We often hear from some our fund-holders that one of the reasons they love working with the PACF is because the Foundation is truly the community’s foundation. Whether we're working with a family to create memorial to honor a loved one; a husband and wife who use their Donor Advised Fund to organize their annual charitable gifts; or an individual wishing to continue supporting their community long after they've passed away, each individual has full access to the PACF's charitable giving expertise and deep knowledge of the needs in our region.

This is part of the reason our team and our donors find it so heartwarming to see a focus on altruism appear in the mainstream media. When people from all walks of life can share in the joy of philanthropy, everyone wins.

Here are three stories we’ve particularly enjoyed that are worth checking out if you happened to miss them.

• Yvon Chouinard, Patagonia’s founder, and his family have just given their ownership of the company to charity by establishing a group of trusts and nonprofits. Chouniard’s inspiring act of philanthropy is reminiscent of the work of Chuck Feeney, founder of Atlantic, who was “driven by a belief that the best use of one's wealth is to help people.” Business leaders aren’t the only people who are increasingly publicizing their charitable giving commitments. More celebrities are sharing their stories of charitable passion, too.
• Keeping with the celebrity giving theme, we enjoyed reading this heartwarming piece comparing philanthropy to Ted Lasso. Playing the long game, listening, focusing on relationships, and staying humble and flexible indeed are important tenets of building a charitable giving plan.
• If you are interested in exploring the philosophical dynamics and roots of altruism, we recommend checking out a Time interview and a feature in Vox. And of course, Peter Singer’s 2013 TED talk is an altruism classic.

“America’s community foundations are one of the fastest-growing forms of philanthropy. Donors of all income levels find that their local community foundation is an ideal way for them to easily give back to their community in a lasting and meaningful way,” said PACF's Executive Director, Judy Sjostedt.

“When people think of the word ‘philanthropist’ they often think of people like Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, or Warren Buffet," said Sjostedt. "It’s true, their giving does great things but it will not make a critical difference for our own communities. They don’t live here - they will never care as much about what happens here in the Mid-Ohio Valley region as the people who live here do. It is our own personal giving combined with that of other good people in communities throughout our Mid-Ohio Valley that truly makes a powerful difference for our region’s benefit. We encourage everyone to give where they live and know where it goes.”

We look forward to hearing your thoughts on these and other stories as philanthropy pops up in your news feed. The PACF is here to answer your questions and provide the tools you need to activate your charitable intentions in a concrete, meaningful, and tax-savvy way.