Funds started by former superintendents
PHOTO L-R: Former Clarion Superintendents Dr. George White, Dr. Joseph Fotos, and Dr. William Kaufman created the Bobcat Funds to receive and disburse monies to benefit students of the Clarion Area School District.
The Clarion County Community Foundation and Bridge Builders Community Foundations have partnered to establish a family of funds designed to receive and disburse monies to benefit students of the Clarion Area School District.
The Clarion Area Bobcat Funds are two specific funds established to provide a framework for the creation of additional funds. The initial funds are: the Bobcat General Scholarship Fund and the Bobcat Undesignated Fund.
The General Scholarship Fund is an endowed fund restricted to fund income in excess of a minimum market value principal of $100,000.
The Undesignated Fund is a non-endowed fund with no distribution restrictions from principal or income sources. Initiatives this fund will support include arts programs, student activities, school-community partnerships, and innovative instructional practices.
Dr. Bill Kaufman, a former Clarion Area school District superintendent and board president of the Clarion County Community Foundation and member of the Bridge Builders board of trustees is pleased to have these two funds available for students in the Clarion community.
It’s important to have a long-range plan for supporting students in our community. We need to make sure we have the resources needed to ensure students have opportunities to benefit from an enhanced educational experience.”
The funds were created by former Clarion superintendents including Kaufman, Dr. George White, and Dr. Joseph Fotos. Kaufman adds, “George had the idea for a foundation-type group and I approached the Clarion County Community Foundation and Bridge Builders since I serve on their boards. George and I asked Joe Fotos to work with us, and the result of our discussions was the establishment of the Bobcat Funds. Moving forward, Dr. White will lead efforts to promote public awareness and develop a plan for raising funds.”
A steering committee will provide oversight for all the Bobcat Funds’ operations and activities. This committee will consist of Clarion Area School District alumni, faculty, board members, administrators, and retired educators, plus a representative of the foundation. Initial steering committee members will be selected by the fund creators. “We all received a lot from our service as superintendents, and this is a great way for us to collectively give back.”
Bridge Builders Executive Director, Trenton Moulin, says, “We are seeing more student-focused funds being established regionally, and the Bobcat Funds will be a nice addition to the Clarion community overall by providing the type of funding that can support educational, cultural, and community programs for students outside of the school’s programs.”
Duties of the Steering Committee will be: oversight for activities within the family of Bobcat Funds, fundraising and asset development, creation of additional funds, recommendations for expenditures within the family of Bobcat Funds, promotion of Bobcat Funds’ purposes and programs, input for growth and expansion of Bobcat Funds, and coordination of its activities with the Clarion County Community Foundation.
The Steering Committee will meet as needed but not less than once per year to review Bobcat Funds’ activities. The funds will be used to benefit students, and not to supplement the funding of programs by the Clarion Area School District.
Students and organizations that support programs and activities designed to directly benefit students may apply to be recipients of the Bobcat Funds’ grants. Disbursement of funds will be to non-profit organizations solely. Educational entities, political subdivisions and 501(c)3 non-profit groups may receive funds that support student activities, programs or educational opportunities.
Additional funds that may be created under Bobcat Funds are: scholarship funds, field of interest funds, and donor advised funds. Additional funds may be endowed or non-endowed as determined by the fund creators. Every type of fund, either endowed or non-endowed, may be created as a memorial fund.
Contributions of any amount can be mailed to:
Bridge Builders Community Foundations
206 Seneca Street
National Transit Building, Suite 10
Oil City, PA 16301
Please include a memo for Bobcat Fund, and which fund you are contributing to: endowed or non-endowed. Contributions may be made in honor of an individual or organization. Donations received to support any of the Bobcat Funds are fully tax deductible donations under applicable federal and state laws.
More information is online at http://www.BridgeBuildersCommunityFoundations.org.
If you have any questions contact:
Mr. Trenton E. Moulin, Executive Director
Bridge Builders Community Foundations
206 Seneca Street
Transit Building Annex – Suite 10
Oil City, PA 16301
Telephone: (814) 677-8687
E-mail: execdirbbcf@gmail.com
Foundations’ Website: http://bridgebuilderscommunityfoundations.org/
Trenton E. Moulin, Executive Director
