More than 125 philanthropists professional advisors and volunteer leaders gathered at the home of Bob and Susan Morrison on Jan. 17 to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the Indian River Community Foundation. Wilmington Trust sponsored the evening’s festivities.

Newly elected Board Chairman Bob Puff toasted the organization for its growth since opening for business on April 1, 2008. In five years, donors have entrusted the Community Foundation to manage over $10 million in grants to nonprofit organizations, of which between 80-90 percent have stayed in Indian River County. The Foundation currently holds $18 million in assets to be used exclusively for charitable purposes.

“None of this would have been possible without the foresight and conviction of 51 founding members who each pledged $25,000 over five years to provide working capital for our endeavors,” Puff said. “Each founder’s pledge resulted in roughly a quarter of a million dollars in grants. How many other investments have produced such dramatic results?”

Since 2008, the original founders have been joined by more than 1,300 local philanthropists who utilize the Indian River Community Foundation’s charitable resources including charitable funds, estate planning, private foundation services and endowment management.

Grants are made from the Foundation to charities in a variety of ways such as from donor-advised fund, where the donor makes specific grant recommendations, to fields of interest funds, where donors work hand-in-hand with Foundation professionals to uncover community needs and opportunities. For the past five years, the Indian River Community Foundation has also operated an unrestricted fund which responds annually to time-sensitive community issues through a Grants Committee process. Puff said it is the Foundation’s priority to improve the community through donor driven philanthropy.

“We are a neutral, third party professional resource to help donors fulfill their charitable goals,” Puff said. “Our primary concern is to help donors discover the most effective and personally meaningful way to achieve their philanthropic intentions to improve our community today and far into the future.”

For more information about the Indian River Community Foundation contact the organization’s Executive Director, Kerry Bartlett, at (772) 492-1407 or visit http://www.ircommunityfoundation.com.