|
What do a police dog named Boris, a handicapped bathroom, and an arts center have in common in Dorchester County? The answer is that they were funded through the generosity of one man – George B. Todd. When George Todd of Cambridge decided he wanted to set up a donor advised fund of $6.2 million with the Mid-Shore Community Foundation (MSCF) to benefit the residents of Dorchester County, he probably had no idea the wheels that he would set in place in making significant change in the county he so loved.
According to Charles T. Capute, Esq., chairman of the MSCF George B. Todd Fund, George Todd was a cautious, conservative businessman who lived modestly, but who did well with his insurance business and rental properties in Cambridge. Because Todd’s wife predeceased him and he had no family heirs, he decided to put his lifetime investments into a donor advised fund that would benefit organizations serving Dorchester County residents.
Capute recalls, “This was a conduit to help the organizations in Dorchester County that he cared about. His funds are given to organizations that have long term prospects in the county. A donor advised fund allows individuals to give smaller gifts to these organizations over time, rather than giving them one large lump sum to manage all at once, creating accountability with the organizations.”
In addition to finding a home for his money, George Todd hand-picked local business people to serve on the George B. Todd Fund Committee. Capute adds, “George was proud to be doing something for the county he loved. He believed the people he picked would be good stewards of his funds.”
To date, the George B. Todd Fund has donated over $1 million to over 50 organizations serving Dorchester County residents since its inception in 1994. Grants awarded this year for FY 2006 totaled over $92,000 and went to the following 17 organizations: American Cancer Society, Cambridge Police Department K9 Fund, Care & Share, Inc., Crossroads Community, Inc., Delmarva Community Services, Inc. Dorchester County Historical Society, Dorchester Pop Warner Football, Eastern Shore Hospital Center Auxiliary, Inc., Humane Society of Dorchester County, Inc., MAC Incorporated, The Maryland Mentoring Partnership, The Patricia H. Hopkins Scholarship Fund, Inc., S.A.I.L., Inc., Shore Health System, Richardson Men’s Bible Class of St. Paul’s Methodist Church, Summer Days Math and Science Camp for Girls, and Urban Land Institute.
What has been remarkable about the most recent grants given is how a number of these funds have been leveraged in the community to achieve an even greater result than was anticipated. In the case of the Cambridge Police Department K9 Fund, not only did the Department acquire a new police dog from the Slovak Republic, but it now has a total of three police dogs to assist with finding narcotics, patrol work, tracking criminals and lost children, and apprehension work. According to Officer Ben Allen of the Cambridge Police Department, “I wanted to raise the money for the dog in 2005, but not until we got the Todd Fund grant of $2,000 did it become a reality for us. The grant helped us reach our goal quicker and to purchase our first K9 police dog, Boris, and receive the necessary training to handle him.”
Following the arrival of Boris, the Cambridge Police Department received a second police dog, donated by the K9 Center which trained Boris. Because of the stellar performances by Boris in recent drug arrests this year, the Department used seized drug money to purchase a third police dog.
Allen recalls, “In the first six months, Boris helped to make 50 drug arrests in Dorchester County, 12 of which were felony drug arrests. Over $6,000 in cash has been seized to-date from these arrests. Not only is Boris helping the city of Cambridge, but he also assists the Dorchester County Sheriff’s Department, as well as the Maryland State Police.
For Nicole Meehan, executive director of the Dorchester Arts Council, the George B. Todd Fund has pledged $120,000 to her organization for the renovation of the historic Nathan Building in downtown Cambridge for its new community arts center. The 17,000 square foot building will be the largest public gathering place in downtown Cambridge and part of the city’s economic development. A $380,000 State bond bill is also supporting the renovation. Meehan comments, “Not many people know that the George B. Todd Fund has been one of the major funders of this project. The new facility will enable us to further our mission of creating community through the arts by getting more children involved in the arts in Dorchester County and by expanding from just doing visual arts to multidisciplinary programming, where music and theater will be included as well.”
On a smaller scale, the Galestown Community House received a $5,000 grant from the George B. Todd Fund to provide handicapped accessibility to the building’s front entrance and to provide a handicapped-accessible bathroom inside. According to James Sullivan, Town Commissioner for Galestown, the historic town hall is used as a community center for the town. He comments, “We rely on grants to help us maintain the Center. This grant helped make us accessible to anyone wishing to use the facility.”
Capute remarks, “George Todd was relieved when he finally had his fund set up 12 years ago. He was proud of the legacy he would be leaving Dorchester County, but he would be even prouder today to hear of the many projects that are enriching the lives of residents of Dorchester County because of his generosity.”
The George B. Todd Fund meets quarterly to award grants on an ongoing basis. For further information about the Fund or about creating a donor advised fund, contact F. Graham Lee, president of the Mid-Shore Community Foundation at 410-820-8175
|
|
