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Local Organization Re-Accredited with Rigorous Philanthropic Standards YARMOUTHPORT- The Cape Cod Foundation recently received re-accreditation with the nation’s highest standard for philanthropic excellence. National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations® establish legal, ethical, effective practices for community foundations everywhere. “Meeting the National Standards benchmarks is a rigorous, comprehensive process,” said Randy Royster, Chair of the Community Foundations National Standards Board. “This re-accreditation is a significant accomplishment that indicates The Cape Cod Foundation demonstrates a commitment to transparency, quality, integrity and accountability as it carries out its mission.” The National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations® program requires community foundations to document their policies for donor services, investments, grantmaking and administration. With over 500 community foundations already accredited nationwide, the program is designed to provide quality assurance to donors, as well as to their legal and financial advisors. “This is critically important to our donors,” said Hank Holden, Chairman and President of The Cape Cod Foundation. “When people make a charitable bequest or establish a fund, they are putting their trust in us. They are counting on us to manage the investment wisely, honor their charitable wishes and, in some cases, provide lifetime income to a loved one. The National Standards accreditation says our house is in order.” The Cape Cod Foundation works to meet critical community needs, support local causes, and provide facilitation and leadership on key opportunities facing Cape Cod’s nonprofit sector. The Foundation offers a range of charitable funds and giving opportunities, allowing donors to advance a cause, support an individual organization, provide flexible support for community needs or recommend individual grants. In addition to affirming the organization’s philanthropic services, the re-accreditation validates The Cape Cod Foundation’s grantmaking practices for the nonprofit community. “Grantmaking is a lot like investing,” said Kristin O’Malley, Executive Director of The Cape Cod Foundation. “We need to assess risks, weigh potential gains, diversify assets, monitor performance and operate fairly. With our National Standards accreditation, you can be assured that we’re doing just that.” National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations® is the first program of its kind for charitable foundations in the United States. The Cape Cod Foundation is a community foundation whose mission is to build permanent charitable resources for community betterment through informed grantmaking and civic leadership. The Foundation has distributed more than $55 million in grants and scholarships since its founding in 1989. www.capecodfoundation.org The Community Foundations National Standards Board is a supporting organization of the Council on Foundations and is responsible for the quality, value and integrity of compliance with National Standards. www.cfstandards.org