Posted on September 15, 2012

Community Foundation Update (9/15/12)

Colorado

The Community Foundation Boulder County has announced that its Community Trust Initiative has raised more than $4 million since the foundation launched a campaign in 2008 to double its endowment in four years. The campaign also put the foundation on track to nearly double support from its unrestricted grantmaking fund — from $175,000 in February 2008 to $329,000 in February of 2012 — for Boulder County nonprofits.

The Gulf Coast Community Foundation in Venice has announced grants totaling $244,000, including a grant for a major study of the region's hunger-relief system and support for one of the area's most significant cultural initiatives. Up to $150,000 of the total was earmarked for a comprehensive hunger assessment in partnership with All Faiths Food Bank and Feeding America, with up to $75,000 coming from the foundation's Venice Endowment Fund and another $75,000 from its Health Endowment Fund. In addition, the foundation awarded $50,000 to the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art in support of the museum' Art of Our Time initiative, which is designed to help boost the museum's economic impact in the region by nearly 15 percent.

The Rochester Area Foundation has announced the creation of the Rachel Ehmke Memorial Foundation, in memory of Rachel Ehmke, who committed suicide earlier this year. Established by the Ehmke family, the fund seeks to address problems and concerns of youths in crisis and will focus primarily on peer issues surrounding bullying, teen suicide prevention, and chemical dependency.

The Tulsa Community Foundation will award $1 million in matching grants through its Planned Giving Challenge, believed to be the first such program in the country, the Tulsa World reports. Forty-four nonprofits in eastern Oklahoma will receive $20,000 for every $100,000 pledged by individual donors. A total of $300,000 has been pledged to date, and the organizations hope to raise more than $4.5 million in total. The organizations have until December 31, 2013, to meet that goal.

The Corpus Christi-based Coastal Bend Community Foundation has awarded some $500,000 in grants to ninety-one nonprofits, KiiiTV News reports. Recipients include a local food bank that was awarded $7,500 and Good Samaritan Rescue Mission, which received nearly $10,000.

The San Antonio Area Foundation, which is relocating to a new facility in November, has announced that naming opportunities are available for more than 50 percent of its office space in the Wells Center, which is named for donors Robert and Carolyn Wells. Donations raised through the campaign will cover the cost of additional design features and technology infrastructure.

The Seattle Foundation has named Jane Repensek as senior vice president, finance and operations.

The Wausau-based Community Foundation of North Central Wisconsin is conducting a 25 for 25 competition to mark its twenty-fifth anniversary, the Wausau Daily Herald reports. Modeled after a similarcompetition conducted last year by the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley in Appleton, the competition enables area residents to vote online for and donate a dollar to their favorite area nonprofits. The foundation also asked nonprofit agencies in the area to apply for $2,500 in grants for specific projects and selected twenty-five of them to be entered in the competition. In addition to its $2,500 grant, the agency that receives the most votes will be awarded a $25,000 endowment grant.