Community Foundation Announces Leadership Change
The Community Foundation Serving West Central Illinois & Northeast Missouri’s Board of Directors has announced that Jill Arnold Blickhan, President & CEO, will leave the organization effective Friday, August 2.
Starting in October 2001 as Executive Director, Mrs. Blickhan was responsible for and committed to reaching out to the 12 counties served through developing relationships with key stakeholders and donor cultivation. During her tenure, grants have been distributed through the Community Foundation to nonprofits and benefited communities in all 12 counties and beyond. Mrs. Blickhan also led the organization in collaborating with the Communityworks initiative and has played an instrumental role in implementing the county endowment match program.
The Community Foundation’s board of directors appreciates Mrs. Blickhan’s passion for working with donors and organizations and continuously striving to enhance resources and opportunities for residents in the service area. She successfully attained National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations certification. Mrs. Blickhan was an active member in multiple organizations including the Alliance of Illinois Community Foundations serving as secretary, Alliance of Missouri Community Foundations, Leadership Illinois Class of 2014, United Way of Adams County Community Building Council, and the Salvation Army’s Charitable Planning Institute Committee (now referred to as the Red Shield Seminar Committee).
The Community Foundation’s board will begin a comprehensive executive search with this transition and wishes Mrs. Blickhan the best in her future endeavors.
The Community Foundation Serving West Central Illinois & Northeast Missouri builds permanent charitable funds to assist area nonprofits and communities.
Its mission, “connecting people who care with causes that matter,” is achieved by gathering funds, growing them through investments, then granting to nonprofit organizations, causes or communities that mean the most to its donors.
Since 1997, the Community Foundation has made more than $6 million in grants. It serves 12-counties: Adams, Brown, Hancock, and Pike in Illinois and Clark, Lewis, Marion, Ralls, Pike, Knox, Shelby, and Monroe in Missouri.
The Community Foundation has IRS 501(c)(3) status, and contributions made to the Community Foundation generally qualify for the maximum allowable deductions for income and estate tax purposes.
