Mark Jinkins

Arvid Munson

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The Door County Community Foundation announced today the launch of GIVE DOOR COUNTY - our estructured discretionary grants program.

 

"Like every foundation, we constantly try to measure the effectiveness of our grants," says Bret Bicoy, President & CEO of the Community Foundation. "We want to make sure that the moneys entrusted to us are invested in projects that have the greatest impact. But we often struggle to balance the basic operational needs of our local charities with our desire to bring about larger systemic change. It is with this balance in mind that we have restructured our discretionary granting programs into GIVE DOOR COUNTY. It's an easy way for people to give back through our new Sustainability Grants and Advancement Grants."

 

Sustainability Grants provide the critical operational support for the charities that sustain our quality of life in Door County. "These grants do things like help pay the salary of a case manager working with troubled teens, buy music stands for a local performing arts group, install piping to bring water to a community garden, and pay teachers to help with math and reading instruction during the summer," says Bicoy.

 

"Sustainability Grants are rarely glamorous and are usually not the big ideas that stir one's soul," says John Herlache, Chairman of the Community Foundation's Board of Directors. "But this operational support is essential to the programs that sustain the parts of Door County that we love - and alleviate the challenges faced by working families because of the seasonal nature of our economy."

 

But we also believe that we must go beyond simply supporting the operations of our local charities. We must use our unique perspective to look at the entire system.

 

Advancement Grants invest in collaborative efforts which lead to systemic change and advance our quality of life in Door County. "These grants support initiatives which look at entire systems in our community and work to bring about greater efficiencies if not a whole scale change in how things are done," says Bicoy. "An Advancement Grant might bring changes to how we deliver a service in Door County - such as transportation. It was a collaborative effort of many different organizations. But we're pleased that the Community Foundation was willing to make the initial investment in Door-Tran, created the corporation, and lent one of our Board members to serve as an organizer and President of the new Door-Tran Board."

 

Advancement Grants also fill significant gaps in service - such as micro-lending to small entrepreneurial companies which create job opportunities. The Community Foundation is in the process of launching a subsidiary corporation, the Door County Community Opportunity Investment Network (COIN), to facilitate such investments because, as Herlache says, "The most effective human service program is one which helps its clients get a good job." 

 

Donors can still designate their gift to support a single cause. The Community Foundation still offers the Arts Fund, the Children & Youth Fund, the Education Fund, the Green Fund, the Health & Human Needs Fund, and the Historic Preservation Fund. But in the future, those moneys will be distributed through GIVE DOOR COUNTY - as Sustainability Grants and Advancement Grants.

 

More information about GIVE DOOR COUNTY and its Sustainability Grants and Advancement Grants is available on the Community Foundation's Website or contact us and we'd be glad to talk with you.

 

GIVE DOOR COUNTY today with a credit card, or make a gift in your estate plans.

 

The Women's Fund cordially invites you to "Celebrate the Good Work of Your Gifts" on Wednesday, January 9th from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Crossroads at Big Creek.

 

At this Celebration we'll hear from a few of the organizations that received grants from the Women's Fund, as well as a few words from our very special guest, Tom Lutsey.

In August, the Lutsey Family Foundation announced a $25,000 challenge. Every dollar raised by the Women's Fund through Dec. 31, 2012 up to $25,000 was to be matched by the Lutsey Family Foundation. 

 

We are thrilled to announce that the Women's Fund has exceeded the goal and raised nearly $40,000 during the challenge period! We are so grateful for this opportunity and the Lutsey Family's support of the Women's Fund. Of course, while we've earned the matching gift, there still is much work yet to be done for women and girls in Door County. So consider making a gift to support the Women's Fund today.

 

And if you'd like to join us at the Celebration of January 9th, please confirm your attendance with Christine Henkel or by calling (920) 746-1786.

 

The year is coming to an end - and your accountant is advising you that this would be a good year to earn a sizeable charitable deduction. But with the new year just around the corner and the holidays approaching, you don't have the time to deal with charitable giving.

 

The solution? Open a Donor Advised Fund at the Door County Community Foundation! With a gift today you'll earn a tax deduction in this tax year, then you can take as much time as you need to determine which charities will ultimately benefit from your generosity!

 

This is just one of the advantages of using a Donor Advised Fund to facilitate your giving. It's a simpler, cheaper, and more tax-efficient alternative to creating your own private foundation!

 

Here's how it works:

• Open your Donor Advised Fund at the Community Foundation with a gift of at least $1,000.
• You can give cash, appreciated stocks, real estate, or other assets.
• We set up a special Fund in your name, in the name of your family or business, or in honor of any person or organization you choose.
• Your gift to your Donor Advised Fund earns you a tax deduction in the year your gift is made.
• You can then support the causes and organizations you care about most with future distributions from your Donor Advised Fund.
• We handle all the administrative details and issue grants to charities in the name of your Donor Advised Fund (or if you prefer, grants can be made anonymously). 

 

If you choose, your gift can be placed into an endowment that is invested over time. Earnings from your Fund are used to make grants literally forever. Your gift - and all future earnings from your gift - can become a permanent source of community capital, forever giving back in your family's name. It's an incredible legacy for Door County!

 

Contact the Community Foundation, or speak your own tax professional to learn more about how a Donor Advised Fund can help you be generous in a very tax-efficient way.

 

It's not too late to become a 2013 Member of the Door County Green Fund! Consider making a generous gift today!

 

Your contribution to the Green Fund isn't just a gift, it's an investment in the future of Door County. Your generosity is pooled with countless others in our community to preserve, protect and enhance this remarkable quality of life.   

 

With your friendship, the Green Fund will continue to invest in efforts that provide environmental education, fund land preservation, eradicate invasive species, and support other types of "green" programs in Door County.

 

And because of the continuing partnership with the Door County Community Foundation, Inc., the operating costs of the Green Fund are less than 1%. That means virtually every penny of your gift will distributed to local environmental projects. Working together, we're able to magnify our impact on the landscape of Door County. 

 

We are deeply thankful to the community for all their friendship and support over this past year. We hope you'll join us as a 2013 Member of the Door County Green Fund.

 

The Community Foundation is honored to administer the Door County Medical Center Foundation's Endowment Fund.

The Door County Medical Center Foundation was created over 20 years ago with the mission to develop and manage giving opportunities that support the health care needs of the community.    

 

Many charities entrust the administration of their endowment funds to the Community Foundation.

It's a safe and responsible way to manage endowed gifts, long-term assets or operational reserves. The non-profit community also counts on the Community Foundation's planned giving expertise to facilitate gifts into their endowments. By aggregating these assets under the umbrella of the Community Foundation, economies of scale allow for a far more diversified investment portfolio and lower investment fees than any of the charities could achieve on their own.