Report to the Community – 2020

R E P O R T

T O

T H E

C O M M U N I T Y

THANK YOU

From a piggy bank of coins raised through a summer lemonade stand to an estate gift left in memory of a life and legacy, THESE SEASONS OF GIVING have tremendous impact on the communities of DeKalb County. Whatever season of giving you find yourself in, rest assured knowing that every donation entrusted to us is put to work in fulfilling our mission to enhance the quality of life in DeKalb County.

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In December of 2020, the Community Foundation will launch the all new Dinontas Society. Greek for ‘Giving’, the Dinontas (Δίνοντας) Society is a special community of donors to the Foundation who 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. This is one way we can honor and thank those who are leaving a legacy of love and support.

C O M M U N I T Y I M PA C T JANUARY 2020

KINDERGARTEN READINESS IN DEKALB COUNTY

The Community Foundation continues to focus resources on addressing kindergarten readiness in DeKalb County, joining similar national, state, and local initiatives. Working with local partner organizations and facilitated by the DeKalb County Regional Office of Education, this year the Kindergarten Readiness Collaborative has:

MARCH 2020

FUNDING ECONOMIC GROWTH IN DEKALB COUNTY

WATERSHED PLANNING FOR DEKALB COUNTY

The Community Economic Development Grant program provides an opportunity for communities in DeKalb County to apply for funding to support economic planning or to implement projects that support their economic plans.

To date, $238,555 in grants have been awarded to 15 communities throughout DeKalb County.

This grant program ends on December 31, 2020.

• Convened pre-school and kindergarten educators together at an Early Learning Summit as an effort to help smooth the transition from pre-k to kindergarten for children and families.

The Community Foundation coordinates with (and provides funding to) the DeKalb County Soil and Water Conservation District to develop watershed plans for DeKalb County.

• Funded 1,530 kindergarten readiness toolkits for schools in DeKalb County to distribute to families of pre-school age children; in partnership with School Tool Box and the DeKalb County Farm Bureau.

• The watershed plan for the Upper South Branch of the Kishwaukee River will be finalized in 2020 and includes the City of DeKalb and surrounding areas.

• Continued community and school saturation of the Basics DeKalb County program.

• A planning process for the Lower Little Rock Creek watershed in Sandwich and surrounding areas is currently underway. Projected completion is July 2021.

Funding for this grant program is made possible by donor generosity to  COMMUNITY IMPACT FUNDS at the Foundation.

JANUARY

• Created a collective impact framework to maximize kindergarten readiness throughout DeKalb County.

2020

EQUIPPING MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS FOR SUCCESS

DCNP is a membership-based program of the Community Foundation. DCNP works to strengthen nonprofit organizations in DeKalb County through trainings and programming, access to resources, and professional development opportunities.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2020 INCLUDE: MEMBERSHIP  152 DCNP members GIVE DEKALB COUNTY  $1,209,301 raised (THANK YOU DONORS!)  2,921 donors  7,534 donations  113 participating nonprofits & Funds

INTERNSHIP PROGRAM A collaboration between the DeKalb County Nonprofit Partnership, the Center for Nonprofit Studies, and Career Services at Northern Illinois University, supported by the Douglas C. and Lynn M. Roberts Family Foundation.

 32 interns  26 different organizations  3,360 combined service hours in 2020 PROGRAMS AND TRAININGS OFFERED  55 programs/events  96% will implement something they learned at a DCNP training

 MAY 2020

OCTOBE

R 2020

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 2020 INCLUDE: 2019-2020 MEMBERSHIP  70 YEP members  9 high schools represented 2019-2020 GRANTMAKING  $12,583 in YEP Grants awarded to nine local organizations (May 2020)

YEP 2.PRO (Proactive Grants Committee)  Provided a proactive grant to Somonauk Middle School to bring the Our American Voice (OAV) program onsite; civic education program tied to a community or school betterment project idea  OAV is one way YEP is looking to proactively address the issue of “lack of youth involvement in the community” FUNDRAISING COMMITTEE  New sub-committee of YEP  Raised $7,319 in support for YEP during the April 2020 Give DeKalb County event

(THANK YOU DONORS!) MARCH 2020

Began its 12th year of youth philanthropy in SEPTEMBER 2020

The Community Foundation’s Workforce Development Committee, in collaboration with OC Creative, Inc., worked to create a new video series highlighting essential soft skills for middle and high school students. These videos and a classroom resource guide become available to DeKalb County schools in 2021.

• More than 20 students from six DeKalb County schools were cast in the video series.

• Videos address interpersonal communication: verbal and non-verbal, leadership and professional skills, cell phone etiquette, and other soft skills.

• Local educators and counselors from DeKalb County schools collaborated to create resource guides for educators to use in guided discussion that will reinforce the featured concepts.

GRANTS IN ACTION

2020 COMMUNITY NEEDS GRANTS Community Needs Grants support the charitable needs

Grantmaking During a Global Pandemic (COVID-19) Thank you to the donors whose gifts make grants like these possible!

On Wednesday, March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak a global pandemic. Stay at home orders went into effect and what many of us thought would last days or weeks turned into months with no immediate end in sight.

During this time, local organizational funders began working together in an effort to respond to needs and issues in DeKalb County from this crisis.

The DeKalb County COVID-19

Response Fund advisory committee was formed and includes the DeKalb County Community Foundation, 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 (DCNP).

From there, a DeKalb County COVID-19 Response Fund was created. Grants from this Fund were distributed to nonprofit and charitable organizations in need.

Over $350,000 was distributed from June-November to more than 30 organizations serving DeKalb County.

and efforts of nonprofit and public sector 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 Cantiamo..................................................................$2,000 Just Make It Happen.......................................................$4,110 Kirkland Historical Society............................................ $12,000 Kishwaukee Valley Art League........................................$7,038 North Grove School Association...................................$12,500 Sandwich Opera House...................................................$8,000 Stage Coach Players, Inc.................................................$7,400

Grants were used for personal protection equipment (PPE), care packages, emergency shelter, financial assistance, software and technology for remote connectivity, mobile food pantries, other food assistance, education, and more.

“During a time of such uncertainty, grants like these have an immense impact,” said Tiffany McQueen Lewis, Community Foundation Grants Director.

Total $53,048

Community Development

Funding for the DeKalb County COVID-19 Grant program is made possible by a grant from the Illinois COVID-19 Response Fund and through the generosity of donors and funders to the DeKalb County COVID-19 Response Fund.

DeKalb County Forest Preserve District........................ $5,000 DeKalb Public Library.................................................... $5,000 Genoa Township Park District....................................... $1,369 Kirkland Community Fire District................................ $12,000 Kirkland Public Library................................................... $2,000 Sandwich Park District................................................... $4,200 Sycamore Police Department....................................... $7,050 Sycamore Public Library................................................ $2,750 Village of Malta............................................................. $1,225 Village of Waterman...................................................... $7,400

Total $47,994

Education

Genoa-Kingston CUSD #424......................................... $2,000 Hiawatha CUSD #426.................................................... $5,000 Hiawatha Elementary School....................................... $2,000 The Growing Place...................................................... $15,000

Total $24,000

Environment & Animal Welfare

To r na d o D e s tro y s a F o o d S ou rc e fo r D eKal b C o u n t y Thank you to the donors whose gifts make grants like these possible!

On Monday, August 10, 2020, a tornado hit the Walnut Grove Vocational Farm in Kirkland. The strong winds completely destroyed the DeKalb County Community Gardens (DCCG) primary greenhouse and caused damage to a second greenhouse structure.

The primary greenhouse is significant to the seeding, growth, and care of plants that are sold in the spring to bring in important revenue to the DCCG. Also located inside inside this greenhouse is a heating system designed to handle the weather in

Barn on Baseline............................................................ $3,300 Kishwaukee Water Reclamation District..................... $10,000 Oaken Acres Wildlife Center......................................... $2,400 Randy’s Rescue.............................................................. $1,500 Tails Humane Society.................................................... $2,200

Total $19,400

the spring and a water system to care for the plants.

Health & Human Services

“It was urgent that we rebuild our greenhouse as soon as possible so it could be operational for the spring,” said Dan Kenney, DCCG Executive Director. “Even with insurance covering a major portion of the costs, we knew it would not meet the total need.”

DCCG applied for emergency funding from the DeKalb County Community Foundation to assist in the replacement of the primary greenhouse and repair the second greenhouse. Through the Community Foundation’s Emergency Grants program, DCCG started the process of soliciting quotes for the greenhouse materials and installation.

Meanwhile, storm clean-up and salvage from inside the demolished greenhouse continued. “It gave us great peace of mind knowing that some immediate support was available,” said Jackie DiNatale, DCCG Communications Director.

“Without the all-around support of the Community Foundation and

other donors, we wouldn’t be able to bounce back from crisis situations like this.”

Funding for the Emergency Grant program is made possible through ongoing donor generosity to COMMUNITY IMPACT FUNDS at the Community Foundation.

DeKalb County Community Gardens empowers DeKalb County residents to access healthy, sustainable foods through community education and participation.

4-C: Community Coordinated Child Care..................... $3,000 Association for Individual Development....................... $4,000 Barb City Manor............................................................ $1,000 Ben Gordon Center....................................................... $5,000 DeKalb County Community Gardens............................ $6,500 DeKalb County Health Department............................ $14,439 DeKalb County Youth Service Bureau........................... $6,000 Epilepsy Advocacy Network......................................... $2,200 Farmworker and Landscaper Advocacy Project............ $2,100 Fox Valley Family YMCA............................................... $4,000 Girls on the Run of Northwest Illinois........................... $2,600 Greater Elgin Family Care Center................................. $7,700 Milestone, Inc............................................................... $3,474 Northern Illinois Food Bank.......................................... $9,867 Open Door Rehabilitation Center................................. $3,100 Opportunity House, Inc................................................. $6,000 Pay-It-Forward House....................................................... $700 Pushing Together.......................................................... $1,500 RAMP............................................................................ $1,000 Sudden Cardiac-Death Awareness Research Foundation (SCAF)..................................... $3,000 Voluntary Action Center of DeKalb County................ $17,000 Westminster Presbyterian Church............................... $10,000

Total $114,180

TOTAL Grants $258,622

NEW FUNDS DESIGNATED Jack E. Norling and Norma E. (Rex) Norling Fund Honoring Jack and Norma’s unique contributions to education, this Fund provides financial support to the Indian Valley Vocational Center (IVVC) in Sandwich as well as to the Sandwich School District #430.

Tim & Bev O’Shaughnessy Fund Established in loving memory of Tim and the life he and Bev enjoyed together. This Fund supports organizations that serve and support people in need – which was a core value for Tim and Bev.

DONOR ADVISED DB Paying It Forward Fund Created by David and Beth Prestegaard to support their philanthropic interests throughout the community including agriculture, the wellness and education of youth, and environment sustainability.

Todd and Christine Curtis Family Fund Created by Todd and Christine as a way to express their gratitude and love for the communities throughout DeKalb County. They recognize the hardships that many families face while trying to provide for their children’s basic needs. Their hope is to assist several families over the years, in a humble way.

PASS THROUGH DeKalb County COVID-19 Response Fund Created to expedite charitable resources to nonprofit and public sector organizations who are responding to COVID-19 related needs throughout DeKalb County. Resources are granted where they are needed most, with an initial focus on the basic needs of those most significantly impacted by this crisis.

SCHOLARSHIP Ed & Kim Kapper Physical Therapy Fund Provides scholarship support for a DeKalb County high school graduate who is attending an accredited physical therapy program at an accredited college or university.

Ben C. Eade Scholarship Fund Created in memory of Ben Eade, this scholarship provides support for a graduating senior from Sandwich High School. Ben taught agriculture and biology for nearly 43 years at Sandwich High School and inspired many students to excel in various tradeschool-based careers.

2020 FOUNDATION FAST FACTS: GROWING PHILANTHROPY • Established in 1993

• 384 separate Funds

awarded since 1993

• 112 scholarships awarded ($156,950)

• $34 million in grants and distributions

• $3,145,120 in grants and distributions awarded

• $54.7 million in total assets (As of 9/30/2020)

OUR MISSION: To enhance the quality

of life in DeKalb County by proactively addressing community needs and expanding, managing, and distributing philanthropic resources.

DONATIONS -

FUND TYPES

Supporting our community

Gifts of ALL SIZES are welcome! From penny jars to multi-million dollar gifts, when you choose to donate 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 - Gifts that keep on giving

We connect people who care with causes that matter.

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

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 and eligible organizations in the community.

AGENCY FUNDS Created by nonprofit organizations to provide income to themselves.

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

2020

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

OUR VOLUNTEER BOARD OF DIRECTORS REPRESENT VARIOUS COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT DEKALB COUNTY. Micki Chulick, President (DeKalb); G. Joseph Mitchell, Vice President (DeKalb); Christine J. Johnson, Treasurer (Shabbona); Sally Bruch (Kirkland); Amie Carey (Hinckley); David B. Castle (DeKalb); Karen Grush (DeKalb); Lisa Gudmunson (Somonauk); Todd Hughes (Genoa); Brenda Jergens (Malta); Roger Maas (DeKalb); Rick Mamoser (Kingston); Regina Parker (Sycamore); Tho Pham (DeKalb); Beth K. Prestegaard (Waterman); 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!

OCTOBER 2019

Teri Spartz

Community Engagement Director

Ben Bingle

DeKalb County Nonprofit Partnership (DCNP) Director

WHAT GIVES Monthly E-Newsletter

Barb King

Administrative Manager

Dan Templin

Executive Director

Tiffany McQueen Lewis Grants Director

Marc Hooks

Grants & Community Initiatives Manager

Betsy Hull Finance Director

Noah Nordbrock Donor Services & Marketing Director, YEP Staff Advisor

‘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