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About the Foundation

Mission
Logo
Board of Directors
Staff
National Standards

MISSION

The mission of the Greater Salina Community Foundation is to enhance quality of life, today and in the future, by:

Enabling donors to fulfill their charitable desires
Building a permanent endowment
Facilitating prudent management and care of funds
Meeting needs through grants, awards, and scholarships

LOGO

Why a rope? Our logo design incorporates our belief that as a community we are stronger than we are as individuals.

"The idea of a rope -- individual fibers braided together to make a stronger whole -- inspired this design. The same principle applies in a community: many individuals and groups working together to do what cannot be done alone. The Greater Salina Community Foundation provides a "rope" for this area, enabling projects and furthering creative ideas that might unravel without community help and support." – Pamela Harris, Designer

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BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The Greater Salina Community Foundation is operated by a 21-member volunteer board. Their dedication, collective knowledge, and passion for the community are what drives the Community Foundation.

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STAFF

Betsy Wearing, Executive Director
Betsy Wearing is the Foundation’s first executive director. She was hired in 2000 and together with an active board of directors has guided the Foundation through its formative years. Prior to accepting the position at the Foundation, Betsy spent 15 years in healthcare marketing, public relations and community health. She is a graduate of the former Marymount College in Salina, and received her Master’s Degree in Communications from Wichita State University in 1990. She and her husband, Ben, have three sons. In her free time she enjoys reading, theatre and attending her children’s many activities.

Bob Salem, Financial Officer
Bob joined the Foundation in 2002 to manage the Foundation’s complex fund management accounting system. He is a CPA and a graduate of Kansas State University. He has lived in Salina on and off for more than 20 years and considers it home. He and his wife, Linda, have two sons, Scott & Nick. Away from work Bob enjoys spending time with his family and playing softball and racquetball.

Linda L. Smith, Administrative Assistant
Linda is a long time Salina resident, serving on numerous community nonprofit boards. She was a member of the USD 305 school board for eight years and has worked as a music educator and substitute teacher. She is married to husband David and they have two daughters, Hilary and Allison. She enjoys college sports and attending KU basketball and football games. She sings in her church choir and enjoys playing in the handbell choir.

Caitlin Cox, Youth Coordinator
Caitlin coordinates the Youth GrantMakers Council, an initiative to teach philanthropy to high school youth. She is a 2007 graduate of Salina Central High School.  As a high school student, she was a founding member of the Council and served for three years, including two years as an officer.  In addition to her work at the Foundation, Caitlin is a full-time student at Kansas Wesleyan University, majoring in elementary education.

Michelle Griffin, Scholarship and Affiliate Coordinator
Michelle graduated from Kansas State University with a Bachelor's degree in Human Resource Management and a Master's degree in Counseling and Student Development. She is a lifetime resident of Salina, along with her husband Scott, and their four children, Nick, Baleigh, Kaden and Keegan. In her spare time, Michelle volunteers for Ell-Saline Elementary, coaches youth sports at the YMCA and attends her children's many activities and events.

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Council on Foundations Recognizes Greater Salina Community Foundation
for Compliance with National Accountability Standards

The Greater Salina Community Foundation is being recognized for having organizational and financial practices that are in accordance with the National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations. In order to achieve confirmation of compliance with the National Standards, community foundations must undergo an extensive review of their organizational and financial policies and procedures. The review is performed by trained, experienced community foundation practitioners, and often takes more than a year to complete.

The decision to adopt and adhere to the standards was initiated by Foundation staff and supported by the board of directors. "Being recognized by the Council for meeting these rigorous standards demonstrates our ongoing commitment to quality and provides an additional indication of trust for our donors and the entire community," said Betsy Wearing, President and Executive Director.

The Council on Foundations and leaders of the community foundation field created the National Standards in 2000 to aid community foundations in establishing legal, ethical and effective operational practices that show foundations’ transparency and financial responsibility in light of the increased public scrutiny of foundation practices. In addition, National Standards were developed to distinguish community foundations from other philanthropic vehicles. The 43 National Standards address six key areas of community foundation operations:

• Mission, Structure and Governance, including standards defining board accountability, compensation, independence, fiduciary responsibility and representation of the community.

• Resource Development, including parameters for administration of funds, disclosures to donors and commitment to building long-term resources for varied community issues and causes.

• Stewardship and Accountability, covering prudent investment and management of funds, transparent record-keeping, use of funds for their intended purpose, annual audits, and public availability of financial information, including standards related to due diligence and community responsiveness.

• Grantmaking and Community Leadership, including standards related to broad and open grantmaking programs, due diligence, and responsiveness to changing community needs.

• Donor Relations, encompassing guidelines for informing, educating and involving donors in responding to community needs.

• Communications, including openness to public scrutiny and frequent communications about activities and finances.

The Greater Salina Community Foundation was established in 1999 and in seven years has grown to more than $44 million in assets. Last year, the Foundation gave more than $4 million in grants. The Foundation also has seven affiliate foundations: The Russell County Area Community Foundation, The Community Foundation for Cloud County, the Smoky Hills Charitable Foundation, serving Ellsworth County, the Smoky Valley Community Foundation, serving the Lindsborg area, the Heartland Community Foundation, based in Hays and serving west central Kansas, the Republic County Community Foundation, and the Catholic Community Foundation of the Diocese of Salina, serving 31 counties in north central and northwest Kansas.

U.S. community foundations serve tens of thousands of donors and administer more than $39 billion in charitable funds. Of the nearly 700 community foundations in the United States, more than 570 have pledged to comply with the National Standards, and of those, 366, including the Salina Foundation, have been found in compliance. These community foundations represent foundations from across the nation and the size of their assets range from the smallest to the largest in the field. Currently, compliant community foundations represent over $36 billion in assets, or about 80% of the field.

The Council on Foundations is a Washington, DC-based nonprofit membership association of more than 2,000 grantmaking foundations and corporations.

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