Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation, a collection of individual funds and local community foundations, recently announced the addition of the Jasper County Community Foundation to the regional organization.
Jasper County Community Foundation got its start because of the generosity and foresight of a well known local organization, Eagle Country Water Works (ECWW). ECWW provided the necessary seed money to establish the Jasper County Community Foundation. “The Jasper County Community Foundation is a vehicle that residents, businesses, or organizations like ECWW, can use to give back locally without having to form another nonprofit organization,” said Mark Bolander, ECWW Secretary/Treasurer.
The Jasper County Community Foundation is operated as an affiliate of the Southeastern Illinois Community, a regional 501 (c)(3) nonprofit. The affiliate fund structure is based on strong local leadership and participation that is leveraged by the financial management, legal compliance, technical assistance and guidance of the Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation.
The Jasper County Community Foundation has appointed five individuals to serve on the local advisory board. Their role will be to ensure that gifts made through the community foundation are easy, personal and have maximum impact in Jasper County. The advisory board includes: Sarah Weiler, Amanda Lessley, Steve Mammoser, Melissa Griffith and Dylan Hartigan. According to Joedy Hightower, President and CEO of the Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation, “The individuals serving on the Jasper County Community Foundation board are in the best position to know the needs of Jasper County and we are excited to be working with them to strengthen Newton and the surrounding area.”
The Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation allows many individuals, through gifts and bequests of all sizes, to establish permanent endowment funds to benefit specific project in their local community. In other words, it allows anyone to become a philanthropist. The income from these separate funds – and the principal if so desired by the donor – can help the community respond to emerging problems and opportunities, as well as prepare for its future. Using earnings from invested assets, the local community foundation functions primarily as a grantmaking institution supporting a broad range of charitable activities that creatively address emerging and changing community needs in such fields as education arts and culture, health, human services, community development and civic endeavors.
The affiliate fund structure is based on strong local leadership and participation that is leveraged with the financial management, legal compliance, technical assistance and guidance provided by Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation.
Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation was established in 2009 as a result of a partnership between the Effingham County Community Foundation (est. 1999) and the Mattoon Area Community Foundation (est. 1980). The organization works with community foundations, organizations, professional advisors and donors Clay, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland, Effingham, Fayette, Jasper, Lawrence, Marion, Richland and Shelby counties. SICF manages approximately $16 million in charitable assets for its member community foundations and has reinvested more than $1.8 million in Southeastern Illinois since 2009.
For more information on how your community can partner with the Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation, contact Joedy Hightower, President, CEO at jhightower@enrichingourcommunity.org or call 217-342-4988.
