By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Stafford County Economic Development was started in 2011 with the goals of growing the local economy by supporting businesses and industry, fostering employment opportunities, and improving housing. That goal is a little bit easier after Giving Tuesday. Eco Devo Director Ryan Russell said his organization received approximately $74,000 from donors on Giving Tuesday, and the Patterson Family Foundation provided nearly $18,000 in matching contributions to start an endowment fund.
"We haven't had an endowment before as an organization," Russell said. "I'd like to build a large endowment so we can have money coming every year from that and we can use it for operations or projects."
Stafford County Eco Devo was listed as an organization for Giving Tuesday through the Golden Belt Community Foundation and South Central Community Foundation. GBCF raised $300,000 for 106 area non-profits, and SCCF raised $365,249 for 13 non-profits. The Patterson Family Foundation matched $70,000, to be distributed pro rata, to each foundation.
Russell said monies raised will help with a home-building project for the cities of St. John and Stafford. Nine homes will be built beginning in February. Endowment money cannot be used for projects but Russell said the organization will be able to draw from some of the capital gains created by investing those endowments.
"Hopefully, we'll be adding to those every year to start having accruals," he said, "and using money that comes in from that for other things."
Stafford County Eco Devo will release more on the Middle Income Housing Development in St. John and Stafford in 2024.