Carbon County Community Foundation announces that two new community members have been added as founders.

Bill and Penny Allison of Jim Thorpe and Michael and Marian Carty of Palmerton have each made the pledge for their family to donate $25,000 to the Fund for Carbon County, the Foundation’s discretionary assets from which it awards grants to support the needs of the community.

The foundation began awarding grants in 2016, and to date, more than $44,000 have been distributed to qualified charities in the region.

“Founders are philanthropic leaders in this community, who recognize the potential of the foundation as a community development tool,” said Executive Director Amber Breiner.

“However, it is important to note that the greatest potential of a community foundation lies in its ability to empower individuals, families and businesses from throughout the region to start their own funds to support the organizations and causes that matter most to them, now and beyond their lifetimes.” Across the region and nationwide, most funds held by community foundations are donor advised or designated.

The Carbon County Community Foundation would like to attract three to five more founders by the end of the year.

“Our goal is to get broader regional distribution. This foundation is for our entire community and, as with all of our initiatives, we’d like the founders group to reflect that,” Breiner said.

In addition to receiving the honorary status to forever be known as being part of the special group that helped launch the foundation, Bill Allison has been elected to serve a three-year term and Michael Carty a one-year term on the board of directors. Being a founder is not a prerequisite for board service, however, all current CCCF board members are founders.

Michael Carty, the owner of Job Connection Services Inc., has lived in Palmerton for almost 40 years where he and his wife, Marian, raised their family.

“In addition to giving as we usually do, I see this as an opportunity to leave a legacy and give back to the community in a lasting way,” said Michael Carty.

Bill Allison is a retired educator and principal from the Philadelphia area. He and his wife, Penny (also a retired educator), have lived in the Penn Forest area of Carbon County since 2006. Bill is currently president of Jim Thorpe Rotary and has served on several other boards of directors in the area including those for the Jim Thorpe School District and library.

“As a founder and a member of the Carbon County Community Foundation’s Board, I would like to contribute my background to build resources for Carbon County to thrive,” Bill Allison said.

Anyone interested in the opportunity to become a founder or any of the foundation’s other initiatives, should contact Breiner (at 855-545-1311 or via cccfoundpa.org) or any board member.