Posted on April 29th, 2016

In an effort to make its grantmaking more relevant and responsive to the communities it serves, The Springs Close Foundation Board of Directors has announced that it will create three new Community Boards of Directors: one each in Chester County, Lancaster County and York County. The Community Boards will replace the Foundation’s Community Advisory Committees and will oversee annual grantmaking within each of the counties.

“Our Community Advisory Committees have been invaluable in helping our Board understand the needs of the counties we serve and the nonprofit organizations that are hard at work meeting those needs,” said Chairwoman, Anne Springs Close. “The Foundation’s Community Advisory Committee structure allowed us to build the relationships and understanding of the community that has led to this next, very important step in our evolution.”

Community Boards of Directors will include five to seven members and will assume responsibility for annual grantmaking in the counties they serve. The Springs Close Foundation will provide administrative support for their efforts, but Board members will be responsible for reviewing grant applications, conducting site visits, performing the necessary due diligence and making grant decisions.

Initial Community Board members have been selected by the Foundation, and will serve limited terms. Future Boards members will be nominated and elected by the Community Boards when needed. In addition, the chair of each Community Board will also serve on The Springs Close Foundation Board of Directors, and take part in grantmaking decisions for grants that affect more than one county.

“This new structure will benefit both the Foundation and the counties we serve,” says Angela McCrae, President of The Springs Close Foundation. “While we will still keep our Foundation office in Fort Mill and oversee the larger grants and other aspects of operations, the grants we make in each individual county will now have the benefit of more local knowledge and relationships to help ensure we are better meeting community needs in an effective way.”
Residents who have agreed to serve inaugural 3-year terms on the Community Boards are:

Chester County Community Board of Directors:

1. Mitch Foster – Chair
2. Mary Funderburk
3. Susan Kovas
4. Lucille Mackey
5. Richard Miller
6. Bill Nixon
7. Wallace Thompson
Lancaster County Community Board of Directors:

1. Chad Catledge – Chair
2. Bruce Brumfield
3. Doug Barfield
4. Otis Lathan
5. Fred Witherspoon
6. Tammy Woods

York County Community Board of Directors:

1. Annette Chinchilla – Chair
2. Butch Cowart
3. Nikki Godrey-Hill
4. Martha Kinard
5. David Macaulay
6. Kevin Patton
7. Dora Perry