Since their founding in 1994, the board and team members of the Otsego Community Foundation (OCF) have had a vision for Otsego county’s future. But while they’d worked hard to establish new grant funds and partner with local nonprofits to improve the community, they knew they could be much more impactful.
According to Dana Bensinger, Executive Director of the OCF, “We were seeing increases across the board, including assets under management, number of charitable funds, a annual amount of grants awarded, and number of nonprofit partners. But despite the successes of our efforts, our systems were still very reactionary.” Dana saw this approach was taking a toll on their partners and team, as donor fatigue set in, staff burnout increased, and their grant outcomes stagnated.
Though OCF maintained nearly $7 million in assets, 75% were restricted by donors’ wishes. This asset mix made it difficult for OCF to nimbly respond to community crises (like COVID-19) and nearly impossible to think big, be proactive, and work to address the causes of some of the community’s greatest issues.
The board was confident that with the right plan, OCF could be incredibly effective grantmakers and drive progress on the root issues that cause poverty, hunger, poor health, limited education, stifled economic growth, and threatened natural resources in Otsego county. But they knew they couldn’t do it alone. To truly make a difference, the board realized they’d need both the community’s support and trust to implement a
new, transformational framework.
Dana explains, “We needed to draft a plan, get input from our donor and nonprofit partners, fine tune that plan, and then invite our close friends – the people that knew us and loved us – to be part of that effort.”
This vision became the Way Forward Campaign, a huge, multi-year undertaking with a goal of increasing their Funds for the Community from $500,000 to $2.5 million, giving OCF the ability to grant nearly $100,000 more in flexible funds each year. That flexibility was crucial to their plan for increased impact, as it would allow OCF to engage partners committed to collaboration and intentional action that would move the community forward, while also helping them be more nimble in addressing changing community needs.
Bill Forreider, an OCF board member at the time, also recognized the importance of that flexibility. “My peripheral vision is limited to what I see on a daily basis,” he says. “You know, what are my kids involved with? What are their sports? What are their activities? What church do I go to? But I don’t necessarily see what the biggest needs are in our community.”
As Dana explains, by the end of 2022 “the campaign had secured $2.5 million in pledges to meet those everchanging needs,” making it a huge success. This was thanks to generous donations from community members and it created a seismic shift in OCF’s ability to partner on efforts to improve the county.
“When we started the Way Forward Campaign,” Dana says, “we had two funds for the community. By the time we finished, we had 14 unique named funds, established by a wide range of community members.”
Their average grants have grown from $1,800 per partner for the year before the campaign to $5,500 per partner now.
This transformative funding has meant OCF can plan for addressing community needs, not just react in the moment. It’s also allowed OCF to move beyond giving small, oneoff grants and focus on providing multi-year funding that supports capacity, innovation, and other critical needs for high-impact partners that are effectively solving local issues. That type of funding is crucial for these partners, as it gives them the time they need to properly plan, implement their programs, and build momentum so they can see real results.
Three initial grantees, the START Collaborative, OCAN, and the Otsego Housing Task Force, are already doing just that, making local progress on improving emergency response and access to human services, increasing postsecondary training attainment for students and adults, and working on solutions for more accessible housing across the county. This funding has shone a spotlight on this work and brought in even more funds. “All three of those highimpact partners,” Dana says, “have been able to leverage our investment to bring in a total of $172,000 from outside of our community.” OCF has never had the resources to
leverage funding this way, but it will help grow their impact even further.
These partners are already seeing strong outcomes, which in turn support OCF’s goals to improve the community. “I was
just able to call a donor that gave a gift to the Way Forward Campaign,” Dana says, to report back on the results they’ve
seen in the first year after the campaign. “Since then, that donor has given us an unsolicited $75,000 gift,” she says, adding additional resources to ensure high-impact grantmaking for the future. That unwavering support reinforces the impact donors are making through this campaign and the trust they continue to have in OCF as they see their donations immediately and measurably working to address community issues.
To Bill, who also donated to this campaign, contributing flexible funds like that is the truest form of gifting and charity. “You believe in an organization so much that you know the dollars are going to find their way to the biggest need,” he says. “I know for a fact, in my heart of hearts, that I would never find the needs that this organization finds on a daily basis.”
The initial progress is thrilling for Dana. “These are the things I dreamed about when I started in 2011,” she says. Back then, “the neighboring community foundations were doing things that were significant, and at OCF we were touching lives for a long time, but we weren’t changing lives. Now, we’re partners in changing lives.”
According to Brian Pearson, Network Coordinator for OCAN, “You’d be hard pressed to find an individual in this county that hasn’t been touched by [OCF].” That impact, Dana says, is what community foundations are all about. “That’s why people start funds at community foundations. That’s why people donate to community foundations. That’s why nonprofits apply for grants from community foundations,” she says. “They want to change lives and make their communities better.” And though this campaign took an enormous amount of work and collaboration, “it feels like we’re at a milestone now,” she says. “And when you hit a milestone like this, it rejuvenates you to keep going.”
The underlying goal of the Way Forward Campaign wasn’t just to activate new pathways of generosity and funding in the community, but to build a framework that would allow that funding to keep working with no end. As Dana and OCF look to the future, they’re excited for the possibilities this new funding will bring. As it earns interest and grows each year, their grantmaking ability will grow with it, ensuring they and their partners can continue to support and impact Otsego county forever.
Whether you’re inspired to give, start a fund, or simply learn more, OCF invites you to join them in shaping Otsego County’s future. Because when a community comes together with trust and purpose, real change is possible.
To learn more about establishing a fund, schedule a conversation with Dana Bensinger:
email: dana@otsegofoundation.org ~ phone: 989-731-0597
Ready to make an impact today? Click here to give and help move the Way Forward.