A PROMISE IS A PROMISE WHITLEY COUNTY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION 2013-2014 BIENNIAL REPORT Cross my heart. Pinky swear. Scout’s honor. It doesn’t matter how you say it... A PROMISE IS A PROMISE. During 2013-14, our Unfortunately, sometimes While we don’t claim A portion of annual us determine the best use You might be wondering organization or hear about Community Foundation the spirit of who we are perfection, we aim for it. returns are distributed as of foundation resources. who the “we” is when it a Foundation supported grew to encompass a total and how we operate gets grants while at the same comes to commitments program that made a of 140 endowed funds. lost in the legal jargon. A promise to honor donor time we maintain – and A promise to be made on behalf of the difference to someone That translates into a lot So please allow me to intent – we understand even grow – our base of transparent – we believe Community Foundation. in our community, of generous people who share five promises that that through endowments assets to carry us into the there is no better way A four-person professional we hope you will take chose to work with the are the foundation of our we are charged with being future. to gain public trust than staff, a well-respected pride in knowing that Community Foundation to Foundation. caretakers of legacies. Every being open in regard to board of directors and your generosity to the carry out their charitable person motivated to give – A promise to identify our governance, policies over fifty volunteer Community Foundation aspirations. And on our A promise to be ethical whether it’s a gift to a charity community needs – and procedures. We committee members helped to make these good end, that’s a lot of – it’s about how we treat or a bequest made to create community foundations invite you to browse from throughout things possible. promises made. people, the policies by an endowment – deserves to have the unique capacity our financial and Whitley County are the which we operate, and have their wishes honored to respond to changing organizational documents promise keepers for our I promise. Understanding that how our actions reflect now and in the years needs. We acquire that support our culture organization. “because we said so” isn’t our integrity in all we do. to come. understanding of these of transparency as well as the most effective form of This encompasses policy issues by acting as a our National Standards I’ll close by offering promise keeping, each of sincere gratitude to the making, development A promise to be good catalyst and convener, designation. Our tax id September McConnell, our endowments is held in work, investing finances, stewards – our capacity gathering data and actively number is 351860518. philanthropic individuals Executive Director place by a fund agreement; directing grants, awarding for charitable grant seeking input from to whom these promises a legal contract that scholarships, book- making comes as a result community stakeholders. The work highlighted have been made – our stipulates how the funds keeping -- even how we of thoughtful, prudent This information is used throughout this report was donors. Every time you will be managed, invested respond to phone calls investing. to create a framework for carried out in reflection of read about a grant that and distributed. and e-mails. decision making that helps these five promises. lifted up a non-profit 2 Whitley County Community Foundation | 2013-2014 BIENNIAL REPORT 2013-2014 BIENNIAL REPORT | Whitley County Community Foundation 3 “It made a world of difference for me and my kids and I’ll always be grateful for their generosity and support.” THE PROMISE OF HOPE Imagine this scenario. You are a single mom with two young childcare, work and school. They turned to the Foundation children ages 4 and 2. The younger child, a son, is disabled for assistance and together we created Horizons of Hope. and requires special care. You have a high school diploma Overseen by a committee who reviews applications which and work at a pizza place. What’s a mother to do? are submitted by referral from social service organizations, the fund offers hard-working, single parents a little help in the She mothers. And she works. And she decides to go form of gas money, childcare support, book fees or to college. tuition costs. For Amber Sroufe, back in 2009, the decision to continue It wasn’t until a few years down the road, when Amber had her education was easy; it held the promise of a better future almost completed her degree that she realized the assistance for her and her children. The hard part was in the details. she had received had not come from a state grant or an It meant carving out time to take classes and study while agency, but from two very generous, caring people who holding down a part-time job and keeping up a household. simply wanted to help her without knowing who she was. At times it meant finding and paying for childcare. There was “I just couldn’t believe that someone would do something gas to be purchased for trips to Fort Wayne three times a like that,” she recalls. “It made a world of difference for me and week and more than a few college text books with hefty price my kids and I’ll always be grateful for their generosity tags. Thankfully, there was also Horizons of Hope. and support.” The program began in 2006 when a pair of anonymous Amber earned her Associates degree in Nursing from St. donors approached the Foundation with an idea. Their Francis University and plans to continue her education. hearts were telling them to find a way to help ease some of the burden for single parents who were trying to juggle 4 Feature Story Whitley County Community Foundation | 2013-2014 BIENNIAL REPORT 2013-2014 BIENNIAL REPORT | Whitley County Community Foundation Feature Story 5 Endowments Designated Endowments A Guaranteed Way to Give Back while Looking Forward These funds were created to support specific The Whitley County Community Foundation offers donors tangible ways to make a difference causes or organizations. in Whitley County through a variety of funds administered as permanent endowments. Columbia City United Methodist Church Fund Endowed gifts to the Foundation are never spent, but invested for long-term growth. George Scott & Mildred Smith Gates Fund HANDS Fund Grants are made from the investment returns, and are awarded to local organizations Imagination Library Fund based upon specific criteria determined by donors. Donovan Kessler Little Swimmers Fund Sherman W. & Marjorie M. Kneller Fund Loon Lake Conservation Fund Walter Malicki Whitko Art Fund Methodist Federation of Social Action Fund Mihsihkinaahkwa Pow Wow Fund How Endowments Give Forever Old Settlers Foundation Operating Endowment Fund Old Settlers Association Fund Unrestricted Endowments Agency Endowments $216,734 Parkview Whitley Memorial Hospital Fund Total Grants Distributed These funds are used to respond to the ever changing Agency Endowments benefit the non-profit organization Endowment Value George Franklin Schultz Fund needs of our community and usually come with the for which they are named, by creating a stable, annual blessing “Just use it wherever the need is the greatest.” income stream. While they benefit specific organizations, Splash Pad (Columbia City) Fund Grants from Unrestricted Funds are available by they are an asset of the Foundation. South Whitley United Methodist Church $2,150 $11,376 $24,310 $55,735 application and are awarded at the recommendation C.W. Byron & Marian E. Bollinger Fund of the Grants Committee and acceptance of the ACRES Land Trust Fund Stepping Stones Childcare Endowment Fund ORIGINAL GIFT 1yr. 5yrs. 10yrs. 20yrs. 30yrs. Board of Directors. W. Byron & Marian E. Bollinger Fund South Whitley/Cleveland Whitley County Cancer Care Fund Township Library YMCA Life Lessons Endowment Fund Jerry Busche Community Fund $50,000 $51,300 $55,847 $64,631 Camp Whitley Fund $83,544 Dekko Enhancement Fund The Center for Whitley County Youth Fund Ferber Family Fund Field of Interest Endowments Assumes an 8% return, 4% distribution. Churubusco Public Library Fund $180,442 Donna K. Harl Fund Faith Christian Academy Fund As the name suggests, these funds help to support an Whitley County Greater Good Fund Freedom Academy Fund area of interest such as the arts or recreation rather than a single organization. Habitat for Humanity of Whitley County Fund Interfaith Mission Fund Arts Alive! Fund Donor Advised Funds Junior Achievement Fund Centurylink Fund These funds allow for on-going input from donors and permit Bernice Kessler Whitley County Humane Society Fund Count Me In! Youth Asset Building Fund a broad distribution of charitable grants. The donors, their Passages to the Future Fund Dekko Childcare Enhancement Fund designees, or an advisory group may make recommendations Peabody Library Endowment Fund Education for a New Generation Fund as to where grants should be made. Final grant making Simon J. Peabody Library Endowment Fund Shirley A. Gates Fund authority rests with the Foundation’s Board of Directors. TROY Center School Fund Edwin E. & Flossie L. Heupel Good Samaritan Fund Benton W. & Thelma L. Bloom Fund United Way of Whitley County Fund Oak Grove Church of God Children’s Ministries Fund Copp Family Fund Whitley County Council on Aging and Aged Fund Mildred & Theodore A. Schultz Fund M. Russel Fahl Family Fund Whitley County Historical Society Fund South Whitley Facilities Fund John & Laura Lefever Fund Whitley County Literacy Council Fund Margaret Priscilla Waterfall Memorial Fund James & September McConnell Family Fund Whitley County YMCA Fund Walter & Dorothy Weick Memorial Fund John & Aileen Meier Fund YWCA Whitley County Fund Whitley County Giving Circle for Women’s Health Fund Believing the strength of our community is reflected Steve & Gloria More Fund in the way we care for children, the Foundation Victoria A.