Ben Atwater

After years of volunteering with the Lancaster County Community Foundation, Ben Atwater created a fund that will help the board and staff “keep the creative energy flowing” to improve Lancaster County.  Through his fund, he hopes to support opportunities for innovation and collaboration within the community. The idea for his fund comes from the approach of the Community Foundation, “especially how innovative and inventive it has been and how it has inspired other nonprofits over time.” With longevity in mind, he hopes the Foundation will “continuously improve and learn about the newest thing out there and continue to innovate.”

Ben says the Foundation’s focus on legacy and collaboration aligns with his personal values and mission. It is also part of the reason he chose to be on the steering committee for Forever Lancaster.  He explains how working with the Community Foundation allows donors to truly learn about the community’s needs, an experience that doesn’t often come with investing in a private foundation. “When you’re doing it on your own, you’re not tied into the nonprofit sector or the community – you don’t really know what the needs are. But the Community Foundation offers those connections in a big way!”