‘Double Down for Pike County’ $25,000 matching donation challenge announced

The Pike County (Ill.) Endowment Fund with the Community Foundation Serving West-Central Illinois and Northeast Missouri has an opportunity to grow its fund by up to $50,000 through a dollar-for-dollar matching donation challenge.

Through the “Double Down for Pike County” effort, every gift made to the Pike County Endowment Fund by Dec. 31 will be doubled by an anonymous donor. The fund, established in 2008, is a way to secure local assets to permanently support charitable needs and opportunities in Pike County. It has made grants to more than a dozen local nonprofits with the help of contributions from more than 100 people, organizations and businesses.

The “Double Down” matching challenge provides a way to increase this impact. Because the fund is endowed, gifts are invested for growth. Grants are then made each year from a portion of the earnings, creating a steady, renewable source of charitable resources. 

“The beauty of endowment is there always will be dollars available when, where and how they are needed,” said Kaye Iftner, chair of the Pike County Endowment Fund Council. “If the challenges of the past year and a half have taught us anything, it’s that preparing for that which we cannot predict is critical.”

The challenge was announced as the volunteer Pike County Fund Council announced its ninth annual grant awards on Sept. 24 on the grounds of the Pike County Courthouse. 

“Every year, we’re thrilled to be able to invest into the nonprofit projects that enhance and improve our communities, and this year is no different,” said Iftner. “What the ‘Double Down for Pike County’ opportunity provides is a way to grow these resources and increase these grants not just for today, but for generations.”

Recipients of the 2021 Pike County Endowment Fund grant awards were:

• Abe Lincoln Project for the production of an original play to commemorate Abraham Lincoln’s personal friendships, law practice, and political visits in Pike County in celebration of Pike County’s bicentennial.
• Two Rivers Resource Conservation & Development for its Access Food Feed the Hungry program, which provides protein products to local food pantries through donated deer from hunters.

“If you give to local causes today, you should consider giving to the Pike County Endowment Fund so your gift will give back long into the future,” said Iftner. “It’s a way to ‘pay it forward’ and ensure our communities will be cared for forever. Because we know needs and opportunities will change, these dollars allow us to remain nimble and provide support where and how it’s needed at the time.”

“When you make a gift to the Pike County Endowment Fund, it’s more than a gift. It’s an investment, especially when your donation is doubled through an opportunity like this,” said Catherine Bocke Meckes, Community Foundation CEO. “Over time, the amount granted will far exceed the original gift amount, and your gift will continue to grow and generate grants forever. That’s the power of endowment.”

Gifts need to be made to the Community Foundation, noting they are for the Pike County Endowment Fund. The Community Foundation accepts cash, stocks, grain, livestock, IRA distributions and other assets.

For more information about the match, contact Iftner at (201) 314-3624 or kiftner@gmail.com, or the Community Foundation at (217) 222-1237 or kmcfarland@mycommunityfoundation.org.

The Pike County Endowment Fund is a permanent, charitable fund that supports needs and opportunities in Pike County, Ill. The Community Foundation builds permanent charitable funds to assist area nonprofits and communities. Its mission — “connecting people who care with causes that matter” — is achieved by gathering funds, growing them through investments, then granting to nonprofit organizations, causes or communities that mean the most to its donors.   

The Community Foundation has made more than $11 million in grants since 1997. It serves 12 counties — Adams, Brown, Hancock and Pike in Illinois and Clark, Lewis, Marion, Ralls, Pike, Knox, Shelby and Monroe in Missouri. The Community Foundation has 501(c)(3) status. Contributions made to the Community Foundation generally qualify for the maximum allowable deductions for income and estate tax purposes. 

For more information, call 217-222-1237, email info@mycommunityfoundation.org or go to.