Finding a Calling

Marshall Bradley, fundholder, former board chair

Marshall Bradley credits the Community Foundation for helping him find his calling. As president of the Lincoln Foundation, he works to provide educational enrichment programs that develop and support youth in overcoming barriers to achievement.

“My nine years on the Community Foundation Board lit the fire and passion in me for nonprofit work. It raised my awareness of what was possible in this community. It raised my desire to make a change and be impactful,” he says. “I would not be president of the Lincoln Foundation if it hadn’t been for my term on the board of the Community Foundation.” At first, he recalls, the Lincoln Foundation was just an idea stirring in his mind. The assistance from the Community Foundation proved invaluable. “They did their part in helping identify the needs in the community and then connecting those needs with people in the community that wanted to do good but weren’t quite sure how. And so being a conduit, being a connector really resonated with me.”

As Marshall continues to create lasting change, he carries the Community Foundation’s guidance with him, particularly the strategies and techniques he was exposed to and the Community Foundation’s ability to be a resource for the nonprofit community. “They’ve helped us consider some capacity-building opportunities and they will provide you with guidance in development and other areas of our work that they have expertise in,” he says. “They’ve become a real resource for organizations like mine.”

Learn more about the Foundation’s Competitive Grant Opportunities here. 

Learn more about CFL’s signature program to support our nonprofit community, Give for Good Louisville.