and CEO of the North Carolina Community Foundation in Raleigh and a member of the Council on Foundations National Standards Board.
We work to support the causes our community cares about, from education to food insecurity to building a stronger and healthier High Point. According to Paul Lessard, president, “the High Point Community Foundation has become a safety net, a reservoir of hope, for those who struggle and go without in our community. We are honored to have this distinction.”
National Standards says that we meet the most rigorous standards in philanthropy and is a promise to our community that we’ll continue to do this good work together, right here in High Point.
National Standards is not mandatory. We chose to go above and beyond by affirming our commitment to excellence and accountability. Our accreditation provides assurance that we have sound policies and practices in place. In short, it means we meet the highest standards for local giving.
To receive accreditation with National Standards, High Point Community Foundation submitted our policies and procedures to a rigorous review of 41 National Standards in six key areas of community foundation operations, including donor services, investment management, grantmaking and administration.
The National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations® program was established in 2000 in cooperation with the Council on Foundations. For more information about National Standards, visit www.cfstandards.org.
