In October 2023 the Johnson County Extension Council voted to disaffiliate with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Johnson County (BBBSJC) after 47 years of partnership.
According to a news release sent by BBBJC, this has created significant financial and logistical challenges as the organization will now transition into an independent, 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.
The organization announced Jan. 24 that the Community Foundation of Johnson County (CFJC) is now acting as BBBS of Johnson County’s fiscal sponsor. According to the release, this means the CFJC takes on the responsibility of receiving and administering charitable contributions on behalf of BBBSJC so that supporters can be assured of the tax-exempt status and secure processing of their donations.
The CFJC currently oversees nearly $50 million in charitable assets and has distributed more than $26 million in grants to nonprofit organizations in its 23-year history.
The Community Foundation will be able to step in and provide this service to Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Johnson County, ensuring their operations will continue until their full nonprofit status can resume.
According to the release, the Community Foundation of Johnson County does not typically provide this type of service to organizations, but in the extreme circumstances in this case and its temporary nature, they are happy to be able to provide this support to the Big Brothers Big Sisters staff and board as well as the 300 local families they serve.
In 2023, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Johnson County provided one-on-one and group mentoring and events to 300 children in Johnson County.
To learn more about Big Brothers Big Sisters of Johnson County, visit www.bbbsjc.org. To learn more about the Community Foundation of Johnson County, please cfjc.org/.
