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Blue Grass Community Foundation

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Lexington, KY
Blue Grass Community Foundation

BGCF builds generous, vibrant, equitable and engaged communities in Central and Appalachia Kentucky through the power of philanthropy.

Blue Grass Community Foundation offers you a convenient, simple way to organize your charitable giving so that you can make strategic, informed decisions about where and when you give. Blue Grass Community Foundation is where people go to give—of their passion, money and ideas—to enhance the quality of life in Central and Eastern Kentucky. We help individuals, families, businesses, communities and

nonprofit organizations establish charitable funds, guide their resources to support causes they care about, meet community needs and make a difference.

06/19/2026

BGCF is closed today in observance of Juneteenth.

We’ll see you tomorrow, June 20, at Gatton Park on the Town Branch for SoulTeenth Fest and the historical marker dedication and soil collection ceremony honoring R.C.O. Benjamin.

SoulTeenth starts at 2pm, the dedication ceremony starts at 4pm, and festivities go until 9pm.

Learn more at soulfeastweek.com.

06/16/2026

Every nonprofit has stories worth telling.

The challenge isn't finding them, it's knowing how to uncover, shape, and share them in ways that build trust, inspire action, and strengthen support for your mission.

Join us for the Nonprofit Storytelling & Media Workshop on Saturday, July 11, from 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. at the Marksbury Family Branch Makerspace.

Through three interactive sessions, you'll learn how to:
💙 Identify and develop compelling stories from your work
💙 Use storytelling to support fundraising, visibility, and engagement
💙 Create content that connects with audiences and inspires action

Whether you're an executive director, development professional, communicator, or volunteer leader, you'll leave with practical tools to help your organization tell its story with confidence and purpose.

📅 July 11, 2026
📍 Marksbury Family Branch Makerspace
💲 $25 registration fee (lunch included)

Register today by scanning the QR code and start building stories that move from idea to impact! See less

06/12/2026

R.C.O. Benjamin’s legacy reaches far beyond one historical marker.

He was the first Black man admitted to the bar in California. He was a lawyer, minister, journalist, poet and activist. And decades before the Voting Rights Act of 1965, he was speaking about the power of informed voting and Black political participation.

In 1900, Benjamin was murdered in Lexington after helping register Black voters. Ten thousand people attended his funeral, a sign of how deeply his life and work mattered to this community.

More than a century later, Lexington will honor his life and legacy through its first Equal Justice Initiative Community Remembrance Project.

Join BGCF, Lexington Black Prosperity Initiative and community partners at SoulTeenth Fest on Saturday, June 20, at 4pm at Gatton Park on the Town Branch for the historical marker dedication and soil collection ceremony honoring R.C.O. Benjamin.

Thanks to LBPI committee members DeBraun Thomas and Russell Allen for crafting this op-ed: https://www.kentucky.com/opinion/article316094266.html

06/11/2026

Check out what's going up in Sharpsburg today: a sign of what's possible when people love their community and leave a legacy that keeps giving back! 💙💚

Have a legacy in mind for your community? We’d love to help you get started.

06/10/2026

Join us June 20 as Lexington honors the life and legacy of Robert Charles O’Hara Benjamin through the dedication of Lexington’s first Equal Justice Initiative Community Remembrance Project.

The ceremony will include a historical marker dedication and soil collection honoring Mr. Benjamin, a lawyer, journalist, poet, minister, educator and advocate for Black voting rights. He was murdered in Lexington in 1900 because of his advocacy.

🗓️ Saturday, June 20, 2026
🕓️ 4pm
📍 Gatton Park on the Town Branch Main Stage

The event is open to all community members. Bring blankets or lawn chairs and stay for SoulFeast Week festivities at Gatton Park until 10pm.

🔗 Learn more at SoulfeastWeek.com.

06/09/2026

Want to give back to your hometown and make a difference that lasts?

Endowed community funds at Blue Grass Community Foundation are built to do just that.

These funds are permanently invested to support local nonprofits, respond to emerging needs and strengthen the places we call home. Each year, a portion of the fund’s earnings is granted out while the fund continues to grow.

That means a gift made today can support your community year after year.

You can make a lasting impact in:
🩵 Clark County
💚 Fayette County
🩵 Franklin County
💚 Harrison County
🩵 Madison County
💚 Magoffin County
🩵 Mt. Sterling–Montgomery County
💚 Rowan County
🩵 Woodford County

And there’s a smart way to give. Through the Endow Kentucky Tax Credit, eligible Kentucky taxpayers can receive up to a 20% state tax credit when they make an approved gift to an endowed community fund.

💰 A $50,000 gift may qualify for up to $10,000 in Kentucky tax savings.
💡 You don’t need to itemize your deductions.
📈 The statewide tax credit pool has doubled to $2 million this year.
🌱 Applications open July 1, and gifts planned now can grow for good.

Let’s grow something lasting, together.

🔗 To learn more about Endow KY and download the 2026 application: bgcf.org/endowky
🔗 To learn more about BGCF's nine endowed community funds: bgcf.org/community-funds

06/02/2026

🌱 All the flowers of tomorrow are the seeds of today. 🌷

Endow Kentucky Tax Credits open July 1, and now is the time to plant something lasting.

When you give to a permanent endowed fund at BGCF, your gift can grow into support for the causes, nonprofits and communities you love year after year. Eligible Kentucky taxpayers can also receive a state tax credit of up to 20% of their approved gift.

Even better: the statewide credit pool has doubled from $1 million to $2 million this year!

Applications submitted July 1–7 are guaranteed at least a prorated share. After that, credits are awarded first-come, first-served.

Ready to plant your seed for good? Visit bgcf.org/endowky to learn more, see the list of 175 endowed funds held at BGCF and download the 2026 application.

Need help? Email [email protected] or call 859.225.3343.

05/27/2026

School breaks mean missed meals for many children.

The Lexington Black Prosperity Initiative, a community-advised committee of BGCF, was proud to support Community Inspired Lexington's “Hunger Doesn’t Take a Spring Break” program. The citywide effort met children and families where they were, delivering meals and support while school was out.

The impact:
🥪 428 children served each day
📍 7 locations
🎒 27 schools and child care centers reached
🫶 2,140 people supported

🖤 Gifts to the Lexington Black Prosperity Initiative help fund programs that meet real needs and strengthen Black communities in Fayette County. Learn more about LBPI: bgcf.org/LBPI

05/25/2026

🎉 MAY BGCF ANNIVERSARIES! 🎉
This month, we’re celebrating three wonderful members of the BGCF team who bring so much talent, heart, and dedication to the work we do every day.

Jane, Courtney, and Kristen — thank you for the energy, care, and passion you bring to our team and community. We’re so grateful to have you as part of BGCF! 💙

Help us celebrate these special anniversaries and swipe through to learn more about our May celebrants!

05/22/2026

Big news for local journalism in Lexington!

Congratulations to Smiley Pete Publishing on being selected as one of only 10 news organizations nationwide for the Lenfest News Creator Collaborative, a national initiative from the Lenfest Institute for Journalism .

Through this opportunity, Smiley Pete will explore new ways to connect local reporting with local audiences, including partnerships with independent creators, short-form video and audio storytelling and new strategies to reach people where they are.

We’re proud to support this work alongside Press Forward Blue Grass, an initiative of BGCF, as part of our shared commitment to a stronger local news and information ecosystem.

Trusted local journalism helps people feel more connected to their community. We’re excited to see how Smiley Pete brings this national opportunity home to Lexington!

🗞️ Learn more: https://www.bgcf.org/stories/smiley-pete-publishing-llc-selected-for-national-lenfest-news-creator-collaborative/

Address

499 East High Street, Suite 112
Lexington, KY
40507

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm

Telephone

+18592253343

Website

http://www.bgcf.org/

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