Community Foundation awards more than $284,000 to local nonprofits in West Central Illinois, Northeast Missouri

QUINCY — Local nonprofits received $284,311 in grant funding from the Community Foundation Serving West Central Illinois and Northeast Missouri Tuesday during a presentation at the Knowledge Center at Chaddock.

These grants, made possible by 65 permanently endowed charitable funds, will assist local nonprofit organizations dedicated to arts and culture, community betterment, education, health, and human services. The grants will support various programs, help with the purchase of essential equipment and supplies, and contribute to much-needed operational expenses.

“Over the last three years, we have experienced a 60 percent increase in the number of applications. This demonstrates the growing need in our community as well as the demand for services that our nonprofit organizations experience in their daily work,” Community Foundation Program Officer Kent Embree said in a press release. “Thanks to endowment, we’re able to fulfill more of this need each year. We are proud to offer a program that is accessible to so many charitable organizations and causes, and we are looking forward to seeing the great work they will do this year.”

Through the Community Grant program, the Community Foundation strengthens nonprofit programs that enhance the quality of life throughout the region. The Community Foundation annually accepts applications for funding from nonprofit organizations in its 12-county region. A grant committee of board members and volunteers from throughout the region evaluates each application to determine the awards. 

Funding for the Community Grants is made possible through earnings from endowment funds. Generous donors collaborate with the Community Foundation to establish permanent charitable funds that align with their philanthropic goals and the needs of the community. The Community Foundation invests and grows these funds, and each year a portion of the fund’s earnings are distributed as grants, while the principal remains intact.

“Nonprofits are vital for enhancing the quality of life in our communities,” Community Foundation Chief Executive Officer Catherine Bocke Meckes said. “We are grateful to the donors who have established endowments that will continue to grow and provide more funding each year. The impact is unlimited.”

The following funds support the community grant program:

Community Endowment Funds support grants for arts and culture, community betterment, education, health and human services in the Community Foundation’s 12-county service area:

• Anonymous Funds (2)
• B’nai Shalom Endowment
• Karl H. & Bobbi Bowles Family and Quincy Farm & Home Supply Company Fund
• Dr. & Mrs. Merle F. Crossland Family Fund
• Harry Channon Eaton Family Endowment Fund
• Angie (Fusselman) Mayes & Evelyn J. Fusselman Fund
• Harry J. & Bernice M. Wissman Heidbreder Fund
• Kirk Family Fund – Houston, Carolyn & Carson
• Carl and Gladys Koehser Family Fund
• Mrs. Arthur O. Lindsay Fund
• Robert A. & Anne M. Mays Fund
• Earl and Irene Oliver Family Fund
• Robert G. and Melva Campbell Riley Fund
• Charles A. & Nancy Scholz Charitable Fund
• Margaret J. Sinnock Fund
• Bette J. Starnes Endowment
• Hansen-Spear Funeral Home Endowment
• Jeffrey G. & Theresa L. Spear Fund
• Grant L. and K. Georgann Sturhahn Fund
• Dorothy L. Swallow Fund
• Community Endowment Fund
• James R. and Katherine H. Williams Fund
• Carl, Althea & Cathy Wiskirchen Endowment

Funds for Adams County support any charitable need or opportunity in Adams County:

• Adams County Endowment Fund
• Alan L. Stiegemeier and Mary Ellen Stiegemeier Charitable Fund
• HOMEBANK of Quincy Fund
• Paul H. and Anne B. Gardner Memorial Fund
• William and Sheila Menke Endowment

Field of Interest Funds support a specific cause or community as determined by the donor:

• Jerry & Linley Bartell Endowment
• Blessing Hospital Community Health Fund
• Ben and Helen Bumbry Educational Assistance Endowment
• Jayne & Leroy Boeckelman Fund for Young Musicians
• Katherine Broemmel Endowment for the Arts
• City of Refuge Fund
• Noma Meyers Eaton Fund
• Grace United Methodist Church of Quincy Fund
• HOMEBANK Fund
• Jane’s Kids’ Fund
• Jon’s Home Center Associates Fund
• G. Arthur (Art) Keller, Jr. Fund
• Irwin Family Fund
• Cory Didriksen Lovelace Fund
• Dr. Robert and Shirley Murphy Endowment for Music
• The Quincy Foundation Fund
• Quincy Recycle Fund
• James L. & Dorothy W. Rouner Fund
• The Wood Endowment

County Endowment Funds support nonprofit organizations in a specific county:

• Brown County Endowment Fund (IL)
• Hancock County Endowment Fund (IL)
• Lewis County Endowment Fund (MO)
• Marion County Endowment Fund (MO)
• Monroe County Endowment Fund (MO)
• Pike County Endowment Fund (IL)
• Shelby County Endowment Fund (MO)

Donor Advised Funds allow a fund advisor to recommend grant recipients. Donor advisors may recommend grants at any time throughout the year but are encouraged to consider grants in support of Community Grant requests:

• Sarah Christine Birsic Memorial Fund
• Green-Humphrey Family Fund for Music
• Diane Nielsen Gossard Memorial Fund
• Joe and Denette Kuhlman Family Fund
• T.C. & Mary S. Oakley Descendants Fund
• Ralph Oakley Family Fund
• Optimist Club of Quincy Friend of Youth Fund
• Palmyra Chamber of Commerce Prosperity Fund
• Betty Schmidt Endowment
• The Zechariah Fund

More than 230 funds at the Community Foundation support arts and culture, community betterment, education, health or human services, including eight new funds contributing grant dollars for this year’s program.   

This year’s grant recipients are:

County Fund Councils will present grants from County Endowment Funds. Participating counties are Brown, Hancock, and Pike in Illinois and Lewis, Marion, Monroe, and Shelby in Missouri. Fund councils from each county reviewed applications from local, eligible organizations and made recommendations on grants to be awarded to best serve each county’s needs and opportunities. Grants from the remaining County Endowment Funds will be presented at County Endowment awards presentations in each county.

The Community Foundation Serving West Central Illinois & Northeast Missouri builds permanent charitable funds to assist area nonprofits and communities. It has made grants since 1997 totaling more than $15 million in the 12-county service area of Adams, Brown, Hancock and Pike in Illinois and Clark, Lewis, Marion, Ralls, Pike, Knox, Shelby and Monroe in Missouri.  

The Community Foundation has IRS 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 mycommunityfoundation.org or www.facebook.com/mycommunityfoundation.