Organizers believe newly formed foundation holds great possibilities-The Greater Madison-Danville Foundation was announced Thursday

2/25/02
By Janet Yeager
"I hope we can look back in years to come and view this as an historic occasion," said H. G. "Chip" Shaffer in announcing the establishment of the Greater Madison-Danville Area Community Foundation, a tax-exempt charitable organization established to serve the philanthropic needs of the area by accepting contributions, creating and administering funds, and making grants that benefit local projects.

A Rotarian, Shaffer chose the Madison Rotary Club's Thursday afternoon meeting to announce the newly formed foundation which is already accepting donations, and which Shaffer said will most likely begin making grants as early as this year.

"When I think of my county, like most of you, I get a great sense of pride," Shaffer told the Rotarians. "We have a great history to be proud of, and we have a community that has a lot of spirit and involvement. This foundation will provide the opportunity to give something back, a place to put money that will go back directly into the community."

Shaffer, a local attorney whose family has an impressive record of community service, has been working on the formation of the foundation for about a year. He said the local organization has established an affiliate relationship with the Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation, a highly regarded and long-standing community foundation that has seen great success. While the Greater Madison-Danville Area Foundation focuses on community resources to support community projects and addresses community issues, the Greater Kanawha Valley staff will provide expertise in the accounting, investment management, and overall administrative requirements, as well as being an advisor in the areas of governance, management and development.

Shaffer said the agreement with the Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation will stream-line administrative costs as well as provide expertise and advise from an existing community foundation. "We immediately have at our disposal a highly qualified staff," he said. "They are not strangers to Boone County and their presence has been felt here. An example is their financial support of the new public transportation system."

Shaffer pointed out that already the Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation officials have, in their role as the local foundation's advisor, obtained a grant from the Benedum Foundation to pay for a part-time staff person for the Madison-Danville foundation.

While the Madison-Danville foundation will be affiliated with the Greater Kanawha Valley office, it will be governed by a local board of directors. "The foundation will be under our name and control," Shaffer said. "The board will be made up of people from this area."

Shaffer said he hopes businesses will designate the local foundation in their budgets for donations. There are a number of ways businesses and individuals can give money, and they can begin right away if they wish. To make a donation, make your check to The Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation and designate that it is to go into the Greater Madison-Danville Foundation fund. The address is 1600 Huntington Square, 900 Lee Street, East, Charleston, WV 25301.

For more information on the foundation and the ways you can give, call the Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation at 346-3620.

Shaffer said he is optimistic about the future of the Madison-Danville community foundation and what it will mean to the local area. "We are on our way," he said. "I see this as eventually being a multi-million dollar endowment that will add great support to our quality of life. That's what it's all about."

Story created Wednesday, February 27, 2002.