Does a donation to the Eden Prairie Community Foundation really make a difference?

It does, and here’s how:

You help create a more informed community. With your support, we author occasional newspaper commentaries and public programs like the annual “State of the Foundation, City & Schools” to create more awareness of Eden Prairie’s needs and what’s being done about them.

You help create community gatherings. The Foundation is a big believer that big things get done when individual organizations work together. So we foster collaboration among organizations with events like the monthly Nonprofit Coffee Klatch for nonprofit leaders and the annual Community Leaders Luncheon for leaders from local government, civic organizations, and nonprofits. We also collaborate on public events like last August’s PeopleFest, which celebrated Eden Prairie’s diversity.

You help encourage volunteerism. Your financial support of the Foundation allows us to collaborate with the City of Eden Prairie and Eden Prairie Schools to hold an annual volunteer fair called The GIVE Gathering. Dozens of local nonprofits display their volunteer opportunities to residents in an open-house format, thereby creating a path for people to find volunteer roles suited to them.

Finally, you help fill unmet needs. Through our annual direct grants and through the generous work of our fund holders, critical gaps – in social services and other areas – are being filled. When a local needs assessment identified the transportation difficulties of Eden Prairie parents with one car, we helped fund a project to provide bus passes so residents can also attend parent-teacher conferences or make medical appointments. When local social-service agencies PROP and Meals on Wheels pivoted to healthier, more nutritious food for clients, we were there with grant funds.

The list goes on and on. Suffice to say, your generosity makes a difference because it supports our philanthropy, collaboration, and leadership.

And so we say “Thank you” and “Please continue to support us.”