WASHINGTON, D.C. - December 18, 2007 - The Community Giving Resource (CGR) announced today that it has received a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The grant was awarded to the Neighborhood Funders Group (NFG), a lead partner of the Community Giving Resource project, and will be used to help CGR increase donor awareness of low-income community issues throughout the nation and to spotlight action plans for addressing critical needs. CGR has also received funding from the Ford Foundation, the California Endowment and the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

The Community Giving Resource (CGR) is a not-for-profit project that provides free educational resources, tools, and networking opportunities for individual donors and family foundations interested in learning about effective strategies for giving at the community level. With an emphasis on ease of use, CGR provides a full range of in-depth information written in straightforward, friendly language. "Our hope is that CGR helps make effective giving less complex for thousands of donors across the country," says Michael Deich, Deputy Director of Public Policy and External Affairs at the Gates Foundation.

CGR's mission is to attract, engage, and sustain philanthropic investment in low-income communities. CGR services help donors explore, and eventually implement, successful funding strategies that create change in critical areas. At the heart of the Community Giving Resource project is a free, information-rich donor website, smartlink.org, which offers in-depth insight on community-based topics and successful giving strategies.

"We launched the SmartLink website specifically to make the task of researching low-income issues and planning for community giving easier for foundations with limited staff resources," notes CGR program director, Elizabeth Myrick.

With SmartLink, anyone with Internet access can instantly connect with a wealth of well-researched, reliable, and relevant information for learning and planning purposes. The site's content includes definitions of key terms, descriptions of innovative strategies used by local groups to strengthen communities, and candid stories of donors striving to make a difference in their communities.

"The operational support we have received will help us raise awareness of our services and website through ongoing communications to new donors and family foundations," says Myrick. "We are grateful that the Gates Foundation has recognized the important role that CGR can play in motivating community giving," she concludes.

About the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, the foundation focuses on alleviating hunger, improving public health, and giving people the chance to lift themselves out of poverty. In the United States, the foundation strives to enable disadvantaged people to succeed by increasing their access to educational resources, financial services, and other opportunities. Based in Seattle, the foundation is led by CEO Patty Stonesifer and co-chair William H. Gates, Sr., under the direction of Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett.

About the Community Giving Resource

The CGR project is a joint project of the Aspen Institute Nonprofit Sector and Philanthropy Program and Neighborhood Funders Group. The Aspen Institute is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering enlightened leadership and open-minded dialogue. The Neighborhood Funders Group is a national network of foundations and philanthropic organizations whose members support community-based efforts to improve economic and social conditions in low-income communities. CGR and its services, including the SmartLink website, are independent and objective. CGR is not a grantmaking organization, nor does it recommend specific groups to support.

Aspen Institute

Aspen Institute

The Aspen Institute is an educational and policy studies organization based in Washington, DC. Its mission is to foster leadership based on enduring values and to provide a nonpartisan venue for dealing with critical issues. The Institute has campuses in Aspen, Colorado, and on the Wye River on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. It also maintains offices in New York City and has an international network of partners. For more information, visit www.aspeninstitute.org or follow on Twitter @AspenInstitute.

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