The Door County Community Foundation's 2015 Guide to Endowments is now available on racks and newstands all across Door County. This year it has been incorporated into nearly 40,000 copies of the 2015 Philanthropy Issue of Door County Living.

The mission of the Door County Community Foundation is to inspire people to give back to sustain and advance the community we love. We do that by serving as a conduit for giving. We're a charity whose purpose is to make giving simpler, easier, and more tax efficient so you can be as generous as possible to the charities and causes you care about.

The Community Foundation has published the Guide to Endowments as a resource to help you with your giving.

The Guide will also be mailed this Spring to estate planning professionals across the entire State of Wisconsin. 

To download your own copy of the 2015 Guide to Endowments, visit GiveDoorCounty.org.

For more information about giving in Door County, or to learn how you can incorporate a gift to any of these Endowment Funds in your estate plans, speak with your estate planning professional or contact us at the Community Foundation. Help us inspire people to give back to sustain and advance the community we love.

The Door County Community Foundation recently awarded the Sunshine House, Inc. a Sustainability Grant from the Health & Human Needs Fund to support a technology upgrade and reconfiguration of their printers.  The upgrade will significantly reduce per page costs in comparison to the out-dated equipment while increasing output quality and efficiency.

With this important equipment upgrade, the Sunshine House can continue to lower expenses which in turn enable low programming costs for clients.  The charge-rates of training or care has not increased in over five years which has allowed partners and clients to continue to use Sunshine House services at cost levels that they can afford.
 
"The exceptional blend of day services, individual care plans and employment opportunities offered by the Sunshine House make it a pivotal organization in addressing human service needs in Door County.  Without question, the Sunshine House provides essential services for our community," said Bill Boettcher, board member of the Door County Community Foundation.
 
The Sunshine House was started by a handful of parents in 1971. Since then, the organization has grown to provide quality services to Door County citizens with special needs and disabilities. Each individual who participates in programs offered through the Sunshine House receives a unique plan designed to meet their specific needs.  Specific needs might be a result of a developmental disability, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, early-onset Alzheimer's disease, stroke, other neurological disorders, brain trauma, alcoholism, drug dependency and serious and persistent mental illness.
 
Direct care services are available to individuals with more intense personal needs and, along with day services, offer opportunities for community outings and a variety of development, recreational, and prevocational skills building experiences.
 
A goal of the Sunshine House is to provide an environment that fosters independence, allowing each individual the opportunity to contribute to his or her own well being and to the community in which they live. For more information regarding the programs and services provided by the Sunshine House, please call (920) 743-7943 or visit www.sunshinehouseinc.org.
 
The Door County Community Foundation also recently awarded Washington Island Community Health Program, Inc. (WICHP) a Sustainability Grant from the Health & Human Needs Fund.  This grant will support a variety of programs that provide for coordination of medical services as well as other quality of life issues for Washington Island residents.

Located 7 miles off the tip of the Door Peninsula and accessible by ferry, when weather permits, Washington Island residents face a wide range of needs.  WICHP provides information and support services that assist residents in maintaining and enhancing their health such as medicine management, securing medical equipment, assessing home safety, and providing transportation cost subsidies for medical treatment off-island.
 
"The outcomes of this valuable programming support the vulnerable populations of Washington Island.  WICHP activities enable residents to experience a healthier and safer quality of life," said Marcia Smith, board member of the Door County Community Foundation.
 
WICHP was established in 2007 and serves the Island's population of approximately 708 permanent residents.  WICHP's mission is to empower and support Island residents to make choices for successful aging, to maintain a safe and independent lifestyle, and to make informed decisions about their healthcare.
 
Since 2007, WICHP's greatest contribution has been to positively impact the lives of Washington Island residents by identifying health resources and encouraging mainland organizations to establish a presence on the Island.  This activity has led to connecting Island residents to available services provided throughout Door County and Green Bay.
 
WICHP provides programming such as In Home Supportive Care, Food Pantry, Home Delivered Meals, Medical Equipment Loan Closet, Advocacy, Ministry Life Direct, and the Medical Travel Fund.  For more information regarding these programs and other services provided by the Washington Island Community Health Program, Inc. please call (920) 847-2108.
 
These are just a few of the recent Sustainability Grants awarded by the Community Foundation. Visit us online for more information about the Sustainability Grants program. If you'd like more information about how you can give today, or incorporate a gift to the Door County community through your estate plans, please contact us or just call (920) 746-1786. Give today, or give your estate plans. Just remember to Give Door County!