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.