The Stanislaus County Fair is looking to expand their scope of fundraising, and to do that they will be creating a nonprofit foundation.
In an effort to pursue a wide variety of charitable donations, the 38th District Agricultural Association Board of Directors voted to move forward with creating a nonprofit foundation at their Monday meeting.
“I think it would bring the community back to being involved with the fair on a year-round basis,” said Board Vice President Jack Wilkey.
The Friends of the Stanislaus County Fair — the name for the foundation proposed at Monday’s meeting — would be made up of current fair board members, as well as community members committed to the support and development of the fairgrounds.
The board of directors discussed a few different structure models for the foundation, including offering annual memberships, creating an annual fund, going after grant monies, straight gifts from the community and in-kind gifts from businesses.
New Stanislaus County Fair CEO Chris Borovansky was the driving force behind the idea of a foundation.
“What the foundation allows us to do is be available for grants,” Borovansky said.
As a state agency, the fair was not set up to solicit the types of donations that would help offset specific expenses or allow for a project-specific fundraising.
The entire fair board, as well as Borovansky, expressed support for the creation of a foundation.
“We’ve got a 100 percent chance of not getting something if we don’t ask,” Borovansky said.
To contact Kristina Hacker, e-mail khacker@turlockjournal.com or call 634-9141 ext. 2004.
