Adapting to Serve our Community During Difficult Times
W
e hope you’re in good spirits and health despite these challenging times. As we navigate through this crisis together, I’m heartened by the continued generosity of Eau Claire area people and businesses. I’m also inspired by how local nonprofits are fulfilling their missions in new and creative ways despite the many uncertainties they face. Since the Annual Meeting and Autumn Social have been canceled, this newsletter covers many of the topics we would normally address at these events. Eau Claire Community Foundation (ECCF) continues to collaborate with United Way of the Greater Chippewa Valley (UWGCV) to help support area nonprofits. Both organizations recognize the strength and value in the partnership that has been forged during this unique situation. ECCF’s efforts are a direct result of the gifts so many thoughtful donors have made to our Community Fund and to the Quick Response Community Fund, a pass-through for the urgent pandemic-related needs of area nonprofits. Grantee responses can be found on ECCF’s website, www.eccfwi.org. You will be moved by the stories and impact your gifts have made. As ECCF and UWGCV move into Phase 2, the Quick Response Community Fund has been renamed the Response & Recovery Community Fund. More information will soon be available on the ECCF website. I am pleased to report that ECCF continues to grow its number of funds and its endowment. 2019 was a record year for donations, resulting in over $6.3 million in additional assets. This generosity allows ECCF to increase its grant support for nonprofits. I extend a special welcome to our new Trustees, who begin their three-year terms and new leadership roles on July 1: Greg Bremer, Development Chair; Cindy Hangartner, Communications Committee; and Jackie Rasmussen, Grants Committee Co-Chair. Their knowledge and experience will be of great value to the Board. I also wish to thank ECCF’s outgoing Trustees Chris Hasenberg, Laurie Klinkhammer, and Sherry Mohr, for their input and hours of service to ECCF. I am also pleased to announce that John Satre accepted the position of Secretary. John will be joining the Executive Committee along with Linda Danielson, Vice Chair; Dale Wood, Treasurer; and me. Challenging times call upon each of us to deliver our very best, and you can count on ECCF to do our part. And we need you. I encourage each of you to make a difference today. Whether you give to an existing fund or start your own, a gift to ECCF is the ideal way to provide future support for our community. In the words of BJ Hollars, “Supporting our neighbors is about more than being neighborly, it’s about being human. Our power is in our numbers. If we all give a little, we can help a lot.” Thank you for joining me in ECCF’s work– For Good. For Eau Claire. Forever.
Karl Murch, Chair Eau Claire Community Foundation
NEW Tax Benefits for donors On March 27, the CARES Act was signed into law for the year 2020. The Act provides increased tax incentives for charitable giving for both individuals and corporations. Here are some key points: Allows individuals an “above-the-line” deduction up to $300 for charitable gifts.
Individual donors can deduct up to 100% of modified AGI for cash contributions (increased from 60%).
Corporations can deduct up to 25% of modified taxable income for cash contributions (increased from 10%).
Disclaimer: ECCF encourages donors to consult with their legal or tax advisors to determine charitable giving strategies that are best for them.
‘Fill the Seats’ | Gift Match
Story Builder | Gift Match
Carson Park Baseball Stadium Renovation
L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library Expansion
The Carson Park Baseball Stadium Renovation project is a partnership between the City of Eau Claire, the users of the stadium, and YOU. The City of Eau Claire will cover half of the $3.5 million renovation cost, but an additional $1.75 million is needed to complete the project.
The Library is raising money for significant renovations, allowing it to serve even more of our community. The Story Builder campaign will receive $11.5 million from the City of Eau Claire, but an additional $7 million is needed to complete the project.
An anonymous donor is presenting a matching challenge of up to $50,000 to our community for the Carson Park Baseball Renovation Fund. Double your impact! With a donation of $500 or more you will get to personalize a seat at the stadium with your name, name of a loved one, or name of a current or future slugger, for all to see where hundreds of games are played each year!
The RCU Foundation, the Pablo Foundation, and two anonymous donors are joining forces to challenge the community to match their gifts, offering a $1.5 Million matching challenge for Story Builder campaign donors. Step up and join the challenge from now until the end of the year.
$50,000 Gift Match Challenge
$1.5 Million Matching Challenge
Auditor’s Report | 2019 Audit CliftonLarsonAllen, (CLA) audited the consolidated financial statements of the Eau Claire Community Foundation and the Eau Claire Public Schools Foundation for the year ended December 31, 2019. The auditors expressed an unqualified opinion on the financial statements which means they believe the statements have no material errors.
A copy of the audit report is available upon request at the foundation office. CLA thanks the Foundation staff for their assistance with the audit and are proud of the work the ECCF does in the greater Eau Claire community. Dawn Yarrington, CPA and Director, Nonprofit CliftonLarsonAllen LLP ECCF’s 990 returns are prepared by Wipfli, LLP.
TOTAL CONTRIBUTIONS: Jan. 1 – May. 31, 2020
$1,186,054*
5 NEW
*Includes agency fund contributions
FUNDS
4 NEW LEGACY SOCIETY MEMBERS
SNAPSHOT:
Jan. 1 – Dec. 31, 2019 TOTAL CONTRIBUTIONS:
TOTAL ASSETS:
TOTAL AWARDED GRANTS:
$6,316,897*
$28,678,997
8
11
$2,508,843 552 GRANTS
NEW LEGACY SOCIETY MEMBERS
*Includes agency fund contributions
NEW FUNDS
Quick Response Community Fund Phase II | Response & Recovery Community Fund In March of this year, ECCF in collaboration with UWGCV, established the Quick Response Community Fund to help local nonprofits support residents of our community that have been affected by the COVID-19 epidemic. Phase I has already made a tremendous impact; please see our website (www.eccfwi.org) to learn how nonprofits are using their grants and to see a list of donors. As we move into Phase II, we will continue to partner with UWGCV to support response and recovery in the Chippewa Valley. The next phase will make its impact by supporting nonprofits that address food insecurity, medical needs, educational services, housing and utilities stability, and
$451,635 raised
in donations!
community programming. With a new phase comes a new name: Response & Recovery Community Fund. Applications will become available in late June, and grant awards will be announced in early August. UWGCV is contributing a $500,000 endowment gift, and ECCF will contribute over $160,000, bringing the impact of both phases to almost $1 million. Donors like you could even carry us over that $1 million mark! See our website if you’d like to make a gift. With your help, we’ll ensure that our community can overcome any obstacle!
274,491 GRANTED to
42
organizations
Grantee Spotlight | Catholic Charities Sojourner House Quick Response Community Fund How does a homeless shelter serve more than 50 people a night while a pandemic is raging? By getting creative. The Sojourner House, run by Catholic Charities, moved its services to the Hobbs Municipal Ice Center/O’Brien Rink to make sure it can serve homeless individuals while maintaining safe social distancing practices. It’s also collaborating with Lutheran Social Services Positive
Avenues, which is a daytime resource center serving adults experiencing mental health concerns and/ or homelessness, and The Community Table, which is providing meals for Sojourner House’s guests. Together, the three organizations are making sure that everyone in the community can have a safe place to spend the day, to eat, and to sleep—even during the middle of a pandemic.
Thank you
Donors and Volunteers! During this time of great uncertainty we’ve been comforted, encouraged, and humbled by the outpouring of generosity and support from our community.
2020 YEAR-TO-DATE GRANTS So far in 2020, ECCF has granted $1,229,779 to tax-exempt organizations through the grant application process, designated funds, and other donor advised giving. This figure includes $195,000 for the Pablo Center from the Confluence Building Fund.
2020 Competitive Grant Cycle Each year, ECCF awards grants from its unrestricted and field of interest funds to Eau Claire area nonprofits whose proposals meet the community’s most pressing needs • $50,000 from the competitive grant cycle was transferred to the Quick Response Community Fund to support pandemic-related emergency grants to local nonprofits. • We received 52 grant applications, 23 for asset purchases and 29 for program expenses, totaling $289,735 in requests. • We were able to fully or partially fund 29 of those applications, 14 for asset purchases and 15 for program expenses, for a total of $86,349 granted. • Of that granted amount, Donor Advised Funds contributed $16,642. The remaining $69,707 came from our Community Fund, unrestricted, designated, and field of interest funds.
FUNDED Competitive Grant Applications
$37,962 $50,000
$40,000
$19,305
$17,130 $11,952
$30,000
$20,000
$10,000
Create Culture1
Form Futures1
Give Green1
Offer Opportunities1
5 - Asset Purchase 2 - Program Expense
1 - Asset Purchase 5 - Program Expense
3 - Asset Purchase 1 - Program Expense
5 - Asset Purchase 7 - Program Expense
1 Number of applications funded
2020 Competitive Grant Awards Financed by Unrestricted, Field of Interest, Designated, and Donor Advised Funds
$86,349
TOTAL AMOUNT GRANTED
The Eau Claire Community Foundation sincerely thanks the generous donors who made these grants possible.
Create Culture - $19,305 ASSETS Chippewa Valley Museum
Boiler purchase
Eau Claire Children’s Theatre
Windows 10 Computer Upgrade
Chippewa Valley Theatre Guild
Stage Lighting for the Grand
Sculpture Tour Eau Claire
Assets for Ongoing Sustainability
ECA Hmong Mutual Assistance Association
Event seating for the Cultural Hall
PROGRAM Eau Claire Jazz, Inc.
Eau Claire Jazz Festival Clinician and Adjudicator Expenses
WI-UM Kiwanis District Foundation, Inc.
73rd Annual Clear Water Kiwanis Doll and Pet Parade
Form Futures - $17,130 ASSETS Children’s Dyslexia Center of Upper Wisconsin
Lesson Resource Materials
PROGRAM Prevent Blindness Wisconsin
Children’s Vision Screening Program – Eau Claire County
Girls on the Run of the Chippewa Valley
Girls on the Run- Coach CPR/1st Aid Training
Western Dairyland Economic Opportunity Council Inc.
Chippewa Fresh Start YouthBuild (CFSYB)
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwestern Wisconsin
Action Buddies
Pablo Center at the Confluence
Robotics at Pablo Center
Give Green - $11,952 ASSETS YMCA of the Chippewa Valley
Child Care Equipment
Friends of Beaver Creek Reserve
Butterfly House Repairs and Improvements
Eau Claire Ski Striders
Kickin Kids Tower Ridge Skills Park
PROGRAM Manz Elementary PTA
Manz Elementary PTA Playground Project
Offer Opportunities - $37,962 ASSETS The Community Table
Commercial Kitchen Equipment & Backpack Outreach Materials
Bolton Refuge House, Inc.
Kitchen appliances
Lutheran Social Services of WI & Upper MI
Positive Avenues Furniture Upgrade
L.E. Phillips Career Development Center
Accessible Restrooms
HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital Foundation
3D mammography equipment to be used within the Mobile Mammography Unit.
PROGRAM Feed My People Food Bank
Rural Outreach Program
Hope Gospel Mission
Women and Children Program
Chippewa Valley Health Clinic Inc.
Healthier You-Making Positive Lifestyle Changes
Friends Of United Cerebral Palsy Of West Central Wisconsin
Recreation Health Access
Wisconsin Badger Camp
Campership Program
Easter Seals Wisconsin
2020 Eau Claire County Camperships
L.E. Phillips Senior Center
Active Living Every Day
NON PROFITORG
U. S . P O S TA G E P A I D PERMITNo.1557 EAUCLAIREWI
306 S. Barstow St., Suite 104 Eau Claire, WI 54701
BOARD OF TRUSTEES (2020-2021) Karl Murch, Chair Linda Danielson, Vice Chair Dale Wood, Treasurer John Satre, Secretary Kim Bodeau Greg Bremer Amelia Daniels Cindy Hangartner Philip Happe M.D. Jeff Kowieski Tom Larson Tim Pabich Jackie Rasmussen Sarah Stokes R. Thomas Toy Laura Talley, Past Chair
Thank you to our outgoing Trustees
Chris Hasenberg Financial Advisor, Hasenberg Financial Group
Laurie Klinkhammer, Past Secretary Attorney at Law, Nodolf Flory, LLP
Sherry Mohr Business Owner, Eau Claire Ford Lincoln
Chris Hasenberg has been on the Board since 2014. Chris was on the Communications Committee for one year before transitioning to the Development Committee in 2013 and then to his current involvement on the Investment Committee. Chris and his wife, Julie, established the Christopher J. and Julie A. Hasenberg Family Fund and are members of the Legacy Society. Laurie Klinkhammer has been on the Board since 2013 and served as Secretary for the Executive Committee for the past seven years. She was an active member of the Women’s Giving Circle, served on the Audit and Nominations Committees, and recently joined the Grants Committee. Sherry Mohr has been on the Board of Trustees since 2017 and has served on the Grant and Development Committees including 1 year as Chair of Development. Sherry and her husband, Rick established the Mohr’s Eau Claire Ford Lincoln Endowment Fund.
Our Mission
We strengthen our community by offering donors opportunities to establish charitable legacies, by making grants, and by serving as a catalyst to address community needs.