Report to the Community – 2021

REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY

2021

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SO C I E T Y NEW FUNDS at the DeKalb County Community Foundation AGENCY FUND Elder Care Services Endowment Fund and the Elder Care Services Fund

Both the endowed and non-endowed Fund provide support to Elder Care Services in fulfillment of their mission to help seniors and those directly responsible for their care.

Adam Joseph Nanzer Memorial Fund

Created through a gift from Kit William Nanzer in memory of his nephew Adam Joseph Nanzer. Grants support the cost of fees, equipment, supplies, and/or scholarship support for Earlville CUSD #9 students attending Indian Valley Vocational Center (IVVC).

Barb City Manor Endowment Fund and the Barb City Manor Fund

Both the endowed and non-endowed Fund provide support to Barb City Manor in fulfillment of their mission to serve low-tomoderate income seniors in safety and comfort.

Kirkland Historical Society Endowment Fund and the Kirkland Historical Society Fund

Both the endowed and non-endowed Funds provide support to the Kirkland Historical Society in fulfillment of their mission.

COMMUNITY IMPACT FUND Don and Faith Cook Community Fund

Provides flexible dollars for the Community Foundation Board of Directors to address needs and opportunities throughout DeKalb County.

DESIGNATED FUND Friends of NIU Art Museum Endowment Fund

Provides annual financial support to the NIU Art Museum to further their mission of being a resource for the NIU campus, the local community, and beyond. This Fund was created by long-time NIU supporters and local philanthropists, Jerry and Annette Johns.

St. James Religious Education Fund

Created by donors Ken and Kathy Spears as a tribute to William and Emiline Rood, parents of Kathy Spears. The Fund provides ongoing financial support to St. James Catholic Church (Lee) to cover religious education costs in the parish.

Terry S. Jones and Nancy J. Eyer Kishwaukee College Nursing Student Fund

Provides for an annual scholarship award to a student enrolled in the nursing program at Kishwaukee College. This Fund was established in memory of Terry S. Jones by his wife Nancy J. Eyer.

Ellwood House Racial Diversity Internship Fund

Supports an annual internship opportunity at the Ellwood House Museum. The internship is exclusively for a person of color who is a currently enrolled as a college student or is a recent college graduate. The Fund was seeded by long-time Ellwood House supporters and local philanthropists, Jerry and Annette Johns.

Kishwaukee Education Consortium Aviation Fund Supports students of Kishwaukee Education Consortium’s Aviation Program who are pursuing flight instruction.

DONOR ADVISED FUND Drake Castle Charitable Fund Supports the charitable interests of David Castle.

Lehan Family Fund Created by the Lehan family to support their charitable interests for the community.

Michael and Lana Haines Family Fund Created to support the charitable interests of Michael and Lana Haines and their family.

New Horizon Charitable Fund Supports the charitable interests of John L. and Nicole Castle and their children.

Oncken Family Fund Created by the Oncken family to support their charitable interests for the community and to provide a tangible way for them to participate in philanthropy as a family.

Templin Family Fund

Supports the charitable interests of Dan and Kristal Templin and their children – with a future goal of this Fund becoming a Community Impact Fund to be used by the Foundation Board to respond to needs and opportunities throughout DeKalb County.

Wrennhouse Fund

Supports the charitable interests of Kent and Kris Wrenn.

FIELD OF INTEREST FUND YEP Horizons Unlimited Fund

Supports the proactive grantmaking efforts of Youth Engaged in Philanthropy (YEP).

Such efforts are currently led by the YEP 2.Pro Subcommittee.

DCNP Program Fund

Supports the programmatic needs of the DeKalb County Nonprofit Partnership (DCNP). DCNP works to strengthen nonprofit organizations in DeKalb County.

SCHOLARSHIP FUND Kevin and Jean Bunge and Sons Scholarship Fund Provides an annual scholarship award to a graduating senior from Sycamore High School.

C O M M U N I T Y I M PA C T

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S CIETY We live in a giving society. Look around and you’ll see people expressing generosity from all corners of DeKalb County. From planting flowers at your mom’s work to paying it forward at a local drive-thru to an estate gift made to a local nonprofit organization to honor the memory of a loved one. It’s all around us, and it’s happening every day.

As you look through this Report to the Community, you’ll see generosity made possible through donors to the Community Foundation. We are grateful to partner with so many of you to assist with your philanthropy. WE WORK TO CREATE MEMORIES, TELL STORIES OF GENEROSITY, AND FUEL THE LEGACY OF PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE DONORS. In 2021, we made significant progress on our Dinontas Society. Greek for ‘Giving,’ the Dinontas (Δίνοντας) Society is a special community of donors to the Foundation who have completed financial contributions as a provision of their will, charitable trust, estate, and/or memorial gift designation. The website highlights each donor and provides a brief story about the life they lived. We are excited to unveil this tribute in 2022 publicly. Through the Dinontas Society, we can honor and thank those who are leaving a legacy of love and support.

DEKALB COUNTY NONPROFIT PA R T N E R S H I P The DeKalb County Nonprofit Partnership (DCNP) exists to strengthen nonprofit organizations in DeKalb County by offering members a wide-variety of benefits, such as training, professional development, networking, access to resources, and many different programs, including Give DeKalb County.

KIN DERGARTEN READIN ESS IN DEKALB COUNTY We remain focused on addressing kindergarten readiness in DeKalb County. Working with local partner organizations and led by the DeKalb County Regional Office of Education, this year the Kindergarten Readiness Collaborative has:  Continued initiatives such as the Basics DeKalb County program, birth to 3rd-grade educator alignment.  Hosted the second annual Kindergarten Readiness Community Forum.  Built capacity for the Collaborative around governance and racial equity with support from Illinois Action for Children and Northern Illinois University.  Funded 1,130 kindergarten readiness toolkits for schools in DeKalb County to distribute to families of pre-school age children.  Created a series of short videos, available in English and Spanish, to engage families and demonstrate how to use the items in the toolkits with their child.

The Kindergarten Readiness Toolkits have been such a huge hit in our household. The extra time to play and familiarize himself made the transition so much easier, especially since he’s one of the youngest in his grade.

Alison Harris - Sycamore Parent

HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2021 INCLUDE: MEMBERSHIP

 162 members with organizations from 19 different zip codes.

TRAINING & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT  50 virtual, in-person, and hybrid offerings with a 99% overall satisfaction rating and featuring presenters from across the United States.

I.D.E.A. INITIATIVE  Intensive program designed to identify, assess, and improve organizational policies by focusing on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Four DCNP members were selected for this year-long experience.

NONPROFIT DAY  Annual conference hosted at the Egyptian Theatre, featuring keynote presenter, Dr. Jax ML Black.

INTERNSHIP PROGRAM  26,000+ internship hours completed since 2014—A collaboration between DCNP, the Center for Nonprofit Studies, and Career Services at NIU, supported by the Douglas C. and Lynn M. Roberts Family Foundation.

ESSENTIAL SKILLS FOR YOUTH IN DEKALB COUNTY

We launched a brand new series of videos designed to enhance the essential skills of youth throughout DeKalb County. The Essential Skills Video Series is a free, fun, and engaging resource for DeKalb County middle schools and high schools to use. The packaged series comes complete with five videos and includes resources for reflection, learning, and feedback.  Video series is available to all middle and high schools in DeKalb County.  Six schools are currently using the videos series.  Essential skills featured in the videos include appropriate professional dress & behavior, leadership, conflict resolution, self-motivation, speaking clearly & appropriately, confidence, etiquette for cell phone & social media usage, and more.

YOUTH ENGAGED IN PHILANTHROPY Youth Engaged in Philanthropy (YEP) is a youth-led committee of the Community Foundation. YEP is open to all high school students in DeKalb County. Through grantmaking and philanthropy, the committee works to improve the quality of life for youth in DeKalb County.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2021 INCLUDE:  63 members from six different high schools.  $13,591 in YEP Grants awarded to ten local organizations (May 2021).  Provided a $1,500 proactive grant to continue the Somonauk Middle School Club OAV (Our American Voice) program onsite; civic education program tied to a community or school betterment project idea – May 2021 Memorial Garden project.  Raised $12,181 in support for YEP during Give DeKalb County.  Began its 13th year of youth philanthropy in September 2021.

I love that the videos are short, simple, and relatable for students. I talk about life skills fairly often in class. These videos provide great support for life skills and stress the importance to students.

Kishwaukee Education Consortium Instructor

GRANTS IN ACTION

Gifts from you and grants from us make a l a s t i n g i m p a c t i n t h e c o m m u n i t y.

LIFE LESSONS FROM TEEN CONVERSATIONS Thank you to the donors whose gifts make grants like these possible!

In 2018, DeKalb resident Tiffany Tucker brought to fruition an idea she had been contemplating for years. “When I was younger, I saw and heard of youth who took their life due to challenging and difficult circumstances,” she said. “It made me realize, no child should struggle alone.”

This sense of belonging created Building Leaders Advocating for Change (B.L.A.C. Inc.), a DeKalb-based nonprofit organization with a mission to build confidence and self-worth in young men and women through leadership development, mental health support, education, and community service opportunities.

B.L.A.C. Inc. approached the Community Foundation in spring 2021 and requested funding through the Community Needs Grant program. The Foundation

approved a $6,800 grant for B.L.A.C. Inc. to expand their TEENTALK program.

From concept to inception the TEENTALK program seeks to improve life for at-risk and vulnerable teens. TEENTALK events allow teens an opportunity to express feelings and struggles while providing solutions and resources. Program offerings include interactive seminars, field trips, discussion groups, and community service events.

Some B.L.A.C. programs collaborate with local service agencies to ensure that highlevel needs are addressed. Over the last few months, program attendance and engagement in B.L.A.C. has increased with 32 new youth taking part. The June 2021 mobile escape room is an example of this success, tying in leadership development and teamwork. Another was the Speak Your Truth summer camp, which gave attendees a chance to speak up and speak out through poetry, vision boards, and storytelling.

We believe we are providing a life-changing program that will enhance their well-being.

Tiffany Tucker - B.L.A.C. Inc. Founder/Executive Director Funding for the Community Needs Grant program is made possible through ongoing donor generosity to  COMMUNITY IMPACT FUNDS at the DeKalb County Community Foundation.

2021 COMMUNITY NEEDS GRANTS Community Needs Grants support the charitable needs and efforts of nonprofit and public sector direct service

organizations throughout DeKalb County. Funding for this grant program is made possible by donor generosity to

 COMMUNITY IMPACT FUNDS at the Foundation.

Arts & Culture

Cor Contiamo................................................. $1,000 Dimensions Youth Ballet................................. $4,741 Lifting Hearts With the Arts........................... $1,000

Total $6,741

Community Development

City of Genoa................................................. $1,500 DeKalb Rotary Club........................................ $5,000 Kingston Township Park District................... $30,000 Village of Malta.............................................. $1,650 Waterman Police Department........................ $6,000

Total $44,150

Education

RESPONDING LOCALLY TO COVID-19 Thank you to the many generous donors who responded out of kindness to care for our local community!

In September of 2021, the DeKalb County COVID-19 Response Fund Fund (DCCRF) Advisory Committee awarded their fifth and final round of grants from the DeKalb County COVID-19 Response Fund.

Grantmaking from this Fund began in April 2020 in response to the community’s immediate needs due to the worldwide pandemic.

Through valuable donor generosity and two grants from the Illinois COVID-19 Response Fund, the Fund collected a total of $729,135 in contributions.

Grants went primarily to nonprofit organizations serving DeKalb County’s most vulnerable populations. The focus was on basic human needs, including emergency food, basic supplies, interim housing and shelter, primary health care services, utility and financial aid, care for children and other vulnerable populations, and support to nonprofit organizations for operating assistance.

The impact from the grants addressed a variety of priority areas.

One example is in food security and support for children. The Fox Valley Family YMCA stepped in to begin serving dinners to families in the community. A $3,000 grant provided the YMCA with funding to purchase food to start the Emergency Child Care program. Over the next several months, the YMCA served daily meals and offered emergency daycare to children.

Another example is in health care services. An $89,000 grant aided in the purchase of a mobile health unit for the DeKalb County Health Department to use in vaccine distribution. The mobile unit is utilized all across DeKalb County providing vaccine access and convenience-based opportunities for residents. The long-term usage of the health unit includes offering additional services, screenings, and education.

Together, we have made a positive impact to help those in need despite the obstacles faced by this pandemic. Throughout the pandemic, 115 grants and $729,135 in support assisted 55 organizations across DeKalb County. No administrative fees were charged by the Foundation to administer the Fund.

Thank you to the funding partners who joined us to form the COVID-19 Response Fund Advisory Committee: Kishwaukee United Way, Douglas C. & Lynn M. Roberts Family Foundation, DeKalb County Community Mental Health Board, IDEAL Foundation, Horizons Unlimited Foundation, and the DeKalb County Nonprofit Partnership.

GIVE DEKALB COUNTY

NIU - Child Development and Family Center............................................... $11,550 Somonauk Public Library District................... $2,000 The Growing Place......................................... $6,380

Total $19,930

Environment & Animal Welfare

Tails Humane Society..................................... $2,580

Total……$2,580

Health & Human Services

Barb City Manor Retirement Home............. $10,000 Building Leaders Advocating for Change...... $6,800 CASA - Court Appointed Special Advocate..... $4,000 Children’s Home + Aid................................... $5,000 Consumer Advocacy Council of DeKalb County............................................... $497 DeKalb County Community Gardens............. $1,600 Elder Care Services of DeKalb County......... $15,000 Equine Dreams............................................... $5,000 Farmworker and Landscaper Advocacy Project........................................ $2,500 Fox Valley Community Services................... $18,000 Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois....................... $2,000 Girls on the Run of Northwest Illinois............ $4,200 Kishwaukee Family YMCA.............................. $4,000 Kishwaukee Special Recreation Association..... $4,000 Nguzo Saba Men’s Club................................. $3,800 NIU - College of Health and Human Sciences.......................................... $4,510 NIU - School of Nursing................................. $4,300 Opportunity House, Inc.................................. $4,500 Passion Over Profit Foundation................... $10,000 Safe Passage.............................................. $100,000 Walcamp Outdoor Ministries......................... $8,200

Give DeKalb County is an annual fundraising event organized by DCNP to support nonprofit organizations in DeKalb County. Launched in 2014, more than $5.3 million has been raised through 31,025 total donations.

GIVING EVENT HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2021 INCLUDE:

THANK YOU DONORS!

 $1.5 million raised during the May 6, 2021 event!  Support came from 3,240 donors and 8,353 donations.  130 nonprofit organizations and Funds participated.  Donations came from donors in 44 states, 4 different countries, and 391 zip codes.  Raised $168,987 in Bonus Pool dollars to boost every dollar donated.

Total $217,907

Total Grants $291,308

2021 FOUNDATION FAST FACTS: GROWING PHILANTHROPY • $40.4 MILLION in grants and

• $3.5 MILLION in grants and distributions awarded to date

distributions awarded since 1993

Established in

1993

(As of 9/30/2021)

Separate Funds

OUR MISSION: To enhance the quality of life in DeKalb County by addressing community needs and expanding, managing, and distributing philanthropic resources.

• 114 scholarships awarded ($164,535)

• $67.1 MILLION in total assets

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DONATIONS of ALL SIZES

are welcome!

When you make a gift to the Community Foundation, you create opportunities that touch lives both now and in the future. Donate online at dekalbccf.org/donate or at the DeKalb County Community Foundation – 475 DeKalb Avenue, Sycamore, IL.

FUNDS

We connect people who care with causes that matter.

Funds represent gifts from individuals, families, corporations, trusts, private foundations, and other nonprofit organizations.

FUND TYPES

Give now or in the future. Almost any kind of asset can be used to start a Fund. COMMUNITY IMPACT FUNDS Support the greatest needs in the community.

Field of Interest Funds Provide support to a particular field or geographic area.

Donor Advised Funds Donor makes grant recommendations to eligible organizations.

Scholarship Funds Provide scholarship awards to students for continuing education.

Designated Funds Provide support to specific eligible organizations in the community.

Agency Funds Created by nonprofit organizations to provide income to support their mission.

READY TO START YOUR FUND?

Please contact Dan Templin, Executive Director, at 815-748-5383 or dan@dekalbccf.org.

2021

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

OUR VOLUNTEER BOARD OF DIRECTORS REPRESENT VARIOUS COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT DEKALB COUNTY. G. Joseph Mitchell, President (DeKalb); Christine J. Johnson, Vice President (Shabbona); Roger Maas, Treasurer (DeKalb); Sally Bruch (Kirkland); Amie Carey (Hinckley); David B. Castle (DeKalb); Micki Chulick (DeKalb); Karen Grush (DeKalb); Lisa Gudmunson (Somonauk); Michael Haines (Kingston); Todd Hughes (Genoa); Brenda Jergens (Malta); Regina Parker (Sycamore); Manny Peña (Sycamore); Jesus Romero (Sycamore); Jim Stoddard (Sycamore); Tim Suter (DeKalb); Justin Wegener (Sandwich)

S TA F F Our staff are here to serve the community by partnering with donors, leaders, and organizations to enhance the quality of life in DeKalb County.

Do you have a vision for philanthropy in your community? Share it with us. We’d love to hear from you!

Noah Nordbrock

Donor Services & Marketing Director, YEP Staff Advisor

Teri Spartz

Community Engagement Director

WHAT GIVES Monthly E-Newsletter

Dan Templin

Executive Director

Kay Riley

Finance Director

Ben Bingle

Grants & DeKalb County Nonprofit Partnership (DCNP) Director

Barb King Administrative Manager

Marc Hooks

Grants Manager

‘What Gives’ is our monthly e-newsletter that highlights new Fund announcements, breaking news and events, current grant opportunities, philanthropy in DeKalb County, and more. Be inspired and stay informed! Sign up at dekalbccf.org.

DeKalb County Community Foundation 475 DeKalb Avenue, Sycamore, IL • 815-748-5383 • dekalbccf.org