Community Foundation for the Twin Tiers Holds Fourth Annual Meeting

July 17, 2007
Media Release for the Community Foundation for the Twin Tiers
Contact: Marilyn Bok, Board Chair, 570-888-4759
For Immediate Release

The Community Foundation for the Twin Tiers (CFTT) recently held its fourth annual meeting at the Towanda Country Club in Wysox, PA. The Board of Directors of CFTT takes the occasion of its annual meeting to recognize its major supporters and thank all the people and organizations that make the foundation function.

Some of the 2006 milestones for the Foundation are: a tripling of assets under management (CFTT had the highest percent of growth of all community foundation’s in PA), a 207% increase in our fund balance, fourteen funds under management, a 16.5% rate of return after investment fees, start of six new funds, awarding of grants from six funds, and assets totaling over $250,000.

The highlight of the meeting was a presentation by Claire Foreman, a looping teacher at the W.R. Croman Elementary School in Troy, PA who spoke about how she used her grant from the Bradford County Unrestricted Fund to purchase student books for the at home reading portion of the project. She did a school-home literacy project to increase parental involvement.

Ms. Foreman stated, “Research has shown that parental involvement in their child’s school work leads to greater achievement and a greater impact on children’s learning than socio-economic status. Children whose parents read to them at home, who listen to them share their beginning reading skills, have conversations with them about what they have read, and who have literacy materials in the home will generally show more gains in achievement.” She was very enthusiastic about the outcome of the project and thanked the foundation for the grant.

William Ransom, Chair of the Capital Campaign to Ensure the Foundation’s Growth, kicked off the campaign by explaining the need for paid professional staff to handle the continued and accelerating rate of growth of the Foundation. He explained that since its start in 2002 and continuing to today, the Foundation has been a totally volunteer organization. The goal of the campaign is to raise $300,000 over a three year period. This would give the Foundation assets to be able to pay professional staff for at least three years thus ensuring the Foundation’s continued growth and stability.

Marilyn Bok, Board Chair, introduced the newest member of the Visionary Society. Membership in the society is restricted to those who have given $5,000 or more to the CFTT. There are now fourteen members of the society. The 2006 members: Athens Area School District, Brann Williams Caldwell & Sheetz, Clark & Jane Moeller, Finkle Rosenberg, Evan & Linda Williams, Jr. and Marilyn & Edward Bok join the present members of the Society: Carantouan Greenway, Citizens & Northern Bank, Raman Daga of Metadyne Industries, First Citizens National Bank, Eagles Mere-Laporte Lions Club, Kenneth and Caroline Taylor Family Foundation, Kathleen Bok/Ron Johnson Family, and Tioga State Bank.

CFTT also recognized those who gave in-kind services to the foundation in 2006: CQ Services for design and hosting of the CFTT website; Citizens & Northern Bank for CFTT’s free checking account; David Keeffe for legal services; LaBarr & LaBarr for accounting services; Blue Ridge Cable Public Service Channel, Eagles Mere Cablevision, Haefele TV, Time Warner cable Channel 18, and WATS Broadcasting Inc. for free advertising; and Guthrie Healthcare System, Lackawanna College, Tioga State Bank, Community Bank NA, and First Bank of Canton for providing meeting rooms.

The County Advisory Board members were introduced and thanked for their work. They assist the foundation’s Board in grant selection, public relations and fundraising. The Advisory Board members are: Bradford County-Bill Beamer, Jay Chadwick Jim Parks, Bill Ransom, Susan Storch, Howard Smith, JoAnne Kizer Conklin, and Kathy Smith; Sullivan County-Norton A. Borges Jr., Frank Comfort, Dora McCarty,Bob Raff, Newt Pendleton, and Anastasia McMahon-Farrell; Tioga County, PA-Fred LaVancher, Leo Parchesky, Eugene Seelye, Susan Sweet, Tom Freeman, and Lowell Coolidge; and Tioga County, NY-Marty Borko, Sam Thomas, Elaine Jardine, Frank Fulbrook, and Dick Ross.

The Finance/Investment Committee charged with overseeing the investment of the endowment funds and general financial matters of the foundation consist of Larry Alderson, B. John Gee, Joe Landy, Leo Parchesky, Newton Pendleton, Joseph Picco, and chair Bill Ransom. Ransom gave a summary of the financial statement for 2006.

The Community Foundation for the Twin Tiers (CFTT) is a non-profit public charity established in 2002 that encourages community philanthropy to enhance the quality of life for those who reside in Bradford, Sullivan and Tioga Counties in Pennsylvania and Tioga County in New York State. The mission of the CFTT is to continuously improve the present and future quality of life in the counties served by the Foundation. It establishes endowment funds from contributions of many individual citizens, corporations, other foundations, other charitable organizations and government agencies for charitable purposes. As the endowment funds grow, the interest earned on these funds is returned to the community in the form of grants.

To learn more about the CFTT or to establish a fund you can contact the organization by any of these methods: telephone - 570-888-4759; fax - 570-888-2179; email - cftt@stny.rr.com; or visit the website - www.twintierscf.org.

CFTT is dedicated to making a difference locally "for good - for ever^TM"