Getting to know Knox County Foundation
Behind-the-scenes community connector and facilitator makes Knox County a better place to live and work
What does $5 million look like? That’s not a question most of us will ever have the opportunity to consider, yet that’s approximately the amount sown into projects big and small throughout the community each year by Knox County Foundation.
“While the Knox County Foundation may seem a bit complicated and confusing, at its heart is a rather simple concept, and you can see our involvement literally all around the county,” said Jeff Scott, Executive Director of Knox County Foundation, which currently holds $123 million in assets. “A community foundation is a public philanthropic trust. People make a charitable gift to the Foundation, we manage and invest those gifts, and then use the proceeds to benefit the community. Our purpose is to make Knox County a better place to live, work and raise a family.”
Knox County Foundation is a community resource that benefits all of Knox County. In 2023, the Foundation disbursed $5 million throughout the community in several ways:
- $1 million in grants and strategic initiatives
- $1 million in scholarships to approximately 400 local students
- $3 million through Donor Advised Fund grants, 70 percent of which funded local programs and projects
In some ways, the Foundation is the engine that supports the work that many other organizations are doing. Often, its involvement provides a sense of trust and confidence, an endorsement that the project is strategic, well-planned, and has the support of a broad section of the community. Examples of recent projects funded by the Foundation include:
- New Directions Domestic Violence Shelter in Mount Vernon
- Memorial Park Playground in Centerburg
- Kokosing Park Splash Pad in Fredericktown
- Office building renovation for 4-H Camp Ohio
- Fredericktown Streetscape Project
- Knox County Behavioral Health Crisis Center
- The Salvation Army of Mount Vernon’s “Light the Day” campaign
“The Foundation has a broad impact on Knox County,” said Nick Clark, Executive Director of the YMCA of Mount Vernon. “This happens through their support of not only a diverse number of requests through the competitive grant program, but in addition to that, the donor advised funds, as well as the scholarship funds. Whether donor directed, or KCF board and staff directed, all funds are put to great use to make a positive impact on Knox County and its residents.”
“Of all our initiatives, we are probably best-known for our scholarship program,” said Scott. “And that’s not wrong! We’re very committed to investing in our local youth and developing tomorrow’s leaders! But the Foundation does so much more.”
The Foundation relies on the passion and vision of its donors to fuel the work it does. “It’s an honor to be the caretaker of funds for those who want to invest in our county,” said Scott.
“This community should feel a blend of luck and gratitude that many people from the past were intentional about paying it forward and making a deep, long-term impact through their giving,” added Clark. “I would say that most people don’t actively think about the impact that $100M in assets can have and is having on their community.”
Gifts to the foundation can be made to specific funds held at the Foundation, or to create a new fund, and there are a variety of fund types to choose from. Unrestricted, or Community Impact Funds, are used to support urgent and emerging needs in Knox County through its grantmaking program.
Additionally, donors with a specific vision can create a Field of Interest Fund in support of a broad cause or sector, or a Designated Fund to support a particular charity or nonprofit organization. Donor Advised Funds allow advisors to make grant recommendations to the Foundation’s board of directors. Donors choose to create these funds with the Foundation to take advantage of the investment power of an organization of its size. The Foundation currently holds nearly 600 unique funds.
“The Knox County Foundation is a lot like Santa Claus. They deliver great presents, but you never see them,” said Roger Davis. He is a native of Fredericktown, Ohio, and a driving force behind the Fredericktown High School Alumni Scholarship fund, also called “Freddies Helping Freddies.”
In 10 years, this fund has raised more than $1 million in endowed gifts currently supporting 33 unique scholarships for Fredericktown students. “The Knox County Foundation is the best way to invest in local philanthropy,” Davis said. “The Foundation vets projects, supports strategic projects, and has a sound fiduciary process with accountability to a local Board, published financial reports, and independent auditors.”
A recent discussion with the KCF staff and board of directors revealed a progressive vision for the future. “We’ve been intentional about bolstering projects in the villages and townships of Knox County, as well as in Mount Vernon. The Foundation is a catalyst, and we want the whole community to understand that more can be accomplished with the involvement of the Foundation. The Foundation’s assets are here for the use and benefit of the community. Not everything we fund is glamorous, but you can be confident that it’s well-thought-out, it’s beneficial, and it has a good chance to make Knox County stronger.”
