The New Century Fund is a conduit for resources to enhance the services of the city. The board also provides insight on how the city can meet goals and face challenges when existing resources aren't enough.

Here are some of the ways the New Century Fund has served as a fundraising tool to help the City of Columbia:

• In 2009, the New Century Fund provided leadership to explore a community foundation for Columbia. While hundreds of community foundations can be found across the U.S., there is not one to serve Columbia and mid-Missouri. A community foundation will be established in 2010.
• The New Century Fund is a partner in the Howard Lang, Jr. Award that recognizes an outstanding volunteer to the City of Columbia with a $1,000 gift to honor this former Columbia Mayor. The donation for this program was provided by past city manager Leo Hill. The first recipient was Ed Kaiser, long-time volunteer in the Public Works Household Hazardous Waste Program and former Police Reserve Officer. Kaiser received the award on May 21, 2009.
• Beginning in fall 2008, the New Century Fund received donations to support the Paquin Recreation Program. In December 2009, a $5,000 check was presented to Columbia Parks & Recreation from the CARE@Paquin fundraising efforts.
• Grants supporting Blue Thunder Track, Cleanup Columbia and the Health Department's Love and Basketball event were received by the New Century Fund and passed to the City of Columbia in 2008.
• Columbia's Parks & Recreation Department received $62,500 through the New Century Fund to construct the Activity & Recreation Center. These monies were received through grants and gifts from the Verizon Corporation and the William T. Kemper Foundation which needed the involvement of a 501(c)3 organization.
• Funds for Youth Recreation Scholarships were raised in March 2003 when the New Century Fund partnered with local volunteer and dancer, Vanessa Palmer, for "Local Movement." Local Movement was a dance performance featuring all volunteer performers and technical support.
• The New Century Fund led the way in raising over $83,000 from local individuals, businesses, and foundations to restore the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial. Because of the strong community support demonstrated and the work of the committee, the project received a $98,000 "Save America's Treasures" grant to fund other improvements at the Memorial site.
• In the fall of 2004, the New Century Fund served as the conduit for over $10,000 for the Columbia Fire Department to purchase "Patches & Pumper," a fire prevention education tool. Patches is a robotic Dalmation that rides in Pumper, a robotic fire truck.