February 2016 e  Memorandum


Our Mission 

"To provide effective and rewarding ways for donors to fulfill their philanthropic objectives."

Our Vision

"To be recognized as a trusted philanthropic leader in the communities we serve through the delivery of the highest quality donor services, customized and unique grant and scholarship programs, and bold initiatives to address community needs."

Upcoming Events

Thursday, February 4, 2016
World Relief DuPage/Aurora: Spotlight on Syria at Santori Public Library

Saturday, February 13, 2016
Marklund's 20th Annual Top Hat Ball

Saturday,  February 20, 2016
HorsePower's 4th Annual 
Bowling Fundraiser

Thursday, February 23, 2016
AU Arts and Ideas presents Martha C. Nussbaum: "Not for Profit: Why Democracy Needs the Humanities"

Wednesday, March 2, 2016
Kane County Bar Association
Estate Planning Seminar

Saturday,  March 5, 2016
CASA Kane County's Venetian Masquerade Ball 

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Grantee Spotlight

SPARK


Fox Valley United Way recently received a grant for its SPARK Aurora Early Childhood Collaboration program. The grant was used to support the publication of SPARK's 2016 calendar. Printed copies of the calendar will be available at the Aurora Public Library and in Aurora area schools. Click here to download a PDF version

Foundation Director of Community Involvement and Partnerships  Julie Christman (left) , visited with Kassia Eide, Family Resource Specialist;
Trish Rooney, Director of SPARK;
Michael Meyer, CEO, Fox Valley United Way; and Dalila Alegria, Outreach Coordinator.

SPARK works with families and school districts of Aurora to ensure our community's children have access to early childhood care and education. To learn more about SPARK , please visit their website .

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St. Charles Singers

The St. Charles Singers received a Foundation grant to manufacture its latest CD, Bushes and Briars: Folk-Songs for Choirs. T he St. Charles Singers is recognized locally, nationally, and internationally for its uniquely beautiful blend of voices and its vast and diverse repertoire. 

Pictured here is St. Charles Singers tenor David Hunt, owner TownHouse Books; Sarah Marcheschi, TownHouse sales associate; St. Charles Singers Music Director Jeff Hunt and Community Foundation Director Hedy Lindgren. 

Hedy Lindren presents a check to Jeff Hunt and St. Charles Singers Executive Director, Kay Kendall.

Bushes and Briars i s available at stcharlessingers.com  and at TownHouse Books in St. Charles.
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Our Donors
We are deeply grateful to the individuals, businesses and organizations that commit to the charitable needs of the community. Follow the links below to view our donors from the past year. 



The lists of our donors are updated quarterly. They are available to view on our website.
Spring 2016 Grant Cycle Has Begun!
CF Now Accepting Letters of Intent
The Community Foundation is now accepting Letters of Intent from non-profit agencies for the spring 2016 grant cycle.  Letter of Intent forms are available on our  grantmaking page

Foundation grants are awarded for capital purposes in the areas of education, social services, health care and arts & humanities. 

During the fall 2015 grant cycle, the Foundation awarded 
fourteen grants  - the most in Community Foundation history! A total of  $153,070  was awarded to help local organizations fulfill their missions. A total of 26 grants were awarded for more than $302,000  in all of 2015.

After Letters of Intent are submitted, the director of community involvement and partnerships will contact each agency to determine their eligibility, talk about their project, and schedule a site visit.

The deadline to submit a Letter of Intent is  Friday, April 8, 2016.

If you have any questions, please visit our  Grant FAQ Page or contact Julie Christman at  (331) 208-9428 or 
Introducing New Funds!
The CF is Excited to Announce Its Newest Funds
The Humane Society of Aurora Fund has been created to support the Humane Society and its adoption program. The Humane Society of Aurora works in partnership with Aurora Animal Control and Care to increase adoptions and rescues, improve shelter conditions, and to educate and assist the community in responsible pet ownership. To learn more about the Humane Society of Aurora, visit their  fund profile page

The Wayne and Karin Greenawalt Family Fund has been established to provide ongoing financial support for  Wayside Cross Ministries in Aurora. Wayside Cross serves not only men whose lives are troubled and in crisis, but also homeless women and children, at-risk youth, people behind bars, and low income families. Wayne Greenawalt was the executive director of Wayside Cross Ministries from 1984-2010. Karin Greenawalt is a kindergarten teacher at Aurora Christian School where she has served for more than thirty years.
 
The Clyde and Kathryn Case Shields Kiwanis Legacy Endowment Fund  kicks off a campaign for the Aurora Kiwanis Club's centennial anniversary year. Clyde Shields, the current president of the  Aurora Kiwanis Club , and his wife Kathryn are the first members to create a Kiwanis Legacy Endowment Fund within the Foundation. The goal is for ten Kiwanis Club members to establish their own centennial endowment funds to support the next 100 years of Kiwanis in Aurora. 

Richard and Irma Larson of Sugar Grove recently established the Richard J. and Irma E. Larson Scholarship Fund.  Richard served as a judge for over twenty years, and Irma was a school teacher. Richard's parents worked in the fields of ministry and agricultural. To pay tribute to the careers of the Larson family, the Richard J. and Irma E. Larson Scholarship Fund will be awarded to students who choose law, education, ministry or agriculture as their fields of study. 
East Aurora GreenLab Fund
New Fund Fosters Hands On Science Education

The East Aurora GreenLab Fund was established to support the creation of t he East Aurora GreenLab.  The GreenLab will be an indoor/outdoor science greenhouse laboratory that gives students hands-on opportunities to explore the latest in green energy, wastewater treatment, and horticulture technologies. The East Aurora GreenLab has an opportunity to cultivate a curiosity that could have a lifelong impact and make generational changes in a low-income community.

The Fred Rodgers Magnet Academy of East Aurora plans to build an indoor outdoor learning "GreenLab" to enrich student learning, as well as create a community partnership providing fresh vegetables for families in an underserved community. The Academy is seeking to raise $750,000 to construct a GreenLab with a fully functioning science lab, greenhouse and outdoor garden spaces. The GreenLab will also be a model of green technologies and include solar panels, wind turbines, and a brown water system with the goal of the facility being "off-the grid".

The Fred Rodgers Magnet Academy is a public school that serves students in grades 3 - 8 who are academically talented and have an interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) areas. The school's current curriculum is unique in that in addition to offering enriched reading, math, social studies and science, students also take courses in robotics, horticulture, technology and engineering.

The addition of this GreenLab will allow students to further explore current green technologies, renewable resources, plant sciences, ecology, and horticulture. The lab will also provide opportunities for our high school students to have an authentic lab experience and the resources to take advanced placement environmental science, and conduct independent research projects. This lab will develop more college and career ready students.

To learn more about the East Aurora GreenLab, please visit our website.
Scholarship Funds Now Endowments
Two Scholarship Funds Become Endowments
Once a fund reaches $10,000, it can be created as an endowment to serve the community in the donor's name on a permanent basis. Congratulations to the following scholarship funds that have recently reached this status. 

 
The Aurora Area Retired Teachers' Association (AARTA)  created a scholarship fund within the Community Foundation in 2010. The fund became an endowment earlier this year. The Aurora Area Retired Teachers' Association Scholarship Endowment Fund  assists students attending a two-year college, or a professional, trade or vocational school. The scholarships are awarded to students in the districts of  East Aurora 131, West Aurora 129, Kaneland 302, Batavia 101, Geneva 304 or St. Charles 303. This fund also provides a meaningful way to honor the lives of former members of AARTA who have passed away.


Established in 2010, the George and Cora Webster Scholarship Fund is now an endowment.  The George and Cora Webster Scholarship Endowment Fund p rovides scholarships to African American students who are graduates of high schools located within the Community Foundation's service area. 

George Webster served twenty-five years in the United States Military. He was a Staff Sergeant in the Marine Corp, and he later achieved the rank of Master Chief Petty Officer with the Navy. Cora Webster is a member of the Main Street Baptist Church and serves as a member of the Nurses Aide Ministry.

To learn more about George and Cora Webster, view their fund's profile page. 

                   
  111 W. Downer Place, Suite 312,   Aurora, IL 60506
  127 South First Street, Suite 215, Geneva, IL 60134
  Ph: 630-896-7800      Fx: 630-896-7811