People Inc.
Building for the Future
“I will be somewhere — a party, a meeting, anywhere — and I will mention I am from People Inc., and someone around me will say, ‘Oh, my daughter has been a client for 14 years’ or ‘I know someone who works there.’ It really puts in perspective just how many people our organization impacts,” said Nancy Dobson, Chair of the People Inc. Foundation Board.
It seems that just about everyone in our community knows someone whose life has been touched by People Inc.
For nearly 50 years, People Inc. has been evolving to serve an expanding group of individuals in our community. The organization was founded to address the needs of people with intellectual disabilities, and today it serves more than 12,000 clients with disabling conditions or special needs each year. To remain strong now and in the future requires planning for long-term financial sustainability, which is precisely why People Inc. decided to establish its first endowment at the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo.
“We are constantly growing and changing. A lot of the time, we are staying ahead of the curve before the rules are even written,” said Denise Bienko, Vice President at People Inc. and Executive Director of the People Inc. Foundation. “An endowment at the Community Foundation is one way we can invest now, grow that investment over time and provide long-term stability for our organization’s future.”
“We talked about planned giving for a long time and chose to partner with the Community Foundation to start our endowment for a number of reasons,” said Rhonda Frederick, President and CEO of People Inc. “Not only do we have flexibility to use the funds as we see fit, but the Community Foundation’s team is constantly bringing national best practices back to our region. I believe our missions are completely aligned.”
People Inc. can rely on the Community Foundation as a cost-effective partner with proven investment performance to make the most of their donors’ generosity.
“It is important to have people who are in the business of philanthropy as your partners,” said Bienko. “We have found that with the Community Foundation.”