Nonprofits and Charities

From Sustaining Jackson Hole Wiki

Jackson Hole has a vibrant nonprofit community and a generous base of charitable donors. There are roughly 160 nonprofit organizations in Jackson Hole and Teton Valley, Idaho. Charitable giving through the Community Foundation of Jackson Hole on a per-capita basis far exceeds donations made through any of the nation’s 600-plus other community foundations – $442 per person in the year 2000.

Although there is a common perception that Teton County has a disproportionate number of nonprofit groups for its size, the reality is that communities similar to Jackson Hole frequently have a comparable number of nonprofits. What is different in Teton County is the existence of a single high-profile fundraising event coordinated annually by the Community Foundation – Old Bill’s Fun Run for Charities. This brings a great deal more attention to Jackson Hole's nonprofits than is the case in other communities. Donor contributions made through the event for a participating nonprofit organization are matched by funds from a pool created by other donors. In 2004, the Old Bill’s event raised just under $6 million.

Old Bill's Fun Run is a unique event in the nonprofit world. The Community Foundation of Jackson Hole is unique in another way as well. Most community foundations focus on endowments, which are usually oriented toward long-range giving. Donors contribute to these endowments, from which money is given to individual nonprofits.

While the Community Foundation of Jackson Hole also has endowment funds, the majority of donations made through the Community Foundation of Jackson Hole go directly to nonprofit organizations. In this way, donors can choose between more immediate giving, and giving with a longer time horizon. In 2003, the Community Foundation of Jackson Hole directly granted $13.4 million to nonprofits, including the $5.5 million raised through Old Bill's.

Nonprofit entities in Jackson Hole span the range from social services to special interests, from environmental causes to arts groups. For a complete listing of nonprofit groups, the Community Foundation publishes an annual nonprofit directory, available on their website at www.cfjacksonhole.org.

Source: Community Foundation of Jackson Hole