Wausau, WI—Community Foundation of North Central Wisconsin recently received accreditation with the nation’s highest standard for philanthropic excellence. National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations establish legal, ethical, and effective practices for community foundations everywhere.
“Meeting the National Standards benchmarks is a rigorous, comprehensive process,” said Randy Royster, Chair of the Community Foundations National Standards Board. “This accreditation is a significant accomplishment that indicates the Community Foundation of North Central Wisconsin demonstrates a commitment to transparency, quality, integrity and accountability as it carries out its mission.”

The National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations program requires community foundations to document their policies for donor services, investments, grantmaking and administration. With over 500 community foundations already accredited nationwide, the program is designed to provide quality assurance to donors, as well as to their legal and financial advisors.
“This is critically important to our donors,” said Jean Tehan, Community Foundation Executive Director. “When people make a charitable bequest or establish a fund, they are putting their trust in us. They are counting on us to manage the investment wisely, honor their charitable wishes and, in some cases, carry out their philanthropic legacy. The National Standards accreditation says our house is in order.”
The Community Foundation of North Central Wisconsin works to meet critical community needs and support local causes, including supporting the arts, education, health and human services, and resource preservation.
The Community Foundation offers a range of charitable funds, allowing donors to advance a cause, support an individual organization, provide flexible support for community needs or recommend individual grants. In addition to affirming the organization’s philanthropic services, the accreditation validates the Foundation’s grantmaking practices for the nonprofit community.
“Grantmaking is a lot like investing,” said Dennis DeLoye, Community Foundation board president. “We need to assess risks, weigh potential gains, diversify assets, monitor performance and operate fairly. With our National Standards accreditation, you can be assured that we’re doing just that.”

National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations is the first program of its kind for charitable foundations in the United States, and Wisconsin community foundations were at the forefront of their development.
The Community Foundation of North Central Wisconsin is a nonprofit community corporation, created by and for the people of north central Wisconsin, and exists to enhance the quality of the greater Wausau area.
The Community Foundations National Standards Board is a supporting organization of the Council on Foundations and is responsible for the quality, value and integrity of compliance with National Standards. For more information on the National Standards Board, visit its website at www.cfstandards.org.