Beyond Giving: What Happens After You Give?

A summer intern's behind-the-scenes look at how gifts, relationships, and community investment create lasting impact.

By Kaylee Powell

What happens after you make a charitable gift? Many people know that their donation supports a cause they care about, but few see everything that happens behind the scenes to ensure that gift creates a lasting impact. At the Greater Grand Island Community Foundation, giving is only the beginning.

Where does your gift go? In many ways, the Foundation is like Hall County's savings account. Gifts are carefully invested and managed so they can continue to support scholarships, nonprofits, and community projects for generations to come.

Let’s look at the journey of a dollar. First, the dollar is donated by someone who believes in the communities of Greater Grand Island. From there, the dollar is stewarded; it is invested, protected, and joins dollars with similar donors’ wishes. Together, the dollars might help students attend college, support local nonprofits, or strengthen community projects. Together, the dollars add up, making the initial investment stronger than just itself. The dollar’s path could take many directions, but the destination is the same: creating opportunities and producing growth in the Greater Grand Island community.

Relationships are key in building a strong community. It takes relationships to power strong, innovative ideas that lead to growth. Without relationships, it would be hard to identify the specific needs of our community. Building relationships extends beyond one-on-one conversations. Events such as Hometown Highlights and Women Who Care are a couple of the events that bring community members together to learn about local needs and celebrate successes. A well-supported community comes from an educated community.

As I finish up my internship and go into my senior year at Concordia University, Nebraska, I have begun job hunting. While researching careers where I can help others and still tie in my finance background, I’m exploring community foundations. Each community foundation that I have explored is completely different as it is set up to best help its communities' particular needs. Originally from the Greater Grand Island Area, I knew I wanted to learn what our community was doing. It has been a joy to watch community members invest in what matters most to them. My biggest takeaway: It takes every type of person to support a community.

As the summer intern at the Greater Grand Island Community Foundation, I had a front-row seat for everything that happens after a gift is made. From stewardship, grants, and development, to finance, marketing, and administration. I was surprised by how many moving parts are involved in ensuring every donation is carefully managed and used to strengthen our community.

I am excited for GGICF’s future as partnerships continue to grow! We all prefer community improvement and growth in the blink of an eye, but it takes time, collaboration, and strategic planning to achieve these goals. Every one of us in our community plays a part in these enhancements. How can you start thinking beyond the gift? Let’s stay focused on our community and push it forward.