Making Golden Valley County A Better Place

Making Golden Valley County a Better Place
By Michael B. Hardy

In every persons life there comes a time when they are called upon to step forward and support the greater good. Actually, if you are like me, those calls seem to be coming more and more frequent as there are so many areas of need and worthwhile causes. Today, I’d like to address all current, past and prospective residents of Golden Valley County and share an opportunity and call to action for the perpetual benefit of the residents of the county. The time has come to nurture to life a community foundation for Golden Valley County. A permanent foundation established to provide support for various programs that would enhance the quality of life in Golden Valley County. Wouldn’t it be great to be able to pool our resources to establish a fund for the community that could support our elderly, our youth, civic or cultural programs that improve the quality of life in the area.

Where do we start? In conversations with Kevin Dvorak, Executive Director of the North Dakota Community Foundation, the NDCF stands ready to assist in the creation of a fund specific for Golden Valley County. This fund will require contributions by individuals, businesses and other sponsors to provide the pool of funds which are then invested via NDCF through professional investment managers. The earnings of the community foundation are then available to invest back into the community. Whether it is equipment for the manor, uniforms for youth baseball, community park beautification, scholarships for graduating seniors or promotion of historical points of interest, the focus of the foundation is the improvement of the quality of life in Golden Valley County. This is about leaving a lasting legacy to the region that nurtured us and instilled the values we carry with us through life. Now is the time to give back and make a contribution for the benefit of those who will follow us in keeping western North Dakota and Golden Valley County the special place that it holds in our hearts, that defined our values and shaped our families.

State Bank & Trust, located in Fargo and my employer, has made available to each employee of the bank $1,000 to gift in a Pay-it-Forward program. I would like to make my gift to the current and future residents of Golden Valley County by aiding in the establishment of the Golden Valley Community Foundation. Furthermore, I would encourage and challenge the businesses and residents (current and former) of the county to step forward and participate in the development of the Foundation. As a further incentive to create the Foundation, the North Dakota Community Foundation will provide a generous $5,000 gift if the Foundation can successfully raise $25,000 in its first year. I know that the collective capacity of the current and former residents of the county is far greater than this modest amount.

Imagine if the Golden Valley Community Foundation could raise $25,000 per year for the next 5 years. With the matching funds from the NDCF, the balance would grow to nearly $200,000 within five years providing an estimated $10,000 per year that can be gifted back into the community. This is a very realistic goal and the NDCF stands ready to support our local efforts by matching dollar for dollar up to the first $10,000 raised annually following the first year. If the community can raise $25,000, there is a bonus $5,000 each and every year. Please consider supporting the opportunity to leave a lasting legacy to the people of Golden Valley County. Your attendance at the June 12 informational meeting is strongly encouraged so you can learn more about this opportunity and how you can make a difference.

(Mike Hardy is a Sr. Vice President and Sr. Portfolio Manager in the Trust and Investment Division of State Bank and Trust and lives in Fargo with his wife Barb and two children.)