Community Foundation of Boone County Releases Annual Report and New Interactive Feature
Writer / Natalie Platt
Photography Provided
The Community Foundation of Boone County recently debuted their 2022 Annual Report, which is now interactive. The mission with the new feature is to connect local donors with local philanthropy. The tool also allows the foundation to appeal to a larger footprint while engaging new and old donors alike.
“This project was part of a three-year vision we laid out to not only boost brand amplification, but grow our digital platform,” says Jodi Gietl, president and CEO of the foundation. “When I came on board three years ago, we began with a goal of increasing awareness of the community foundation and the amazing work they do for Boone County.”
That initiative included print media, social media and a strong digital presence. Julie Reagan, vice president of advancement, listened closely and made the plan come to life.
“Julie not only increased our print and social media campaigns tenfold, but takes on the arduous task of getting an annual report into the hands of our donors, stakeholders and difference makers the first quarter of each year,” Gietl says.
Gietl also notes that Reagan tackled a complete overhaul of the foundation website by partnering with Circle City Digital.
“The third and final piece of the initiative puzzle was to combine the two items – our annual report and our new website – into an interactive annual report that captures the minds and hearts of Boone County,” Gietl says. “It allows us to thank our donors and our community for all that they do in linking arms with us to make a difference right here at home.”
Gietl says being able to digitally and visually showcase the impact the foundation has made with the funds entrusted to them was important, and helps paint the picture of the growing unmet needs in Boone County. She asks community members to hop on board to help them solve local needs with local resources.
“Telling our story to both a print and digital audience allows us to captivate an audience from 15 years old to 95 years old and everyone in between,” she says. “Boone County is a beautiful cacophony of upscale urban areas, surrounded by a rich agricultural heritage and economy. Our dream is to capture this diversity and help connect our entire county through philanthropy. Digitally reaching a wide range of donors exposes them to the even wider range of needs right here at home.”
The Community Foundation of Boone County has a rich history of keeping all four corners involved in the philanthropic landscape of the county.
“With a diverse representation of all six municipalities, women and men, young and old, our board of directors spans a wide range of professional disciplines from accounting, agriculture, education, engineering, finance, fundraising, human resources, legal, marketing, medical, public service, science and technology,” Gietl says.
2023 brings five new members to the board of directors including Angie Leary, Chad Perdue, Sarah Prince, Jess Stokely and David Yaraschefski. Gietl notes that blending their disciplines with the already talented board allows the foundation to address unmet local needs including funding for mental health, those living with disabilities and the growing elderly population.
“In the last year, I am most proud of our teamwork and collaboration across our entire county,” Gietl says. “In the roller coaster economy of 2022, the Community Foundation of Boone County remained resolute in awarding over $1.2 million in grants to help our more than 175 nonprofits achieve their purpose and fulfill their mission of addressing local needs. From homelessness to food insecurity, domestic violence to illiteracy, economic disparity to mental health education, and animals to art, we do our work for the 76,000 residents of Boone County, from our smallest town of Advance in the west to our largest town of Zionsville in the east, and every square mile of farmland and neighborhood in between – all four corners of this great county. We do it each and every day, for our most vulnerable youth all the way to our beloved seniors citizens, right here at home.”
You can find out more about the Community Foundation of Boone County online at communityfoundationbc.org.
