Peninsula Community Foundation board members George Searle and Andi Griffin present a check to Ada Jenkins Center Director of Impact and Engagement Diane Means (middle). /Courtesy Peninsula Community Foundation
CORNELIUS – The Peninsula Community Foundation (PCF) facilitates financial support for charities in Cornelius, Davidson and Huntersville, raising and granting more than $2.8 million to area nonprofits since being established in 2001.
“We want to help as many people as we can, but we want to concentrate on the North Meck area,” current PCF Board of Directors President George Searle said. “Charities that are in the business of education and health and those that serve children and seniors are our focus. If you’re looking to donate where you live and where you work and want to see the fruits of that donation, that’s what the Peninsula Community Foundation can do.”
The PCF board consists of 13 members, all of whom are volunteers. Each board member works closely with two or three specific nonprofits and serves as a liaison in the community, informing potential donors of the needs those charities work to address.
“It’s our job to stay connected with them and help them anticipate any needs, whether that’s volunteers or financial,” Searle said. “Our 13 board members are responsible for knowing exactly what these charities need and also for making sure that the monies they apply for are going to the things that they need done.”
Another unique aspect of the PCF is its ability to pool money from various donations.
“We had an organization that needed a walk-in cooler that was going to cost $15,000,” Searle said. “Raising that much money could be a little strenuous, but when we have five or six donors who hear their story and donate whatever they can, we’re able to pool that money and make that $15,000 happen pretty much overnight.”
While the nonprofits don’t necessarily need to be based in North Meck, at least 50 percent of their efforts have to be focused locally to be considered for assistance. The PCF lists 37 nonprofits that receive support on its website, including the Ada Jenkins Center, Angels and Sparrows, Bags of Hope, Cain Center for the Arts, Caterpillar Ministries, the Hope House Foundation, Little Smiles, Special Olympics North Carolina and the YMCA of Greater Charlotte.
The PCF awards grants twice annually, having already distributed more than $265,000 this year to various organizations, including funding that allowed Cornelius Early Scholars to add an extra classroom this fall on its mission to prepare impoverished children for kindergarten. As the need continues to grow, so do the foundation’s efforts, with the PCF expecting to surpass last year’s record-setting fundraising total of $309,000.
“Wherever you go five miles from The Peninsula Club, there’s a need,” Searle said.
Havana Nights Gala & Fundraiser
The annual gala hosted at The Peninsula Club is the foundation’s primary fundraiser, featuring cocktails, dinner, entertainment and more. This year’s Havana Nights theme includes Cuban-inspired food and drinks, a cigar bar and a performance by The Brightside Band.
“We ask that folks realize the need that is right here across the street from the bubble that we all live in,” Searle said. “Five miles down the street there’s someone who’s not having a great night the way we are.”
The evening will feature a golden ticket raffle – $100 for one ticket, $500 for seven and $1,000 for 15 – with the winner receiving their choice of six prize packages, including a pair of trips for four to either Havana or Tuscanny, a golf retreat to Sonoma Valley, an extended weekend in Banner Elk accommodating up to 10 people and VIP dining experiences at either The Peninsula Club or 131 Main for up to eight people. The five prize packages remaining will then be bid on during a live auction.
Additional prizes will also be up for bid during a separate silent auction.
A limited number of tickets remain available for $200 per person, which includes dinner, drinks and entertainment.
Tickets can be purchased at yourpcfgala.org/gala-details by clicking the “buy tickets” link. Golden raffle tickets can be purchased at yourpcfgala.org/shop-golden-tickets.
The gala is Saturday, Nov. 16, at The Peninsula Club – 19101 Peninsula Club Dr., Cornelius – with cocktails and mingling beginning at 5:30 p.m. The dinner and entertainment portion of the evening begins at 7 p.m.
