October 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
Friday, October 7, 2016
Last Day to Submit Letters of Intent

Saturday, October 8, 2016
Cock-A-Doodle Brew Fest
Benefiting Marie Wilkinson Food
Pantry

Saturday, October 15, 2016
Aurora Public Library Foundation
Sweet 16 Gala
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
October 21-22, 28-30, 2016
Aurora Historical Society: 
Death Comes to Tanner House

Saturday, October 22, 2016
Giant Steps' Canopy Adult Services Open House

Sunday, October 23, 2016
Fine Line Creative Arts Center
Uncommon Threads: Art-to-Wear
Fashion Show

Sunday, October 23, 2016
Marklund's Run, Walk & Roll 5K
Click here for more information
 
Saturday, October 29, 2016
Quad County Urban League's
Equality Gala and Auction

Saturday, November 5, 2016
Batavia Woman's Club Fashion Show to Benefit Elderday Center
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Grant News
Last call! The deadline for agencies to submit a Letter of Intent for this fall's grant cycle is Friday, October 7, 2016.  The forms are available on our  grantmaking page . 

After Letters of Intent are submitted, each agency will be contacted to determine their eligibility, talk about their project, and schedule a site visit.

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

For more information, visit the grantmaking page or call Julie Christman at 331-208-9428
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Grantee Spotlight
Fine Line Creative Arts Center

Fine Line Creative Arts Center received a Community Foundation grant in support of a new roof. 

Fine Line's mission is to provide instruction, exploration, and appreciation of traditional and contemporary fine arts and crafts in an inspirational setting. They host a full range of arts classes and workshops, primarily for adults.  Located in St. Charles, they serve people from throughout the Fox Valley region and beyond. For more information, visit fineline.org.


Construction of the roof, and the completed project!



Pictured here are Fine Line board president Ellen Ljung, Foundation director of community involvement and partnerships Julie Christman, Fine Line executive director Lynn Caldwell, and former Foundation board member Katherine Navota.
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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 link below to view this year's donors. 


The lists of our donors are updated quarterly. They are available to view on our website.
Robert O'Connor Named Acting Mayor
O'Connor to Serve as Acting Mayor of Aurora
The Community Foundation is proud to share that one of our former board members has been named acting mayor for the City of Aurora! City council members voted on Tuesday, September 29 and selected Alderman-at-Large Robert J. O'Connor to be the city's acting mayor. 

O'Connor served on the Community Foundation's board of directors for nine years. He was chair of the scholarship committee and a member of the distribution and executive committees. 

"I have been honored to serve on the Aurora City Council for nearly 32 years," O'Connor said. "It is the utmost honor to be elected by the people of Aurora and an equal honor to be nominated by my colleagues on the City Council to serve as Acting Mayor of our city."

Read a full article about the election of O'Connor on the  Daily Herald's website. 

Congratulations, Bob!
Oswego Public Library Green Roof
CFFRV Helps Fund Green Roof For Oswego Library
This past year, the Oswego Public Library received a grant from the Community Foundation to install a "green roof."  A green roof is a roof of a building that is partially or completely covered with vegetation. Oswego Public Library District's green roof is among a few in the Fox River Valley Region. The green roof was installed in 2015 when the library's Oswego Campus added a second story to its building. The green roof provides an additional avenue for educating students and visitors of the library. The Oswego Public Library District's Board of Trustees is committed to sustaining the environment. The Oswego Public Library recently received the Conservation@Work certification from the Conservation Foundation for installing the green roof. This certification is given to business that demonstrate environmentally friendly and sustainable landscape practices. To learn more, visit theconservationfoundation.org.
 
The Oswego Public Library recently hosted a Community Foundation Board of Directors meeting. After the meeting, Foundation board members and staff stepped onto the green roof and admired the space. 


The Oswego Public Library District offers quality library services to effectively meet the informational, educational, and recreational needs of district residents of all ages. Additional programming about green roofs will be available this spring and summer at the library.  

For more information, please visit  www.oswego.lib.il.us .  
New Funds From The A+ Foundation!
A+ Foundation Creates Two New Funds
The A+ Foundation For West Aurora Schools has established two new funds within the Community Foundation.

The A+ Foundation for West Aurora Schools High School Science Fund was created to honor Richard "Dick" Ebeling, a retired West Aurora science educator. While at West Aurora High School, Mr. Ebling was instrumental in designing alternative methods of teaching the physical sciences He worked on the adoption of a new, K-6 science education program, implementing foundations for science in those grades that fostered understanding and mastery of the sciences in the high school.  Mr. Ebeling has been the teacher most often mentioned by past Hall of Honor recipients. They have remembered his excellence in the classroom which extended to his excellence as a mentor for many of them. 

The West Aurora science enhancement project includes, but is not necessarily limited to, the following:
  • Purchasing of Chromebooks for student use
  • Purchasing of science equipment like Wi-Fi cameras for microscopes, analytical balances, and dynamics systems 
  • Funding of classroom structural changes to accommodate collaborative furniture
  • Funding of chemistry room and fume hood ventilation
 
The A+ Foundation for West Aurora Schools Reading Initiative Fund was established to support the school district's  Literacy Through the Arts Program.  Literacy Through the Arts utilizes poetry, music, and visual arts as avenues to increase student achievement in reading. While many students find reading exciting and engaging, there is an unfortunate number of students who have not yet uncovered the joy of reading. Literacy Through the Arts is designed to build off of kids' inclination towards the arts in support of literacy skills. Students discover that the passion generated from art, music, and poetry during an after school program can be transferred to the reading skills they learn from their classroom teacher during school hours. Each lesson supports acquisition of literacy skills through collaborative activities focusing on vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. During this 12-week program, teachers and high school student mentors will meet with a group of first and second grade students in eight targeted elementary buildings.
                   
  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