Scranton Area Community Foundation Receives National Re-Accreditation

The Scranton Area Community Foundation has officially been re-accredited under the Community Foundations National Standards®, the nation’s highest standards for philanthropic excellence. This distinction affirms the Foundation’s continued commitment to transparency, integrity, accountability, and effective stewardship of charitable resources.

Community Foundations National Standards® establish rigorous legal, ethical, and operational benchmarks for community foundations nationwide.

“Meeting the National Standards benchmarks is a comprehensive and demanding process,” said Susie Nelson, Board Chair of the Community Foundations National Standards Board. “This re-accreditation is a significant achievement and demonstrates the Scranton Area Community Foundation’s strong commitment to quality, transparency, and accountability in carrying out its mission.”

The accreditation process requires community foundations to document and regularly review policies and practices related to donor services, investments, grantmaking, governance, and administration. More than 500 community foundations nationwide have achieved this designation, which serves as an important assurance to donors, nonprofit partners, and professional advisors.

“This re-accreditation is critically important to our donors and our community,” said Laura Ducceschi, President and CEO of the Scranton Area Community Foundation. “When individuals and families choose to establish a charitable fund or leave a legacy gift, they are placing a high level of trust in us. National Standards® re-accreditation confirms that we are honoring that trust with strong governance, sound financial management, and a deep commitment to donor intent.”

The Scranton Area Community Foundation works to meet critical community needs and strengthen Northeastern Pennsylvania by supporting a wide range of causes, including education, health and human services, arts and culture, animal welfare, workforce development, and community leadership.

The Scranton Area Community Foundation works to meet critical community needs and strengthen Northeastern Pennsylvania by supporting a wide range of causes, including education, health and human services, arts and culture, animal welfare, workforce development, and community leadership.

The Foundation offers a variety of charitable giving options, including donor-advised funds, designated funds, scholarship funds, field-of-interest funds, and unrestricted funds that address the region’s most pressing needs. In addition to affirming philanthropic services for donors, National Standards® accreditation validates the Foundation’s grantmaking practices and financial oversight for the nonprofit community it serves.

“Strong grantmaking requires the same discipline and care as sound investing,” said David J. Price, Chair of the Scranton Area Community Foundation Board of Governors. “This re-accreditation assures our community that the Foundation operates with rigor, fairness, and long-term vision as we steward charitable resources.”

Community Foundations National Standards® is the first program of its kind for charitable foundations in the United States. The National Standards Board is a supporting organization of the Council on Foundations and oversees the quality, value, and integrity of the accreditation process. More information is available at www.cfstandards.org.

Through philanthropic services, strategic investments, and community leadership, the Scranton Area Community Foundation helps people support the causes they care about—now and for generations to come.