On 2 December, the White House co-hosted an event with Silicon Valley Community Foundation (SVCF) celebrating the 100th anniversary of community foundations and the importance of their work. Called ‘Community Foundations: Vital Leadership for America’s Future’, the event brought together federal government officials and

community foundation leaders from around the US to highlight potential areas of collaboration between community foundations and government.

In a welcome message to those attending the conference, President Obama referred to community foundations as ‘powerful examples of innovation at its very best. … The investments these organizations make today help find solutions that will shape the Nation we leave to our daughters and sons.’

SVCF CEO and president Emmett Carson called on community foundations to keep addressing complex issues such as justice and race: ‘We need only look at current events in Ferguson, Missouri, and the protests of solidarity among diverse people in cities across the United States to see that the need for candid community dialogue and bridge-building among people with very different experiences is urgently needed.’

‘Community foundations are ideally situated to answer President Obama’s call for constructive local dialogues that engage diverse community members about the legitimate concerns of racial profiling, police brutality and unequal sentencing by the criminal justice system,’ he went on.

Click here to read the full text of Emmett Carson’s welcome speech.

Click here to read an article about the event by Brian Fogle, head of the Community Foundation for the Ozarks.