On January 13th, the Daviess County CEO cohort had the privilege of hosting Chris Jarrett from Our Community Foundation. Her visit offered students valuable insight into the critical role community foundations play in fostering local development and meeting community needs.
A community foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing quality of life within a specific region. It functions as both a financial and philanthropic hub, pooling donations and strategically managing funds to support meaningful local initiatives.
The Daviess County CEO program maintains an endowment through Our Community Foundation, established in honor of Bill Turner through the generous donation of the Gabhart Family. This endowment provides grants to help former cohort students launch new startup businesses, creating a lasting legacy of entrepreneurship in the community.
Community foundations serve three essential functions in supporting regional growth. Through grantmaking, they provide crucial financial support to local nonprofits and community initiatives. Their community leadership drives positive change and encourages meaningful collaboration among organizations. Finally, through capacity building, they strengthen local organizations to maximize their impact and effectiveness.
Chris shared several powerful life lessons with the cohort. She reminded students that all work has dignity and that you can never judge someone's worth by appearances—people save and contribute in ways we cannot see. She encouraged them to become lifelong learners, consistently apply soft skills in every interaction, practice interviews to build confidence, invest time and energy in younger generations, and always uphold the values of stewardship.
Before departing, Chris put theory into practice by dividing the cohort into groups and having them evaluate actual scholarship applications. This hands-on exercise gave students a behind-the-scenes look at the grantmaking process and the responsibility that comes with stewarding community resources.
The cohort extends sincere gratitude to Chris Jarrett for sharing this valuable resource and challenging them to be good stewards who continuously learn and reinvent themselves. Her insights will undoubtedly inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs and community leaders in Daviess County
