First Bank presents a $15,000 check to members of the KCF advisory board.

First Bank presents a $15,000 check to members of the KCF advisory board.

The Ketchikan Community Foundation has an opportunity to receive up to $185,000 in endowment funding.  The matching program was announced by the Alaska Community Foundation of which Ketchikan is an affiliate.  The Rasmuson Foundation provided the ACF a total of $5 million to support local affiliates across the state.

Locally, Ketchikan Community Foundation is tasked with raising $25,000 a year over the next four years in order to receive the maximum match. If that goal is met, the Rasmuson Foundation will provide a $25,000 bonus to the endowment fund.  The endowment fund provides annual grants to support local non-profits.

Christa Bruce

Christa Bruce

Christa Bruce is the Ketchikan Community Foundation Advisory Board chair. She says in addition to increasing the amount of grant money available to non-profits, another goal of the program is to make community foundations self-sustaining. Bruce says along with the grant endowment, Rasmuson will match up to $15,000 in donations each year to create and support an operating endowment.

“We’re very excited about that opportunity because, what it means through community gifts and through their gifts, we will have a sustainable endowment for Ketchikan.”

With respect to the operating endowment, Bruce says First Bank has pledged $15,000 a year for that purpose.

News Tile“First Bank’s commitment of that money, over the next four years, does meet our operating funds match; which means we can have an office presence in Ketchikan, part time, and we’ll actually be opening up our office in the (Plaza) mall shortly.”

Bruce says candidates for the part-time office manager position are being interviewed by the Alaska Community Foundation board, and a hire will be made soon.

KCF’s fundraising effort is being called “Our 20/20 Vision.”  The start of the campaign dovetails with the opening of the 2017 grant application process for Ketchikan non-profit organizations. Bruce hopes many local non-profits will apply.

“We will distribute at least $20,000, and perhaps more, perhaps significantly more. Of course we need applications to come in from the non-profits in the community, and partnerships who are doing good work. They need to ask us for money before we can grant it.”

The Ketchikan Community Foundation Advisory Board has identified three categories they will fund on a rotation cycle. The category for 2017 supports non-profit programs for youth ages 18 and under.  Applications will be available online at www.ketchikancf.org starting February 15th. The application period runs through March 31st.