YOUR PASSION.  YOUR LEGACY.  YOUR CAPE.

From Pockets to Buckets

October 12, 2023
Not long ago, I wrote a column about POCKETS. Specifically, other people’s pockets. Knowing where other funders are investing their resources helps make our grantmaking more impactful. This column is about buckets. Our buckets. They represent the discretionary resources the Foundation has to invest back into the community each year.

You’ve heard a lot about the STRATEGIC EMERGENCY RESPONSE FUND. We established this bucket in 2020 to generate resources for pandemic relief and rebuilding efforts. And, since 2022, we’ve been actively fundraising for our newest bucket, THE WOMEN AND GIRLS FUND, to deepen our investment in the women and girls in our community.

What you may not know, though, is that the Foundation has field-of-interest buckets to support all aspects of community life, including housing, health and human services, youth development, education/scholarships, environmental preservation and conservation, workforce and career development, arts and culture, and animal protection and welfare.

These buckets are part of our ongoing efforts to build permanent, flexible resources for the region now and in the years to come. What’s more, you can donate any amount to any of them at any time. And here’s why you should.

Many people believe their donation is just a drop in the bucket, too small to make a big difference.

The late Percy Ross, a millionaire from Minnesota, had something to say about that. “Many drops make a bucket, many buckets make a pond, many ponds make a lake, and many lakes make an ocean.”

As they say in the North Star State, “Holy buckets, Percy!” That’s the premise of collective giving.

Over the past two decades alone, collective giving organizations have tripled in size in the United States. This rapidly growing, grassroots, philanthropic movement empowers people to join together, invest their financial resources, and strengthen their communities or causes. Well, welcome to the philanthropic party! Community Foundations are built around this concept. The Cape Cod Foundation gives you the same opportunity to support something/many things you are passionate about and expand the impact of every gift you make.

By partnering with us, you become part of the region’s largest philanthropic think-tank, funder collaborative, and agent for change. You are leveraging our community knowledge to strategically fund programs and initiatives run by effective organizations, supporting many nonprofit organizations every year, helping to make grants in all sizes, and funding large-scale, transformative initiatives. Collective giving is easy. It’s effective. And it’s very rewarding to see what we can build together in a very short time—and over time.

To further expand your knowledge of our work and inform your own philanthropic plan, we are rolling out a new Bucket Series. In the following months, we’ll feature most of the field-of-interest funds outlined above. You’ll learn about the fund’s background, the Foundation’s strategy for the fund, and recent grantmaking from the fund. You’ll also learn about its individual impact and collective impact with other Foundation fund activity. If/when you’re ready to join the bucket brigade, you can donate online through the links below.

The Bucket Series is part of a bigger, multi-year campaign: Your Passion. Your Legacy. Your Cape. Part I illustrates things you can do now to create an impactful, meaningful, and immediate legacy. In Part II, we’ll share strategies for Planned Giving, ways to continue your legacy after you’re gone.

So, stay tuned for a bucket of positivity and possibilities. Or if scheduling a chat to talk about your philanthropic goals has been on your bucket list, give me a call.

Kristin O’Malley
President and CEO
KOMALLEY@CAPECODFOUNDATION.ORG
508.790.3040

Building Flexible Resources to Support
All Aspects of Community Life

You can donate any amount to any of these field-of-interest funds at any time.
Through collective giving, we can fund broad scale initiatives that lead to regional, systemic change.

HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES FUND

UNRESTRICTED
FUND

MAKE A RECURRING GIFT
IN ANY AMOUNT ONLINE