For an organization that has been around for 30 years and does plenty to help the community of Sedona and the Verde Valley, you may have never heard of the Arizona Community Foundation (ACF) of Sedona. “We have this hidden resource that people really don’t know about. And we’ve been here for 30 years,” says Jennifer Perry, regional director for the ACF of Sedona. “We really are like the community chest card on the Monopoly board for our community. And our local organizations can reach out to us for support, and people can invest in the community through us.”
The ACF works with individuals and businesses to establish trusts and endowments. The ACF supports scholarships, helping senior citizens and preserving trails, among many other causes. One example is the Boynton Canyon Preservation Fund, which is held by Enchantment Resort. The fund seeks to support projects that protect and preserve the Boynton Canyon wildlife area. Since its beginning in 1999, more than $100,000 has been granted to trail maintenance, creating new trailheads, providing visitor education programs in addition to creating and maintaining mountain bike fix-it stations. “It’s really about our community, and all of these individuals, businesses and nonprofits that are doing great work in our community, and we’re just helping to act as a facilitator for them,” says Jennifer. “If you are thinking about giving or you don’t know where to give, you go to ACF and we help you.”
Since its inception in 1991, the ACF of Sedona has granted over seven million dollars in grants and scholarships that support the local community. ACF of Sedona manages more than 10 million dollars in charitable assets. Although there isn’t a celebration planned to commemorate the anniversary, the organization is trying to meet a fundraising goal. “Our big goal this year is to raise an additional $300,000 for our community fund,” says Jennifer. ACF plans on celebrating reaching this milestone on Feb. 5, 2022 at the organization’s annual “Spirit of Sedona” awards. “We’re just really excited about what we’re going to be able to do for the community in the next 30 years,” says Jennifer. − Teresa K. Traverse
SEDONA CALENDAR: Events, activities, shows, happenings
