PHOTO PROVIDED Elizabeth Arnold provides info to the Clinton County Community Foundation board.

PHOTO PROVIDED
The Clinton County Community Foundation board hears a presentation by Elizabeth Arnold.

LOCK HAVEN –The Clinton County Community Foundation (CCCF) is taking bold steps toward a more connected, visible and community-driven future.

Following several months of interviews with leaders across the county, the Foundation has completed an in-depth community needs assessment as a key milestone in its 2025 strategic planning process.

The insights gathered will directly inform the organization’s five-year strategic plan, set to be finalized and adopted later this year.

This initiative, guided by Abundance Creative & Consulting and led by Elizabeth Arnold as consultant, represents a new era of intentional growth and community engagement for the Foundation.

More than 30 in-depth interviews were conducted with local civic, business and political leaders, long-time grant recipients and board members to better understand community perceptions about the Foundation’s work, identify unmet needs across the county and to position the Foundation to serve as a collaborative and philanthropic force in the county.

The needs assessment revealed a broad range of urgent and emerging community priorities, including:

— Access to affordable housing and childcare.

— Retention of both young professionals and businesses.

— Youth mentoring, career training and internship opportunities.

— Food insecurity, transportation and homelessness.

— Support for the arts in education, language access services and economic development.

— Behavioral and mental health services.

Leaders also emphasized the desire for the CCCF to play a larger role in facilitating collaboration, increasing its visibility and helping drive investment in these areas across the county.

“The work CCCF does is so important. There are a lot of organizations that rely on it,” shared one community leader. “People and families count on them.”

A Community-Driven Strategic Plan

As part of its participatory planning process, the CCCF is aligning its mission, vision and values with real community input to shape strategic goals. These goals include:

— Expanding philanthropy and growing the donor base.

— Enhancing awareness and engagement across the community.

— Building organizational capacity and board leadership.

— Strengthening collaboration with local nonprofits and leaders.

— Exploring new funding models to better meet urgent and long-term needs.

“This strategic plan is the most comprehensive and community-informed roadmap our board has ever developed,” said Mark Weaver, President of the CCCF Board.

“We’re excited not only about the direction it sets, but also about how it strengthens our ability to respond to what our community truly needs. Our board is energized and eager to continue this planning process so that we can build on the Foundation’s decades-long legacy of serving Clinton County.”

The planning process has highlighted both strengths and challenges for the Foundation.

CCCF is recognized for its compassionate grantmaking, long-standing trust and flexible support of nonprofits–especially in areas such as education, EMS and the arts.

However, the Foundation also faces hurdles, including limited public awareness, capacity constraints and an opportunity to better define its role in meeting evolving community needs.

Next Steps

The next phases of the strategic planning process will take place in late summer and fall, when the CCCF’s board will review and finalize the plan’s strategic goals and key performance indicators.

The final strategic plan will serve as a roadmap to guide decision-making, donor engagement and impact initiatives through 2030.

“After serving on the CCCF board for seven years, I know firsthand how powerful the Foundation’s work is when aligned with community needs. We’ve heard loud and clear that the community wants us to be more visible, more connected and more ambitious in our goals,” said Elizabeth Arnold, Founder of Abundance Creative & Consulting. “This strategic plan will reflect that vision.”

“This strategic plan is not just a document–it’s a commitment to listening, adapting and leading with purpose. It’s about showing up in new ways for the people of Clinton County,” said Bob Rolley, Outreach Coordinator for the Foundation.

The Clinton County Community Foundation (CCCF) is committed to strengthening Clinton County through strategic grantmaking, donor engagement and community leadership.

For more than 55 years, the Foundation has partnered with individuals and families, businesses and nonprofits to create and grow charitable gifts that address our county’s most promising opportunities and pressing needs. For more information about the CCCF, visit www.clintoncountyfoundation.org