The GIVE Greene Fund is an endowed donor-advised fund created by the EQT Foundation in 2021 that will be used to support nonprofits and agencies in Greene County. The fund is managed through the Community Foundation of Greene County (CFGC), which is a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization dedicated to investing in the future of Greene County.
The fund was inspired by a similar program created in Belmont County, Ohio when a group of (then Rice Energy) landowners decided to donate a portion of their royalties from natural gas leases to create a comparable fund. Similarly in Greene County, EQT landowners will be offered an opportunity to invest in the future of the county through an innovative royalty-withholding program, where, with landowner approval, a small portion of monthly royalties received by the landowner will be donated to GIVE Greene by EQT on the landowner’s behalf. The EQT Foundation will then match the amount donated by the landowner, up to $10,000, for the first year of their participation.
Since the GIVE Greene Fund match was announced in December 2022, more than $13,000 has been received thus far from landowners and will be matched dollar-for-dollar by the EQT Foundation. Additional dollars will be raised by other local businesses and individuals to help grow the fund.
“This is a community effort,” said Ellen Rossi, President of the EQT Foundation. “We are proud to have seeded the fund and will make an annual contribution for the next several years, and we anticipate other business and community leaders will join us as well. And of course, we hope leaseholders will support this initiative that will leave their fingerprints in Greene County forever.”
CFGC serves as the central philanthropic organization within Greene County for donations of various types and sizes and strives to serve the interests of donors and the community. Through donations, CFGC can dedicate financial resources to support change and change-makers in Greene County. Funds are invested and then distributed through grants to the many non-profit agencies working to bring change to Greene County.
According to Dave Calvario, Executive Director of CFGC, “EQT has been a strong philanthropic partner in Greene County for years. The corporation and its employees have a steep history of donating their time, talents, and resources. The GIVE Greene Fund, since it is an endowed fund, will live on into perpetuity and benefit our County for generations to come. EQT has always been a problem solver in our community, and this commitment further shows their commitment to investing in our County.”
The goal is to raise $1,000,000 for the fund by the end of 2023. Nonprofits will be asked to submit applications for funding and based on a 4% annual payout, this will allow approximately $40,000 to be reinvested in the County, which will be decided by GIVE Greene funders and other leaders.
To find out more about the GIVE Greene Fund or to make a donation, contact CFGC at 724-627-2010 or cfgcpa@gmail.com.