SIDNEY — “Community Foundation of Shelby County enjoyed another year of growth in giving,” reported Marian Spicer, executive director. “Twenty new charitable funds were established, including several donor advised, scholarship, project and organization funds that benefit the community.”
Her report continues:
The not-for-profit public foundation governs 189 charitable funds totaling nearly $32 million. Its role is to carry out the wishes of community members by administering charitable funds that provide grants and scholarships for purposes outlined by a fund’s establishing donors. The Community Foundation is nationally accredited by the Council on Foundations.
Several charitable funds were established last year. Those include Robert and Sondra Dunham Foundation; HenschFund; Historic Sidney Theatre Fund; Adam E. Huelskamp Scholarship Fund; James P. Humphrey Sidney-Shelby County Black Achievers Scholarship Fund; Kauffman Family Foundation; Kauffman Family Scholarship Fund; Keister Family Foundation; Madeline Maurer Scholarship Fund; Waneta Ammon Partington Scholarship Fund; Dennis Ruble Memorial Fund; Russia Veterans Park Fund; Ken and Brenda Schlater Foundation; Schmiesing Family Fund; Shelby County Libraries Foundation; Shelby-Sidney Bicentennial Fund; Sidney Athletic Center Fund; Sidney Inclusive Playground Fund;a nd two Gift Accounts, short-term donor advised funds.
Additionally, several local residents created charitable fund agreements that will establish new funds through their estates.
Gifts for these and other existing funds are welcome at any time and should be made payable to the Community Foundation of Shelby County with the fund name noted on the memo line. Credit card gifts may be made to any charitable fund by clicking the ‘Donate’ button on the Foundation’s website at commfoun.com.
The second Match Day was held on Nov. 27, known nationally as Giving Tuesday. Match Day was an effort to raise visibility and giving by offering a $70,000 match to fourteen local charities. Participating charities could receive a dollar for dollar match up to $5,000 for monies given in their name. Each charity exceeded the match amount and a total of $280,603 was raised and distributed. To participate, a charity needed to have an organization fund housed at the Community Foundation. Dave Ross of the Fort Loramie area provided the matching money, which was also supplemented by an anonymous donor.
A new website was launched in late November. It has a user-friendly, updated look, features more content and allows staff to edit most of the text and links. It also hosts the Foundation’s scholarship application and proposals for Community Grants and Louise Sheets Fund grants.
A workshop on the Foundation’s donor advised funds was held in the spring. The Foundation also participated in a collaborative with other local foundations to provide an estate and retirement planning seminar to local residents.
The 2019 Community Foundation officers are Doug Borchers, chair; Cindy Helman, vice chair; Karen Fortman, secretary; and Dave Monnier, treasurer. Trustees are Rudy Keister, Mardie Milligan, Diane Reiss, Norm Smith, Doug Stewart, and Priscilla Wilt. Staff members include myself; donor relations director Jessica Fortkamp; accounting manager Jeanne Hoying, CPA; and accounting administrator Barbara Stueve.
In 2019, the Foundation will continue working with local residents wanting to give to charitable causes in the community. With a change in tax laws affecting deductions, the Foundation will focus on the usefulness of donor advised funds for those wanting to take advantage of deductions in certain years. Foundation staff and volunteers also hope to raise the awareness among potential donors of giving to existing charitable funds. For more information, please contact Jessica Fortkamp at 497-7800 or e-mail at [email protected].
