November 2013Vol 6, Issue 11
Give Door County
Door County
Community Foundation
DCCF Logo
A few sundays ago marked the final service of Pastor Michael Brecke at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Juddville. Michael recently announced he is accepting an interim position with a church in Kansas so he can be closer to family in anticipation of his retirement shortly thereafter.

I imagine I'm like most people in Door County in that I've never set foot in Michael's church. Yet while relatively few of us are parishioners in St. Paul's Lutheran Church, there are many of us that are members of Michael's congregation.

The word "minister" literally means "to attend to the needs of others" and that is the epitome of Michael. He has long taken it upon himself to check on the wellbeing of most everyone he's ever met. If he hears that you've been facing challenges, he'll drop by to offer help and to lift your spirits. But even if he's heard nothing at all, Michael's been known to stick his head in your office for five minutes just to make sure you're well. I don't know that I've ever encountered anyone who so willingly seeks out and takes on the troubles of so many in the community.

My interactions with Michael have been largely centered around his service on the board of directors of the Door County Community Foundation. When it comes to philanthropy, he has a mantra that has become a guiding philosophy for us. Michael always says, "Give to your passion." 
 
Read the rest of this story in the Peninsula Pulse.  
 
Michael was a great friend to our community and he will be missed.
  Bret Bicoy   
Bret N. Bicoy, President & CEO
In This Issue
Multiple Programs Accepting Grant Applications
Non-Profit Education Series: An Introduction to Planned Giving
Endowments in Action: Hope United Church of Christ
Give Door County Publications Available for Download

Our Board of Directors

John Herlache, Chairman
David Eliot, Vice Chairman
Polly Alberts, Secretary
Mike Felhofer, Treasurer
Dick Egan, Past Chairman
Bill Boettcher
Michael Brecke
Jacinda Duffin
Richard Hauser
Mark Jinkins
Linda Laarman
Michael McCoy
Arvid Munson
Kaaren Northrop
Marcia Peterson
Nancy Sargent 
Jane Stevenson

Donate Today!

Make an instant donation using a credit card to any of the Funds of the Door County Community Foundation. Give back online today!
 
Or contact us to talk about creating a Fund in your family's name - either today or in your estate plans.

Follow Us Online

For the latest news on charity in Door County, read our publications and previous issues of our Newsletter, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter.
Multiple Programs Accepting Grant Applications

Several of the Community Foundation's granting programs are currently accepting applications.

 

Sustainability Grants

The Community Foundation's Winter 2014 deadline for Sustainability Grant applications is Thursday, January 2, 2014. The Community Foundation offers Sustainability Grants because it has a construction_volunteers.jpg fundamental belief that charities are essential part of our quality of life. Helping to support their operations is key to maintaining the parts of Door County that we love - and to alleviating the social issues arising from our unique seasonal economy.

  

Through the application for a Sustainability Grant, a non-profit organization might receive assistance from the Arts Fund, the Children & Youth Fund, the Education Fund, the Green Fund, the Health & Human Needs Fund, and/or the Historic Preservation Fund. There no longer are separate applications for each of these Funds as there were in the past.  

 

Youth as Resources Mini-Grants

The Youth as Resources program provides financial support to projects which use the the skills, talents and abilities of young people to serve or educate others. Youth as Resources Mini-Grants are awarded four times during the school year. The next application deadline is Monday, December 2, 2013.


Youth in Theatre Mini-Grants

The Youth in Theatre Grant program provides financial assistance to Door County theatrical productions in which youth play a significant role in its production and/or on-stage performance. Youth in Theatre Mini-Grants are also awarded four times during the school year. The next application deadline is Monday, December 2, 2013.

 

More information is available by clicking on the "Grants and Programs" tab on the Community Foundation's website. For an informal assessment of your idea before applying, please contact Christine Henkel at (920) 746-1786.

 

Non-Profit Education Series:  An Introduction to Planned Giving

Planned giving must be a central part of every charity's development program - but the complexity of planned giving tools often seem overwhelming. This latest workshop in the Non-Profit Education Series hosted by the Door County Community Foundation, the Raibrook Foundation, and United Way of Door County, will focus on building a planned giving program from the perspective of a development officer and/or executive director. It will cover the basic things non-lawyers need to know to be able to secure future estate gifts for your favorite charity.

 

An Introduction to Planned Giving

Tuesday, December 3rd

8:00 a.m. Registration & Refreshments

8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Workshop

Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Oasis Center

1756 Michigan Street in Sturgeon Bay

 

Topics to be covered include the most common planned giving tools, which tools work best in what kind of situation, what to listen for when talking with a donor, and other adventures from the exciting and entertaining world of planned giving.

 

Our guest speaker is Bret Bicoy, who has more than twenty years of experience as a professional fundraiser and/or a foundation CEO. He previously led community foundations in both Nevada and Ohio, and is the current President & CEO of the Door County Community Foundation. During his tenure, these three community foundations collectively received contributions of nearly $60 million and secured more than $90 million in known future estate commitments.

 

Bret was named in 2007 as a Person of Influence by In Business Las Vegas as one of the "men and women who make things happen" in Nevada. While in Ohio, the Marietta Chamber of Commerce named Bret the Telesis Community Leader of the Year as "a believer in impossible things, whose vision, enthusiasm and dedication have unquestionably made their mark on our community." A 1992 graduate of Tufts University, Bret was honored with the 2006 Young Alumni Achievement Award as one "whose distinguished accomplishments bring credit to his community, his profession, and Tufts University."

 

There is no cost to attend this session, but please RSVP so we can adequately prepare. To register, contact Christine Henkel at the Door County Community Foundation.

 

Endowments in Action:  Hope United Church of Christ
The Community Foundation is honored to administer the Hope United Church of Christ Fund. 

People come together at Hope United Church of Christ to worship God; To promote personal and spiritual growth; To develop a religious community which encourages tolerance and openness of thought and accepts diversity of thought and action; To search for meaning in life and for
understanding of ourselves through the teachings of Christ and other great teachers; To understand the way in which all things are related to each other and to learn how we may best serve our local community and our world community; And to celebrate with joy the richness of our religious community and ourselves.

The Endowment Fund of Hope Church funds projects which reflect this Mission Statement and affords the congregation the means to accomplish its mission within the community and the world. The Endowment Fund also creates a financially stable base which will support the congregation into the future. 

Please consider incorporating gift to the Hope Church Endowment Fund in your estate plans. Speak with your attorney, accountant or other estate planning professional. Or contact the Community Foundation and we'd be glad to help facilitate your generosity.
 
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.

 

Give Door County Publications Available for Download
The Community Foundation produces several publications and information sheets to help you craft a strategy to give back in the most effective - and tax efficient - way possible. Those documents are now available for anyone to download from the Community Foundation's website. Give Door County

You'll find publications like our our Guide to Endowments which highlights different charities so families have options to consider when giving back - either today or through their estate plans.

You can download an Introductory Brochure that explains the most popular charitable Funds at the Community Foundation - along with information sheets for Donor Advised Funds, Discretionary Funds, Scholarship Funds and more.

If you'd like a hard copy of any of these documents, just contact us and and we'd be glad to send them to you. And if you're an attorney, accountant, investment adviser, or trust officer, we'll send a supply of Guides, Introductory Brochures, or other materials (and display holders) for use in your office. Just contact us at the Community Foundation.

This is just another way the Community Foundation is encouraging people to give back to sustain the community we love!

 
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 and Advance the Community We Love.