The Scranton Area Community Foundation is a public 501(c)(3) community foundation headquartered in

Scranton, Pennsylvania Scranton is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, Lackawanna County. With a population of 76,328 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 U ...

, which was established in 1954 as a community trust by

Worthington Scranton Worthington Scranton (August 29, 1876 – February 13, 1955) was a 20th-century American lawyer, businessman, and philanthropist who became president of the Scranton Gas and Water Company in Scranton, Pennsylvania, a city which was named after his ...

and

Marion Margery Scranton Marion Margery Warren Scranton (April 12, 1884 – June 23, 1960) was a 20th century women’s suffrage activist and leading member of the Republican Party in the United States. Known as “the Duchess and the Grand Old Dame of the Grand Old Par ...

to support charitable and educational organizations in the city of Scranton. The organization's 2021 mission statement notes that its objective "is to enhance the quality of life for all people in

Northeastern Pennsylvania Northeastern Pennsylvania (NEPA) is a geographic region of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania that includes the Pocono Mountains, the Endless Mountains, and the industrial cities of Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Pittston, Hazleton, Nanticoke, and Carbon ...

through the development of organized

philanthropy Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the Public good (economics), public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private goo ...

History

Established as a community trust in 1954, the Scranton Foundation was created by Worthington Scranton and Marion Margery Scranton to support charitable and educational organizations in the city of Scranton, Pennsylvania, and was launched by their initial donation of one million dollars e. According to ''The Plain Speaker'', at the time of the foundation's creation, Margery Scranton "made it clear he foundationwas named after the city, not the donors." In 1970, the organization's name was changed to the Scranton Area Community Foundation. Officially designated as a public community foundation by the

U.S. Internal Revenue Service The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the revenue service for the United States federal government, which is responsible for collecting U.S. federal taxes and administering the Internal Revenue Code, the main body of the federal statutory tax ...

in 1988, the foundation was converted from a trust to a corporation in 1998, at which time it adopted the name Scranton Area Community Foundation, Inc. According to a 2020 article in Scranton's ''Times-Tribune'', the foundation "accepts and administers donors’ gifts and bequests," providing a "tax advantage to donors," and also "acts as a catalyst for change, convening diverse groups to take action on community issues." As of late 2020, leaders of the foundation were overseeing more than 210 charitable funds with more than $44 million in assets, and were engaged in the distribution of more than one million dollars annually via scholarships to students and grants to arts, civic affairs, educational, environmental, health, and human services organizations. In 2022, the Scranton Area Community Foundation provided grant funding to the

University of Scranton The University of Scranton is a private Jesuit university in Scranton, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1888 by William O'Hara, the first Bishop of Scranton, as St. Thomas College. In 1938, the college was elevated to university status and took t ...

Police Department to present free de-escalation training for roughly forty area police officers to help them "reduce injuries and the need to use physical force by training officers to safely and effectively respond to situations involving people in crisis with effective communication and active listening," according to a university news report.University Police Provide De-escalation Training to Local Law Enforcement
" Scranton, Pennsylvania: ''Royal News'', February 2, 2022.

References

External links

Annual Reports to the Community
Scranton, Pennsylvania: Scranton Area Community Foundation, retrieved online July 14, 2021.
Scranton Area Foundation Inc.
profile and accountability assessment). Glen Rock, New Jersey: Charity Navigator, retrieved online July 14, 2021. {{Authority control 1954 establishments in Pennsylvania Community foundations based in the United States Non-profit organizations based in Pennsylvania Scranton, Pennsylvania Organizations established in 1954