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Giving Matters
Door County
Community Foundation |
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Greetings! |
 Last week the Community Foundation was visited by a gentleman from the African nation of Malawi. He spent the day with us to learn more about how community foundations work.
It doesn't take a long conversation with a visitor to our country to understand what a truly remarkable place the United States really is. Our commitment to giving back through private philanthropy far exceeds what you'll find in any other nation on the planet.
And we are also fortunate to live in a country where our ideas of a "low-income" pale in comparison to the realities faced by a person living in poverty in a third world nation.
My intent is not to belittle the challenges that confront some of our less fortunate neighbors in the United States. I merely hope that we all take some time every now and then to reflect on our blessings - and remember to share what we have with those in need.
Bret N. Bicoy
President & CEO
Door County
Community Foundation, Inc. |
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Our Board of Directors |
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Dick Egan, Chairman
John Herlache, Vice Chairman
Polly Alberts, Secretary
Mark Jinkins, Treasurer
Ruth Barker
Bill Boettcher
Michael Brecke
David Eliot
Michael Felhofer
William Goldammer
Marcia Peterson
Jane Stevenson
Tom Torinus |
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| Grantee Focus: The Door County String Academy |
When we think of music in the schools, our thoughts overwhelmingly turn to the instruments of a  marching band. But some of the most beautiful music performed by an orchestra would be impossible to enjoy without string instruments. Thank goodness for the Door County String Academy!
The Door County String Academy offers positive, professional music instruction on violin, viola, cello and string bass to Door County youth. Lessons are offered to students from throughout the peninsula at classroom space in Sturgeon Bay, Gibraltar and Southern Door schools.
While learning how to play, students learn the fundamentals of music theory, composition and music history. The Door County String Academy teaches students to work well together, and instruction is kept positive and professional. More experienced students are invited to be mentors to younger students in the academy.
 The Academy makes lessons available to all students and its financial assistance program allows qualifying families to receive reduced class fees and/or instrument rental.
The Door County Community Foundation was honored to play a small role in this effort through a grant from our Arts Fund - one of our Community Impact Funds that provide financial support to activities in our community.
Consider including a gift to one of the Community Foundation's Community Impact Funds in your estate plans. It's a wondeful way to give back to sustain the community we love. To learn more, send us an email or call (920) 746-1786. |
| Arts Fund Accepting Applications |
The Door County Community Foundation is pleased to announce that it is now accepting applications from charities looking for support from our Arts Fund.
The "arts" describe a broad range of creative activities which can stimulate thought and inspire the  soul. Therein lays the purpose of the Community Foundation's Arts Fund.
The Community Foundation hopes to support creative charitable activities in Door County that use the arts to enrich our community and touch the lives of the people of Door County.
Applications are welcome from arts organziations as well as other kinds of charities which want to include the arts in their more traditional programming.
Applications must be received in the Community Foundation's offices by Tuesday, July 20, 2010 at 4 p.m. More information and application materials are available online.
The Arts Fund is one of the Community Foundation's Community Impact Funds. To learn about how you can include a gift in your estate plans to forever to support this critical issue - or any other cause that's important to you - email the Community Foundation or call (920) 746-1786. |
| Christine Henkel Joins Community Foundation Staff |
The Door County Community Foundation is pleased to announce that Christine Henkel has joined its professional staff.
Chris brings more than 15 years of professional nonprofit experience to the Door County Community Foundation. She has worked for organizations such as PBS member station WETA in Washington  D.C., and has been an enthusiastic advocate for community engagement most recently as Executive Director of the Volunteer Center of Door County since 2003.
Christine received a Bachelor Degree in Music Education from St. Norbert College in DePere, WI and completed her MBA at Edgewood College in Madison, WI which focused on Corporate Training and Development.
As an educator, Chris works to provide experiential learning opportunities for youth and adults utilizing applications such as Perceptual Thinking Patterns, with a special interest in the relationship between learning and neuroplasticity. Her professional experience as a trainer has focused on applying tools from the organizational behavior sciences to improve skills in conflict resolution, relationship development, leadership, change management, and collaboration.
Please don't hesitate to contact Christine Henkel at (920) 746-1786, or by email, if we can ever be of service to you.
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| PhilanthroCalc - an online planned giving tool |
Nearly 4 out of every 5 families in our contry make an annual gift to charity. That makes the United States the most generous nation in the world - by a very large margin. While some 80% of us make an annual gift out of our income, only about 7% of estates include a gift to charity.
If you think about it, that's counterintuitive. Including a gift to charity in your estate plans is the most  painless gift you'll ever make. After all, you're only giving it away when you no longer need the money!
The simpest of all planned gifts through an estate is a bequest. "I hereby give (a percentage of your estate or a specific dollar amount) to (the charity of your choice) of Door County, Wisconsin to be used for its charitable purposes." It can be as easy as that.
But there are many other planned giving tools which might be useful to you. Charitable remainder trusts, lead trusts, life estates - there's so much to consider, and it's difficult to explore on your own how these tools might be beneficial to your personal tax situation. To help you answer these questions for yourself, the Community Foundation hosts an online planned giving calculator.
Visit the Community Foundation's website and use PhilanthroCalc - an online giving tool that allows you to experiment with different planned giving scenarios from the comfort and privacy of your own home. Of course, you should always seek professional legal or tax counsel before finalizing such a gift - but PhilanthroCalc is an easy way to explore if a common planned giving vehicle might be right for you.
And if we at the Community Foundation can ever be of service, please don't hesitate to call us at (920) 746-1786 or drop us an email. We're here to help you give back to sustain the community we love! |
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The Door County Community Foundation, Inc. is a collection of separate charitable funds set up by individuals, families, non-profit organizations, private foundations and businesses that are managed, invested and disbursed for the current and future good of Door County.
Inspiring People to Give Back to Sustain the Community We Love.
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