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Brown County Community Fund

The Brown County Community Fund is dedicated to the improvement and long-term viability of our community.

The Brown County Community Fund encourages people from all walks of life to give back to their community by providing a full range of gift opportunities. A volunteer Fund Advisory Committee works actively to increase charitable giving and award grants to worthwhile organizations that are addressing the emerging needs and future opportunities in our area. 

The Brown County Community Fund enhances the quality of life and helps create new opportunities in Brown County by:

• Supporting and strengthening local nonprofit organizations
• Providing innovative ways for donors to benefit their community
• Identifying needs and making grants in our community
• Participating in partnerships with other community groups

As an affiliated fund of the Nebraska Community Foundation, all contributions to the Brown County Community Fund are tax-deductible. The Nebraska Community Foundation is confirmed in compliance with the National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations, and has met the nation’s highest philanthropic standards of operational quality, integrity and accountability. 

View the Brown County Community Fund’s brochure. 

Read about the Fund’s work in this insert from the Rural Electric Nebraskan magazine.

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The Brown County Community Fund Presents Scholarships and Community Grants. Read the full article by the Ainsworth Star Journal. *Photo courtesy of Ainsworth Star Journal.

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2011 Summary

Brown County Foundation Celebrates Successes
The Brown County Foundation Fund is celebrating 2011, the second successful year in their five-year Endowment Fund Campaign. Read more about the 2011 successes.

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These pictures show participants in the UNL Extension Summer Camps.  Brown County Community Fund grants were used to purchase equipment such as irons, blenders, and cutting mats which will be used for many years and for a variety of learning experiences for area young people.

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2011 Grants

• Ainsworth Fire Department - $800.00 for four new SCBA (air tank masks) to be used with the new air tanks.
• BizKidz Entrepreneur Camp - $450.00 for teaching materials, curriculum and T-shirts for BizKidz Camp.
• Long Pine Recreation & Arts Center - $500.00 for equipment and expenses incurred with the re-institution of the Long Pine Pee Wee Basketball Program.
• Sandhills Area Entertainment Corp. - $1,000.00 for partial funding of new front door at the Royal Theatre which will have panic hardware and will meet ADA requirements.
• UNL Extension Summer Camps - $280.00 for equipment to be used for many years at the summer camps.
• UNL Extension Shooting Sports – Archery Program - $400.00 for targets and arrows.

Since 1996, the Brown County Community Fund has awarded a total of $53,880 in grants for local projects.

2011 Scholarships

• Brown County Community Fund Upper-class Student Scholarship - $500.00 to Danielle Thornton, enrolled at the University of Nebraska-Kearney.
• Brown County Community Fund Non-traditional Student Scholarship - $500.00 to Heather Lyons, enrolled at Northeast Community College.
• Jan O’Hare Memorial Scholarship - $500.00 to Hannah Johnson, enrolled at Nebraska Wesleyan University.
• Ainsworth High School Class of 1960 Brown County Commitment Scholarship - $600.00 to Jean Hunt, enrolled at Northeast Community College.
• Ainsworth High School Class of 1960 Brown County Commitment Scholarship - $600.00 to Amanda bunch, enrolled at Northeast Community College.

Since 1996, the Brown County Community Fund has awarded a total of $13,950 in scholarships.

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Endowment Building Campaign

In 2010, the Advisory Board of the Brown County Community Fund decided to embark on a fund raising campaign to establish a permanent, unrestricted endowment from which 5% of the annual earnings are used to meet our county’s highest priority needs.  The annual investment earnings above 5% are added to the endowment principal to insure that the capital base of the endowment maintains its value against the forces of inflation.  As the endowment grows, so will the quality of life for Brown County families today and the opportunities for future generations.  That means all donations to the Endowment Fund will go on giving forever. 

The five-year goal of the Brown County Community Fund Endowment Campaign is to raise $500,000.  We’ve met our first year goal in 2010 and currently we’re only $30,000 away from meeting this year’s goal.  Contact a Fund Advisory Committee member for information about how you can help us meet this goal.  Read more about our endowment campaign.

Read how these individuals helped us toward our goal by donating six yearling steers to the endowment campaign. 

Please consider how you will be involved in making the Endowment Campaign a success.  You will be a part of preserving the quality of life for residents of Brown County today and future.  Review the pledge card on this web page and then make your commitment to ensuring the success of an area you consider “home”.

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View the most recent monthly meeting article.

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Opened: February 1995
Related Towns: Ainsworth, Johnstown, Long Pine
Related Counties: Brown

Contact Info

Name: Diana Syfie
E-mail: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Phone: (402) 387-2281

Related URLs

• http://www.co.brown.ne.us
• http://www.nebpower.com/ainsworth

Related Account(s)

• Ainsworth Alumni Scholarship

  To provide scholarships to local students.

• B.E.A.T.

  To benefit and sustain the B.E.A.T. Percussion Ensemble performance and operating expenses including travel, instruments and uniforms.

• City of Ainsworth Municipal Golf Course Account

  An account to raise funds to assist the City of Ainsworth in improving infrastructure and purchasing maintenance equipment for the City-owned golf course.  Infrastructure projects are improvements to the grounds of the golf course, such as the watering system and cart paths, and maintenance equipment storage sheds.  Infrastructure projects for this purpose do not include structures (i.e., clubhouse, cart sheds) other than sheds for grounds maintenance equipment.  No disbursements may be made from the Account unless they are for assets that are purchased and owned by the City of Ainsworth.

• Elizabeth Aten Scholarship Account

  An account to provide funding for scholarships to honor the memory of Elizabeth Aten.

• General

  An account used by the local Fund Advisory Committee to support and maintain the affiliated fund’s activities within the community.

• Long Pine Community Building

  To support community betterment projects in Long Pine, including restoration of a community building and a new fire hall.

• Long Pine General Account

  To support charitable community betterment projects, to benefit the community of Long Pine, Nebraska and the surrounding area.

• Morris Skinner Memorial Scholarship

  To provide college scholarships to Ainsworth High School graduates

• Roy Aten Scholarship

  To benefit and sustain the memory of Roy Aten who was a member of the Ainsworth School Board.  Scholarships are given to Ainsworth High School graduating seniors.

• Sandhills Discovery & Visitor Center

  To benefit and sustain the educational activities of the Sandhills Discovery & Visitor Center.

• Scholarship

  To provide scholarships to students as they graduate from Ainsworth High School and to adult non-traditional students living in Brown County who are returning to college.

• Tansy Pitcher Forbes Scholarship

  To provide scholarships.

• Unrestricted Endowment

  A permanent account whose assets are invested to generate an ongoing source of income year after year.  Investment earnings from the endowment are used to support community improvements and programs.  The Fund Advisory Committee determines how the money generated from the endowment will be used to benefit the community now and in the future.

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