For More Details, See This Week’s

Freeman’s Journal, Hometown Oneonta

FOUNDATION FORMS,

FIGHTING COVID-19

ITS FIRST PRIORITY

Levine, Herzig In Leadership Roles;

Public Asked To Assist Fundraising

COOPERSTOWN – Local citizens face “an emergency need” to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the new Community Foundation of Otsego County.  So at 2 p.m. today, the CFOC announced it has created the COVID-19 Relief & Recovery Fund.

“Otsego County unemployment is rising and we are seeing growing numbers of potentially fatal illnesses,” CFOF announced in a statement.  “The nonprofit service sector of our economy is faced with overwhelming assistance requests, and we are going to help.”

The CFOC is chairman by Harry Levine, Town of Springfield, former president of the Otsego Land Trust.  The vice chair is Gary Herzig, Oneonta’s mayor; treasurer, Sarah Manchester, Oneonta, limited partner in Edward Jones, the financial advisers, and secretary, Bob Schlather, the Cooperstown attorney and accountant.

CLICK HERE FOR ‘CALL TO ACTION’

CLICK HERE FOR LIST OF DIRECTORS

CLICK HERE TO DONATE TO EFFORT

Directors range from Lou Allstadt, Cooperstown, the retired Exxon Mobil executive vice president and former village trustee, to Alan Donovan, Oneonta, the retired SUNY Oneonta president.

The Fund will issue grants to qualified service organizations addressing the most urgent needs of county residents. (Once the crisis abates, the Fund will shift to supporting recovery efforts.) Our immediate concern is relief  and we will rely upon existing nonprofit organizations already on the front lines of response.

The Fund has started with a grant of $20,000 from the Community Foundation of Otsego County and a $1 for $1 matching challenge grant of another $30,000 from its board members and volunteers.  The Fund is accepting donations now.  CFOC is underwriting all the costs of creating and administering the Fund and not charging any fees so that 100 percent of amounts donated will go directly into the community to meet pressing needs.

The Foundation asked “for immediate support” from individual donors, companies, local foundations, and other organizations. Online gifts have the most immediate impact: www.cfotsego.org . Donations can also be sent to the Community Foundation of Otsego County, P.O. Box 55, Springfield Center, NY 13468. Please send any questions related to donations to   contact@cfotsego.org  .

For other general questions, please visit our frequently asked questions (FAQs) on our website, which will be first presented at allotsego.com at 2 p.m. on April 21, 2020. For further detailed information, to add your name as a supporter or endorser, or other in-depth questions, please email:  contact@cfotsego.org .

The Community Foundation of Otsego County was created in 2019, with the mission of improving the quality of life for all of us in the Otsego County area.  For those not familiar with CFOC and how we have been building resources to announce our introduction to the Otsego County community, we are an IRS designated nonprofit public charity (501c3).

The Foundation will accomplish its mission primarily through gathering financial assets to direct to existing nonprofits in our county – to help them solve problems we all recognize and that are common to rural areas, according to today’s press release.

“The Board represents the entire community and no special interests. We are responsible to our public and listen carefully to the community when setting our priorities,” the release said.

At this time, the Foundation is a non-profit charity registered with the state Attorney General.  Right now, there is no staff; the effort is being managed entirely by volunteers.