Triangle Community Foundation Celebrates 25th Anniversary at DPAC Benefit Gala

April 01, 2009

For Immediate Release

Triangle Community Foundation Celebrates 25th Anniversary at DPAC Benefit Gala
300 Area Leaders Set to Celebrate, Defying Predictions of Economic Hardship

(Durham, April 1, 2009)—Despite national predictions of a downturn in giving, Triangle Community Foundation celebrates its 25th anniversary on Thursday night with a sell out crowd of regional supporters.  The group of 280 gathers to commemorate a quarter century of innovative programs and grant making.

“A time of economic stress is no time to pull back from helping those in need, because the needs are even greater,” says Andrea Bazán, president of the foundation (http://www.trianglecf.org). “It’s gratifying to see so many people show their strong support and continued commitment.”

Founded in 1983, TCF’s mission remains focused on managing philanthropic funds established by individuals, businesses and families.  Over the years, this mission has developed into a series of successful programs, many of which are featured in a documentary to debut during the anniversary event, Thursday, 6:30, at the Durham Performing Arts Center.

TCF’s work includes a robust approach to giving and a diverse but related slate of initiatives:

Specific examples of TCF’s contributions to the community include:

Triangle Gives Back.org debuted this year, another example of TCF’s forward-thinking approach.  It allows nonprofits and donors to post profiles and connect online, much like Facebook and Match.com. Launched in February, Triangle Gives Back now features more than 330 individual donor and 207 nonprofit profiles, and has received over 60,000 hits in less than 6 weeks.
“The success of our anniversary celebration demonstrates that people are eager to support philanthropic endeavors they know and trust,” says Phail Wynn, chairman of TCF’s board of directors.  “The Triangle Community Foundation has a long history of leading the philanthropic charge, changing the way people live and give, and engaging needed resources.”

About Triangle Community Foundation
Founded in 1983, Triangle Community Foundation connects philanthropic resources with community needs, creates opportunity for enlightened change and encourages philanthropy as a way of life. The Foundation manages nearly 700 funds, ranging in size from $10,000 to $10 million, primarily for the benefit of Wake, Durham, Orange and Chatham counties in North Carolina. Triangle Community Foundation gave more than $14 million in grants to nonprofits, schools and community efforts last year, raising the total value of grants made since the Foundation’s inception to nearly $120 million. Additional information about Triangle Community Foundation can be found at http://www.trianglecf.org. 

About Triangle Gives Back
The Triangle Gives Back initiative, led by Triangle Community Foundation, is committed to bringing Triangle residents together through philanthropy.  Triangle Gives Back is guided by a diverse steering committee and a group of advisors from the nonprofit, philanthropic, corporate, education, religious, and communication sectors. Using research and recommendations, education and connection, Triangle Gives Back strives to demystify philanthropy – which is simply the sharing of time, talent or treasure with the community –to raise awareness of the current status of giving in the Triangle, to inspire more people to participate in philanthropy, and to connect givers and nonprofit organizations to better meet our community’s needs.