Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln

Celebrating a Century of Philanthropy with $100K in Grants! Most organizations only have one birthday, but the Community Foundation celebrates two. This year our predecessor organization, the Sangamon County Foundation, is celebrating its 100th anniversary. With roots tracing back to 1924, the Sangamon County Foundation was established by three local banks - Ridgely-Farmers State Bank, Marine Bank, and First State Trust and Savings Bank - when they joined forces to create a philanthropic organization to provide financial resources to local charitable causes. To mark this milestone, the Community Foundation is awarding $100,000 in grants to the eight county fairs in our service area - Cass, Christian, Logan, Macoupin, Menard, Montgomery, Morgan, and Sangamon - as well as the Illinois State Fair. Our goal is to help support and make more accessible the festivals that our communities enjoy every year. Our President and CEO John Stremsterfer and Founding Board Member Larry Johnson stopped by AM Springfield earlier this week to talk more about this exciting announcement: https://lnkd.in/ge8acJxe

The Margaret Susan Trutter Memorial Fund is an unrestricted endowment fund established on behalf of the family of Margaret and Henry Trutter to honor Margaret's life and legacy of helping others, especially children. Unrestricted funds provide the flexibility that is often needed to address immediate community challenges and opportunities. Learn more about Margaret's story and the Fund here: https://lnkd.in/gGWjmMCu

Save the dates for these free Nonprofit Knowledge Network events that you won't want to miss!

Education is in their Genes: The Harry J. and Deborah M. Berman Fund is a new field of interest fund at the Community Foundation that supports early childhood to post-secondary educational and wellness programs. "We would not have set up a fund at the Community Foundation had we not been confident in the way the organization works, the ethics, the competence of the staff, and the leadership." Learn more about the Bermans' decision to establish a Fund and how they hope to impact the community with their giving. https://lnkd.in/gMHgAmTu

A master plan for Downtown Springfield and the Mid-Illinois Medical District has been completed! Springfield formally began work on its Master Plan in late 2021, after residents identified downtown revitalization as one of their priority issues through The Next 10 community visioning initiative that was spearheaded by the Community Foundation. The City of Springfield took the lead on development of the plan in collaboration with the Community Foundation, Springfield Sangamon Growth Alliance, Downtown Springfield, Inc., and the Mid-Illinois Medical District. The public is invited to attend any of the following events to learn more about the plan: Thursday, October 24 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM Open House Memorial Learning Center – 228 W. Miller St., Springfield Friday, October 25 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM (doors open at 7:30 AM) Citizen’s Club Hoogland Center for the Arts – 420 S. Sixth St., Springfield Tuesday, November 12 5:30 PM City Council Presentation Download the Master Plan here: https://lnkd.in/g6CKZRme

Save the Date! The Nonprofit Knowledge Network is offering a free training for local nonprofit organizations: AI and Nonprofit Needs - Challenges, Ethics & Effectiveness Assessment Tues., October 15 at Noon Dove Conference Center - 619 Mason Street, Springfield Bring your own lunch. Parking available in the ramp. RSVP here: https://lnkd.in/gBk4FB-u

In the wake of Hurricane Helene, which caused lethal flooding across the Southeast and left thousands homeless and without clean water and electricity, we want to offer some guidance to those who may be interested in helping. The following organizations are all 501c3 nonprofits that are quickly distributing funds and filling gaps in affected communities: FLORIDA The Community Foundation of North Florida is based in Tallahassee and responding to the disaster around the hard-hit Big Bend region. https://lnkd.in/ez2UGRZf GEORGIA Community Foundation for the Central Savannah River Area has created the Hurricane Helene Community Crisis Fund. https://www.cfcsra.org/ NORTH CAROLINA The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina in Asheville is supporting immediate response efforts in a region that was devastated by Helene flooding and mudslides. North Carolina Community Foundation is responding to immediate needs in addition to setting up for long-term response. https://cfwnc.org/ https://lnkd.in/dkQx6KcY SOUTH CAROLINA Central Carolina Community Foundation in Columbia is working with local nonprofits on relief and rebuilding through its One SC Fund. https://lnkd.in/eFVPA6px TENNESSEE The East Tennessee Foundation in Knoxville is supporting immediate and long-term response through its Neighbor to Neighbor Fund. https://lnkd.in/eRStpMzi VIRGINIA United Way of Southwest Virginia has activated a disaster relief fund. https://lnkd.in/ePCMbcjh

Grant Alert! The Future Fund is now accepting grant requests up to $10,000 for programs that support childhood development and education in Sangamon County. Deadline for submissions is November 4, 2024. Apply and learn more here: https://lnkd.in/gaM9XrrZ

Nominate our next First Citizen! The First Citizen Award recognizes local residents who give selflessly of their time and resources in service to others. Nominations close on October 15. More info below: https://lnkd.in/dgJ6uFj6

Thanks to Carolyn Farrar for joining John Stremsterfer on AM Springfield this week to share the outstanding results of this summer's African American History Summer Camp that was organized by the Springfield & Central Illinois African American History Museum. With grant support from the Future Fund and a matching grant from Untold Stories, the camp was able to nearly double its participants and serve less advantaged students across our community. https://lnkd.in/gNE5NFJn