A group of residents committed to the betterment of Aiken and its surrounding area has formed a new nonprofit organization. Led by Don Cheeks, The Gifting Tree Foundation is a volunteer-based organization designed to assist people in need and to support other local charities. 

One of the drivers behind the creation of The Gifting Tree Foundation is to address the greatest number of needs without incurring unnecessary cost.  With no paid staff or brick-and-mortar facility, the maximum amount of money raised can be used to directly fulfill unmet needs in our community.

A second driver for the creation of The Gifting Tree Foundation is to keep decisions on how to apply the funds at the local level. Each of the 19 members of The Gifting Tree Foundation’s Board of Directors has served on behalf of many other local nonprofit agencies. These are wonderful organizations, but many times the money raised goes to a state or regional office where the decision on how to use the funds is made without local input.

The third driver for the founders of The Gifting Tree Foundation is to have the flexibility to address individual needs.  For instances in which a critical need exists - such as flooding or fire - the organization will have the capability to donate directly to assist in the recovery effort.

The founding members of The Gifting Tree Foundation represent small-business owners, corporate executives and professionals from a variety of disciplines. Using their personal money to seed The Gifting Tree Foundation, they plan to fundraise and make a significant impact during its first year of operation.