Our Mission
Our Beliefs
Steuben County has a rich history of authenticity, vision, resiliency, and belonging. The thread that weaves all these things together, though, is our people. As a community foundation, we have a special role to play in making this community the best it can be for the people who call it home.
We believe that through our work, our community members can live the lives they’ve always dreamed of. They’ll pay it forward, lift one another up, and make our community even better.
Investing in our community today positions it for a brighter tomorrow.
Our History
Community foundations are public charities, meaning they exist to serve a broad community and receive support from a wide variety of donors. One way community foundations are unique is our emphasis on permanent charitable support for nonprofits. Our organization’s timeframe is “forever,” which means we are focused on creating long-term impact and supporting community needs as they change with time. As a community foundation, our work is supported by the generosity of forward-thinking donors who believe in the importance of permanence. We do this through building endowments, which are assets that are permanently invested so that the income they generate can be used to support community needs forever. When donors approach SCCF about making a difference in the community, we offer insights into local needs and projects that fit their interests. In addition to supporting the charitable goals of donors, SCCF works closely with community nonprofits. We offer grant funding and capacity-building support to help them work towards their missions. Additionally, we gather local leaders to have conversations and survey community organizations about their needs.
Our Mission
“Connecting people who care with needs that matter to our community.”
Our Vision
Serving as a community leader and improving the quality of life by assessing, supporting, and coordinating philanthropic giving and endowment building
Our Values
We believe that:
- It is our responsibility to promote philanthropy throughout our communities.
- Our business operates with honesty & integrity.
- We have great potential, which includes taking risks, recognizing and learning from failures, and celebrating and building on success.
- The youth of our community is a valuable resource and we should help them reach their potential.
- It is important to encourage and support the visions of the constituents served.
- We will serve our communities creatively through the use of our funds and other resources.
- Diversity and inclusion are a vital part of our community and we embrace their many opportunities.
