Community Affiliates: Lee County

LEAD, established in 2015, works to improve the quality of life in Lee County through philanthropy. LEAD, which stands for Lee County Empowering, Advancing, and Developing, is a local community affiliate fund, and a tax-exempt charitable organization that operates under the umbrella of the CREATE Foundation, a public charitable foundation that has attained multiple national certifications for meeting high quality operating standards, effective and efficient fiscal management, and excellence in managing the fund investment process. LEAD is made up of a local board of directors representing a cross-section of the community.

Eventually, LEAD would like to build a community endowment fund, to create a permanent local endowment, a perpetual source of charitable income to support both needs in the community today, and to address opportunities and issues that arise tomorrow. A community endowment fund would allow LEAD to provide services to the community that are not currently being met. Our local affiliate provides an opportunity for individuals and businesses to give back to this community and ensure that their gifts will benefit future generations. With the support of donors, volunteers, and partners, LEAD continues to empower the citizens of Lee County. Organizations, individuals, or businesses wishing to make a tax-deductible contribution to the long-range support of measures to improve the Lee County community through LEAD, may contact Mike Clayborne, President of CREATE Foundation.