Originally published on 10/11’s Pure Nebraska Program
The Nebraska Community Foundation’s annual celebration brought together community fund leaders from across the state for a day of training, learning and peer-to-peer interaction.
Mel
issa Turner and Denise Davis attended the event as part of the Nebraska City Community Foundation Fund. They said the celebration provides an opportunity to connect with people who are interested in keeping Nebraska hometowns strong. “This is really one of my favorite days of the year,” Davis said. “In fact, I wish this was more than just an ‘annual’ event, because the amount of inspiration you get from hearing about the great things happening in small town Nebraska is just amazing.”
During the annual celebration and training, breakout sessions gave attendees a chance to discuss topics ranging from unrestricted endowments to grant making. Youth engagement emerged as a major focus area. “Youth engagement has been a really big focus of our work lately,” NCF Director of Marketing and Communications Carrie Malek-Madani said. “We have a lot of sessions about how to invite young people to get involved in building the community they want to see, but also how to help them become a part of the process and co-create the future they want to see.”
“Several communities have made it an initiative to welcome newcomers,” Turner said. “They are doing that by connecting with current residents of a community, inviting them to functions, and talking to them about resources in the community. That’s something I’d like to implement in our town.”
This year’s celebration centered on the theme “You Belong Here.” Statewide board member Karina Perez said building a sense of belonging for everyone in a community is crucial. “I really think the power of invitation is something that’s been resonating throughout the sessions,” Perez said. “Really, it’s about the consistency it takes when it comes to inviting people from our communities to join the work that is happening across the state. It’s just a powerful thing when someone invites you to the table, and gives you the opportunity to do the work alongside others,” Perez said.
Legacy giving was highlighted as a major initiative, with attendees wearing gold lanyards to signify they have made estate planning commitments to their communities. “It’s very inspiring today to see the gold lanyards around,” Turner said. “These are people who have made the decision to leave a gift in their estate, so when they leave this earth, part of their estate goes to help their community.”
Local fund leaders said they look forward to implementing the tools gained at the celebration in their home communities. “I think the one thing people really walk away from is just the good, warm feelings of being in a room with a bunch of optimistic people who share big dreams and aspirations for greater Nebraska and their hometowns,” Malek-Madani said. “It’s just a lot of people who care about the future of this place.”
