i i Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation Annual Report 2018 ii PRESIDENT'Sletter Dear Friends and Neighbors, As a young girl, my grandmother made the most mouth-watering bread for all special occasions and holidays. I remember peering over the counter watching her dissolve yeast in warm water. She would then combine bacon grease and other ingredients together while I patiently anticipated the taste of the warm, crusty bread fresh out of the oven and spread with soft butter. Nothing better! We have been writing recipes down for thousands of years and handing them down from generation to generation. Special techniques are learned from watching a mother or grandmother prepare Sunday dinner. Favorite dishes suddenly evolve into something much tastier as different combinations of ingredients are substituted by the present cook following the recipe. When I was hired in 2004, most of the people I talked to had never even heard of a community Now it is time for me to hand this recipe down to foundation. As I retire as President/CEO, I am so the next generation, and I am so proud to be leaving proud of the community building recipe that has this precious network in the hands of our team and been written down. We were very fortunate to learn the capable leadership of Amanda Lessley. I am also from past generations of “community foundation looking forward to following in my Nana’s footsteps, cooks” willing to show us the exact ingredients handing down the recipe for that warm yummy needed such as committed board members, bread to my grandchildren. talented staff and generous community partners that were necessary to procure a pantry My time with the Community Foundation has been of the most flexible, long-term community asset an extraordinary gift and I consider it a profound development tools only available through the privilege to have served you the past 15 years. While Community Foundation. I am proud of the sweet success you will read about in this report, I have no doubt that this recipe will 2701 S. Banker St. | Suite 102A yield continued greatness for this organization and PO Box 1211 this special place in southeastern Effingham, Illinois 62401 Illinois for generations to come. 217.342.4988 p Bon appetite! f 217.342.4995 e [email protected] EnrichingOurCommunity.org w Joedy Hightower President/CEO ii 1 Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation Annual Report 2018 WHO we are Joedy Hightower Connie Lilly Amanda Lessley Audra Clodfelter President/CEO Accounting and Development Officer Communication and Donor Services Administrator Scholarship Administrator Signature Recipe Signature Recipe Nana’s Homemade Bread Signature Recipe Chocolate Chip Cookies Signature Recipe Banana Bread Persimmon Pudding Signature Role Signature Role Providing strong leadership Signature Role Managing fund development Signature Role for 15 years including preparing Developing new and improved and support while preparing Revising the scholarship the way for her successor reports and systems to better for a new leadership role application and process serve fund advisors Cultivating philanthropy to build better communities Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation was established in 2009 as a result of a merger between Effingham County Community Foundation (est. 1999) and Mattoon Area Community Foundation (est. 1980). Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization managing permanent and non-permanent assets for the long-term benefit of communities in southeastern Illinois. 2 GOVERNING BOARD GOVERNING BOARD Jerry McDaniel Dr. Ned Hoppin Carolyn Spraul Thomas Moore Chair Vice Chair Secretary Treasurer Favorite Dessert Favorite Dessert Favorite Dessert Favorite Dessert Espresso Panna Cotta Five-minute Lemon Pie Chocolate Chip Cookies Cherry Pie Brett Kingery Chuck Deters Steve Hardin Mark Bolander Julie Everett Favorite Dessert Favorite Dessert Favorite Dessert Favorite Dessert Favorite Dessert Gooey Butter Cake Peach Pie Flourless Chocolate Cake Coconut Cream Pie Chocolate Chip Cookies 2 3 Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation Annual Report 2018 SWEET success 4 A SLICE OF THE PIE A SLICE OF THE PIE Giving is at the heart of what we do here at Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation. We give through educational scholarships, grantmaking and program initiatives. Through our grantmaking, we are uniquely situated at the intersection of community needs and donors’ desires to make an impact. In 2018, we granted more than $1.9 million dollars to nonprofits, community entities, and schools in our region. From playgrounds and dog parks, to monuments and community gardens, we fund a variety of causes that promote sustainable impact towards the betterment of southeastern Illinois. Why Discretionary Funds Are Important How the Community Foundation Awards Discretionary Grants: When you give to a discretionary fund at the Com- Discretionary grant opportunities are typically re- munity Foundation, your gift goes to where it is most leased through a competitive online application pro- needed within our region now and in the future. Sev- cess in the fall. Nonprofits, schools, or local units of eral community-minded people include a gift to our government that meet the criteria for each grant pro- discretionary funds as a part of their annual giving. gram may apply. Some grant programs accept letters Others have designated a gift to one of our discretion- of inquiry all year round and are reviewed quarterly. ary funds in their will or estate. You can contribute For specific dates and more information on grant ap- cash, securities, retirement accounts, life insurance plications and letter of interest procedures, please or other assets. visit www.enrichingourcommunity.org/Grants. This site includes our list of grants, information about To have a confidential discussion about an individually each grant, and links to the online applications. -tailored gift to our Field of Interest Funds or Com- munity Endowments, or to establish your own fund, please contact Amanda Lessley, President/CEO, at 217.342.5409 or [email protected]. 4 5 Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation Annual Report 2018 HONORING JOEDY HIGHTOWER Joedy Hightower was honored with a retirement open house in December 2018. Among the guests were Mark Bolander (2016 governing board chair), Jerry McDaniel (current governing board chair) and Ned Hoppin (chair-elect). In December 2018, Joedy Hightower retired from her role as tion now has 541 acres of farmland under manage- President/CEO of Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation ment. after 15 years of service. During her tenure, Joedy facilitated several large oedy joined the Community Foundation in 2004 gifts to the Community Foundation that have per- Jas the Executive Director of both Mattoon Area manently affected this region. The largest gift came Community Foundation and Effingham County Com- in December 2012 when Dr. Rick and Angie Workman munity Foundation. The two community foundations made a $6 million commitment to build the Rich- merged in 2009 to create Southeastern Illinois Com- ard E. Workman Sports and Wellness Complex. She munity Foundation and Hightower became the Presi- served on the project’s steering committee and di- dent/CEO of the newly established organization. rected the community campaign that raised more than $3 million toward the capital project which was Under her leadership, the Community Foundation in- completed in 2016. creased its assets from $1 million to $18 million and has contributed more than $22 million in grants and Additionally, under her leadership, the Community scholarships since 2005. The number of affiliated Foundation has received certification in National funds has grown to 150 and the Community Founda- Standards from the Council on Foundations in 2008 6 HONORING JOEDY HIGHTOWER was a godsend for Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation at a critical stage of its development. I’m very grateful that she was here, and that I had the privilege of working with her!” Siemer served on the original Effingham County Community Foundation board and has served as chair of the Southeastern HONORING Illinois Community Foundation governing board. Joedy shows no sign of slowing down upon her re- tirement. She recently completed a yoga instructor JOEDY HIGHTOWER certification and plans to continue her practice in the community. She also intends to spend as much time as possible with her family – including her four grandchildren, and shaping up her golf game! She has a long list of home and garden improvements she plans to work on, with the help of her husband, Greg. and 2012 (re-certification is currently under review), implemented the Outstanding Philanthropist Award in 2011 to recognize philanthropic leadership in the southeastern Illinois region, and established the Fields of Opportunity farmland giving program. Joedy served on the Effingham CEO advisory board from its start until 2015 and has been an active member of Effingham Sunrise Rotary since 2004 (serving as President in 2014) and is a member of 100+ Women Who Care Effingham County. “Joedy Hightower has really been the biggest contrib- utor to the success that Southeastern Illinois Com- munity Foundation is today,” remarks Rick Siemer, former governing board chair. “From the beginning, she embraced the true genius of a community foun- dation beyond raising and distributing money for worthy causes, to playing a leadership role in creat- ing a thoughtful philanthropic spirit in the communi-