Tracy Souza
Not long ago, Heritage Fund received a large donation for the First Christian Church Tower project. Big donations are always good, but what made this one great was the note that accompanied it. The note read, “We are inspired not only by Columbus’ heritage but by the spirit of community and collegiality that is still so evident on the part of today’s community leaders.”
That is quite a statement, even at first reading, but the more I thought about it, the more critical and important those words became. Frankly, there are a lot of communities that have a heritage or a worthy project underway, but not all communities demonstrate a spirit of leadership, collaboration and collegiality.
Some have called the work to build forward-thinking community agendas that equitably serve others and promote partnerships “The Columbus Way.”
“The Columbus Way,” hard as it is to describe in a word or phrase, has been enormously successful over the decades in creating a unique small-town community that tackles and accomplishes big ideas, time and time again.
It is impossible to talk about “The Columbus Way” without talking about the values that drive the behavior. Heritage Fund has been called “the keeper of community values.” Keeping alive the spirit that continues to keep Columbus among the most successful small Midwestern cities is worthwhile. Heritage Fund plans to keep talking about community values in hopes of inspiring even more community leaders.
Community leaders will constantly change, but “The Columbus Way” that has served this community so well can remain constant and steady. The evidence these values are still relevant recently was delivered … accompanied by a lot of money!
Tracy Souza is president and CEO of Heritage Fund – The Community Foundation of Bartholomew County. Contact the fund at 812-376-7772 to learn more about how they can help you do “Your Philanthropy. Your Way.” Send comments to [email protected].
