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Community Foundation of Lorain County
The Community Foundation of Lorain County was established in 1980 as a public grantmaking organization built to aggregate charitable capital from families,...
Community Foundation of Lorain County
The Community Foundation of Lorain County was established in 1980 as a public grantmaking organization built to aggregate charitable capital from families, businesses, and nonprofits in the region. President and CEO Cynthia H. Andrews leads the institution alongside a board chaired by Nick Ross, President of Ross Builders. Investment oversight is led by Raquel Pacheco, with former Investment Committee Chair Chris Bellamy — CEO of Cohen & Co. — having shaped its earlier allocation framework. The foundation maintains a portfolio spanning farmland in Penfield Township and Southern Lorain County, commercial property including its headquarters at 9080 Leavitt Road, and an alternative-investment allocation with global exposure. Through donor-advised, scholarship, and designated funds, CFLC participates in direct real estate holdings and special situations. The foundation accepted cryptocurrency donations and holds a dedicated crypto portfolio. These holdings sit alongside traditional grantmaking capital, with the Lorain County-focused real estate and farmland forming the base of the permanent endowment. CFLC is accredited by the National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations and received Philanthropy Ohio's Michael G. Shinn Award for diversity, equity, and inclusion work. It operates five identity-focused funds: the African American Community Fund, Hispanic Fund, Women's Fund, and Youth Fund. A collaboration with Patronicity powers 'The People's Project' crowdgranting initiative. The foundation reports membership in the Fund for Our Economic Future, placing it within a network of Northeast Ohio institutional co-investors. May 2026: CFLC continues to administer donor funds and community grants from its Elyria headquarters with no publicly reported governance changes in the preceding 24-month window. CFLC's structure as a county-anchored public foundation — rather than a single-donor private foundation — creates a distinct sourcing model. Its capital base is diffuse, drawn from hundreds of donor funds, and its investment committee must steward the corpus while the separately governed grantmaking committees deploy flow capital into Lorain County nonprofits. The split between permanent endowment and donor-directed flow, combined with real assets held directly within the county, makes the foundation structurally different from outsourced-OCIO peers that delegate investment decisions entirely.
General information
Firm type
Endowment / Foundation
Year founded
1980
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Elyria
Corporate office
9080 Leavitt Road, Elyria, OH 44035, United States
Principals
Cynthia H. Andrews
President & CEO
Nick Ross
Board Chair
Raquel Pacheco
Investment Committee Chair
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at the Community Foundation of Lorain County?
An Investment Committee, chaired by Raquel Pacheco, directs asset allocation and portfolio decisions. The committee historically included Chris Bellamy, CEO of Cohen & Co., and operates under the governance of a board chaired by Nick Ross. Day-to-day administration and strategic direction fall to President and CEO Cynthia H. Andrews, who has led the foundation since its incorporation.
How is the Community Foundation of Lorain County funded?
CFLC is a public charity that pools contributions from hundreds of individual, family, business, and nonprofit donors to create endowed and pass-through funds. It also holds donated assets including cryptocurrency, jewelry, collectibles, and real property. This multi-donor model distinguishes it from private foundations backed by a single wealth source.
What real assets does the foundation hold directly?
CFLC holds commercial property at its Elyria headquarters and farmland in Penfield Township and Southern Lorain County. The foundation also maintains a portfolio of charitable properties across Lorain County and an art collection including the David C. Jansheski Collection, exhibited at the Beth K. Stocker Art Gallery (per Altss research).
Does CFLC manage its own investments or use an OCIO?
The foundation runs an internal investment committee that oversees allocations to alternatives, real estate, and special situations. No outsourced chief investment officer is publicly disclosed. CFLC's direct management of alternative and crypto portfolios argues for a predominantly in-house or committee-directed model rather than fully delegated OCIO oversight (per Altss research).
Which community funds operate inside the foundation?
CFLC houses five identity-focused community funds: the African American Community Fund, the Hispanic Fund, the Women's Fund, and the Youth Fund. These vehicles make targeted grants within Lorain County and operate under the foundation's overall 501(c)(3) public-charity umbrella (per Altss research).
How is the foundation related to Patronicity and The People's Project?
CFLC collaborates with Patronicity on 'The People's Project,' a crowdgranting initiative that raises capital for community-selected projects in Lorain County. The foundation acts as the institutional anchor for the campaign, combining its donor network with Patronicity's digital fundraising platform (per Altss research).
What is the foundation's posture on alternative assets?
CFLC maintains a dedicated alternative investment portfolio with global exposure alongside cryptocurrency holdings sourced through a crypto donation program. The foundation's internal investment committee chips into special situations and directs real-asset holdings; the exact split between traditional and alternative allocations is not publicly disclosed (per Altss research).
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