Foundation for the Tri-State recognized for compliance with National Accountability Standards

     The Foundation for the Tri-State Community, Inc. today was recognized by the Council on Foundations for having organizational and financial practices that are in accordance with the National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations.
     The Council on Foundations and leaders of the community foundations field created the national standards in 2000 to aid community foundations in establishing legal, ethical and effective operational practices that would show the foundations’ financial responsibility in light of increased public scrutiny of foundation practices.
     “Adopting and adhering to high standards is the best way we can demonstrate our ongoing commitment to maintaining the trust of our donors and the entire community,” said Mary Witten Wiseman, president of the Foundation for the Tri-State. “We are committed to honesty and integrity, which are hallmarks of our foundation.”
     In order to have achieved the recognition, the Foundation for the Tri-State Community underwent an extensive review of its organizational and financial policies and procedures. The review was performed by trained, experienced community foundation practitioners.
     The Foundation for the Tri-State Community, Inc. is a community foundation serving eastern Kentucky, southern Ohio and southwestern West Virginia. It is the area's only community foundation. Its primary mission is to improve quality of life by raising, encouraging, administering, and distributing gifts for charitable, educational and scientific purposes.
     The Council on Foundations is based in Washington, DC and is a non-profit association of more than 2,000 grantmaking foundations and corporations United States’ community foundations serve tens of thousands of donors and administer more than $31 billion in charitable funds. Of the nearly 700 community foundations in the United States, 500 have pledged to comply with the national standards.

December 12, 2005