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November
19, 2002 Foundation Recognizes Three Communities for Efforts to Attract Charitable GivingNorfolk—Burwell, Red Cloud and Callaway were honored for their successful efforts to attract charitable giving for community and economic development, at the annual banquet of the Nebraska Community Foundation in Norfolk Thursday, November 14. All three towns have affiliated funds with the Nebraska Community Foundation. Outstanding Community Fund awards were presented to Burwell and Red Cloud by Ron Parks of Papillion, chairman of the board of the Nebraska Community Foundation. Callaway received the Outstanding Project Fund award for its new community center, built with $100,000 in tax funds and $450,000 in charitable donations from residents and former residents. Burwell
Has 600 Contributions The Burwell fund has raised over $245,000 and reinvested $189,000 in these projects and programs. Nearly 600 individual contributions have now been given to this fund, with 83 percent from local donors. Only one gift has been a non-cash gift (appreciated stock). And only one gift has been greater than $25,000. Burwell leaders have mastered grassroots, community-based fundraising. Donors are now in the habit of giving back to their hometown. This habit provides the opportunity for the Burwell fund to move beyond "checkbook" giving to begin concentrating on building permanent endowment funds to sustain Burwell, Yost said. Accepting the award for Burwell were leaders of the Burwell Community Fund Advisory Council, Dan Bird, Lorajane Bolli; Dr. Terry DeGroff, Dr. Bob Essig and B.J. Essig. Red Cloud
Matches Endowment Challenge Grant The Red Cloud Community Foundation Fund has raised over $100,000 to match the $100,000 Legacy Challenge grant issued to the Fund in May 2001. The subsequent $200,000 will be managed as an unrestricted permanent endowment providing future funding for community betterment for Red Cloud and the surrounding area. Frank and Shirley Sibert of Valentine issued the $100,000 Challenge grant to the Red Cloud Fund. Both are Red Cloud graduates and Frank is the immediate past chair of the Nebraska Community Foundation. “Shirley and I are so impressed that the leadership and community spirit in Red Cloud matched our Challenge grant after just one year,” Frank said. “We still consider Red Cloud ‘home’ and return whenever possible. We truly believe charity begins at home and this is a way we can support our home community.” Since beginning fundraising in May 2001, the Red Cloud Fund has received 98 individual gifts to provide the match, including a $60,000 bequest from the Lyndall Harris Estate. In addition to the $100,000 already raised, another $31,000 has been pledged over the next three years. “The reason we were interested in doing something for Red Cloud is that we’re indebted to Red Cloud,” says Frank. “You learn your values of life when you’re young, and that community got me headed down the right trail. It gave me jobs--kept me from starving to death.” Frank worked for several businesses in the community during his formative years. Sibert maintains that the more you give away the better you do and suggests that others would themselves benefit at the same time they give to their community. Aside from the financial advantages of making charitable donations, there is the feeling of satisfaction that comes from finding a way to repay one’s community, or communities. Frank and Shirley Sibert know from firsthand experience. “It’s very rewarding to do these things,” Frank says. “It’s wonderful.” Attending the banquet and accepting the award for Red Cloud were Chuck and Kay Blackstone. Callaway Enjoys
New Community Center The 11,250 square foot building is already being fully utilized. It contains a gymnasium, an exercise room and a community meeting room. Events being held in the facility range from school athletics to wedding receptions and from auctions to community meetings. The Village of Callaway kicked off the campaign in 2000 by pledging $100,000, if the community at large could raise the remaining $450,000. Over $258,000 has now been gifted, with the remaining $200,000 in pledges to be received in 2002 and 2003. Thus far, 275 donors have made a gift or pledge, with the largest individual donation being $30,000. Eleven other gifts or multi-year pledges are between $10,000 and $25,000. This capital campaign is a tremendous example of a grassroots community-based effort, said Yost. To date, 70 percent of monies raised and 60 percent of all donors live in Callaway. And remarkably, over $210,000 of this project is being financed by gifts of less than $50,000, with 135 donors making commitments ranging from $500 to $5,000. Tom Uden, who is a member of the Callaway campaign committee, said, “The community support for this project has been tremendous. Callaway has an attitude of self-sufficiency and pride. We now have a facility that many communities our size, even twice our size, don’t have, and we’re very proud of it.” Callaway has had an affiliated fund with the Nebraska Community Foundation since 1999. Uden commented, “Our partnership with the Nebraska Community Foundation has been great. We didn’t need a lawyer, we didn’t need a bookkeeper; NCF took care of all of the details for us. Being treasurer of a project like this would have been a huge headache for a community volunteer. I’ve recommended NCF to several other communities looking into similar projects. If there is an easier way to do it, I can’t imagine it. It’s been a great partnership, and we look forward to continuing it.” The community center is owned and operated by the Village of Callaway. Tom and Angie Uden attended the banquet to accept the award. Chuck Fluharty, Director of the Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) in Columbia, Missouri, was the keynote speaker for the annual banquet. RUPRI is a consortium of the University of Nebraska, the University of Missouri and Iowa State University, bringing together diverse and extensive expertise on issues affecting rural America. The Nebraska Community Foundation,
established in 1993, helps rural Nebraska put charitable giving to work
for community and economic development.
There are 150 affiliated funds, including 79 funds based in a
single town, several communities working together or county-wide funds.
It has assets of $14 million and over $27 million has been
distributed for projects and programs through the affiliated funds. --30-- Return to TOP |
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Nebraska Community Foundation PO Box 83107 Lincoln, NE 68501 Phone: (402) 323-7330 Fax: (402) 323-7349 E-mail: webmaster@nebcommfound.org |
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