Community Foundation Celebrates 23rd Anniversary with $10 Million Grantmaking Milestone

Grants are distributed from the Community Foundation’s 200 funds, mostly endowed, which are established by individuals, families, businesses, and organizations to meet a variety of charitable goals and impact a wide range of philanthropic causes, needs, and opportunities. 

"This grantmaking milestone has been made possible by the continued vision and leadership of donors who have consistently embraced the opportunity to help others and improve communities in our region through establishing Community Foundation funds that perpetually support nonprofits,” says Lydia Ahrens, Chair, Community Foundation Board of Directors. “Equally important as the dollar amount that has been distributed, is the number of lives touched and growth of resources made available which enable individuals in our area to pursue a better quality of life."

November offers several opportunities for the Community Foundation to reflect on the year’s achievements. This week (Nov. 12-18), the Community Foundation joins more than 795 community foundations across the country celebrating Community Foundation Week. Community Foundation Week was created in 1989 by former president George H.W. Bush, coinciding with National Philanthropy Day on Nov. 15, to recognize the important work of community foundations through America. Additionally, the Community Foundation observes its 23rd anniversary on November 26. 

“November is a month for us to celebrate what we can achieve when we work together. There is a tangible impact that can be seen in the lives of those that our hardworking, selfless grantee organizations serve,” says Community Foundation CEO Catherine Bocke Meckes. “Each dollar that is distributed is a reflection of a generous and forward-thinking donor’s legacy and desire to do good not only today, but for generations to come. We are more determined than ever to honor these legacies and intentions through grants and collaborations on both sides of the river.”

Each year, grants are made from a variety of charitable funds through several grantmaking programs. Funds are established by individuals, families, and organizations to support causes close to their hearts. The funds range from specific – endowments established to benefit one or more nonprofit organization – to broad – including endowment funds to address ever-changing needs and opportunities throughout the region or for specific communities or causes. The Community Foundation also administers scholarships and Donor Advised Funds, which allow donors the flexible opportunity to recommend grants throughout the year. 

The majority of funds are endowed, meaning the principal is invested for permanent growth and only a portion of earnings are distributed each year. This means that there will always be funds available to support the work of nonprofits in our region. Anyone can give to any of these funds at any time to help them grow.

The unique challenges presented in 2020 prompted the Community Foundation to implement several new grant programs to assist nonprofits and the communities they serve, including three COVID-19 grant programs which totaled more than $400,000. New grant programs in 2020 include:

In late March, in response to increasing social distancing measures necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Community Foundation established a COVID-19 Nonprofit Response Fund utilizing dollars from its Unrestricted Endowment Funds. Unrestricted Endowment Funds are established by donors to support a wide variety of needs and opportunities as they emerge. 

The COVID-19 Nonprofit Response Fund received additional contributions from community donors, allowing the Community Foundation to distribute more than $85,000 in grants to nonprofits responding to and impacted by the pandemic in each of the 12 counties served by the Community Foundation. 

In April, the Community Foundation was the recipient of $300,000 in funding from the statewide Illinois COVID-19 Relief Fund to assist the areas hardest hit by the pandemic. The Community Foundation distributed this high-impact funding to 17 nonprofit organizations providing immediate resources to individuals and families in Adams, Brown, Hancock, and Pike Counties. 

These grants impacted more than 13,500 individuals in the Community Foundation’s Illinois service area, providing resources for health and mental health care, direct financial assistance, food insecurity, emergency shelter, and child care. 

In July, the Community Foundation was invited to participate in a matching challenge by the Arts for Illinois Relief Fund with a goal of raising dollars to support local arts organizations through the COVID-19 pandemic. Any dollars contributed by local donors by July 30 were matched 50 percent by the Arts for Illinois Relief Fund. In total, $25,000 was raised and distributed to Quincy Community Theatre and Arts Quincy, which were selected through an application process. One hundred percent of the dollars raised were distributed as general operating support grants to the two recipient organizations.

The Grow Your Story grant program was designed to assist smaller nonprofits as they strive to grow their impact, presence, and awareness. The program provides grantees with support in two ways: a general operating support grant of $2,500 to grow their budget and assistance with the production of a marketing video to grow their awareness. 

Each nonprofit will work with the Community Foundation’s Development Officer, Kaylee McFarland, to produce a promotional video. The general operating support grant is unrestricted, meaning the nonprofit can use the funding how it is needed most by the organization. Recipients of these grants will be announced later this month.

The Community Foundation graciously acknowledges and thanks those who make its grants, programs, and services possible. In addition to the donors and nonprofits at the core of its work, its current and past board members, volunteers, and staff are dedicated to supporting the mission, vision, and values of the Community Foundation.

To learn more about the Community Foundation’s funds, grant programs, and how you can invest in your community through it, please visit www.mycommunityfoundation.org. 

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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 $10 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.  

For more information, call 217-222-1237, email info@mycommunityfoundation.org or go to mycommunityfoundation.org or www.facebook.com/mycommunityfoundation.