The Stanley Community Endowment Fund was established in 2007 as a seedling fund. The motivation by a group of Stanley residents to create this endowment was to have a means to provide perpetual support for the quality of life in their community.

Fundraising activities, led by Jim Jones and David Jankoski, members of the Stanley Lions Club, helped the fund reach an endowed level quickly thereafter. A generous outpouring of money raised through the participation and support of many individuals and area businesses made it all possible, said Jones and Jankoski.

"The fund was put in place for anyone wishing to leave a legacy to benefit the city of Stanley," said Jankoski, and his wife, Patricia. In order to ensure the ongoing success and effectiveness of this designated fund, the city assembled the Stanley Community Foundation Board as the administrator of grants. Board members meet each year to review community projects and events that meet the goals of the fund.

Annual grants are then disbursed to assist non-profit organizations in their efforts to support the city. Recent grant recipients have included Oriole Diamond Club, Stanley Lions Club, the Stanley Fire Department and the D. R. Moon Memorial Library.