John T. Shaw
Community foundations crucial in Illinois
By John T. Shaw
Editor’s Note: This op-ed was distributed by Capitol News Illinois on behalf of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute. The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own.
Most Americans have a strong connection to our country, but our most tangible, visceral and enduring attachments are to the communities in which we live. These are the places we call home and shape us from our earliest days to our final years.
Community foundations strengthen the social and economic fabric of our communities, blending the best features of skilled intelligence agencies and shrewd investment banks. They identify and respond to social and economic needs in our communities and marshal resources to address them. They make communities safer, more vibrant and more productive.
Community foundations are public charities that are funded by scores of donors and governed by boards that reflect the communities they serve. According to Inside Philanthropy, a news service that studies philanthropy, there are more than 800 community foundations in the United States. They vary substantially in size and scope, with some overseeing assets in the low six figures while others, such as the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, hold billions.
Illinois has nearly three dozen community foundations sprinkled up and down the Prairie State. They can be found in Aurora, Bloomington, Centralia, Champaign, Charleston, Decatur, Dixon, Downers Grove, Edwardsville, Effingham, Galesburg, Joliet, Kankakee, Marion, Moline, Morton, Oak Park, Ottawa, Paris, Peoria, Rochelle, Springfield, Sycamore and other communities. Community foundations are funded by individuals, families, businesses and government grants. They accept contributions of cash, stocks, bonds and real property such as farmland.
“Community foundations are important vehicles for philanthropy,” says Joshua Gibb, president of the Galesburg Community Foundation. “Illinois is fortunate to have a community foundation that serves every county and citizen in the state.”
Amanda Standerfer, executive director of the Alliance of Illinois Community Foundations, says community foundations “serve an important role in helping donors live out their philanthropic interests in a community. Everyone has the capacity to be philanthropic – whether that’s $10 or $100,000. Every dollar makes a difference and community foundations are the trusted organization in every community in Illinois that ensures those donations support the causes donors care about.”
Standerfer says community foundations often manage endowments for educational scholarships, causes such as arts programs or social issues, and specific organizations such as the public library.
“The community foundations throughout Illinois are the best organization to connect donors and causes that will make a difference. Community foundations compound the impact by pooling donor resources and directing it to address community needs,” she says.
Byram Fager, president of the Southern Illinois Community Foundation, argues that community foundations advocate, educate and invest.
“Community foundations play an important role as a community champion and an independent voice that can speak to the needs of the community. As a community foundation leader, I often spend as much time speaking about community needs and all of the nonprofits that are working to provide services, as I do speaking about the services of the community foundation,” he says.
Last year, Illinois’ community foundations teamed up with Forefront, a statewide advocacy group for the social impact sector, to commission a “transfer of wealth” study. The study shows that the current household net worth in Illinois is valued at more than $3.5 trillion and that about $435 billion will transfer from one generation to the next by 2030.
Community foundations want to direct some of this wealth to transform their communities.
“The Transfer of Wealth Study shows that there are considerable resources in our state. There is significant wealth – and opportunities for philanthropy – in all parts of Illinois,” says Gibb of the Galesburg Community Foundation.
John T. Shaw is the director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Shaw’s monthly column explores how Illinois can work toward better politics and smarter government.
Local News
Here’s a sure sign of spring
Spread the loveBy Joan Hadac Your correspondent in Clearing and Garfield Ridge (708) 496-0265 • joan.hadac@gmail.com Hi everyone. How have you been surviving January? This is one month I always hope flies by. If the sun is out, the temperatures are, or feel like they are in the subzero range. If it’s cloudy, which is most…
Justice swears in new police officer
Spread the loveBy Carol McGowan The Justice Village Board approved the recommendation of the Justice Fire and Police Commission to hire Police Officer Kady Sassenger at its January 10 meeting. Her move from the Coal City Police Department to Justice is considered a lateral move, which means the officer transfers from one department to another…
Medeisis promoted to fire battalion chief in Bridgeview
Spread the loveBy Steve Metsch The Bridgeview Fire Department has a new battalion chief. Michael Medeisis, 55, was promoted from the rank of lieutenant at the Jan. 5 meeting of the Bridgeview Village Board. “Hey, hot diggity dog, we’ve got a great guy (promoted),” village Trustee Michael Pticek said. Trustee James Cecott said the promotion…
Retired village employee appointed to Lyons ZBA
Spread the loveBy Steve Metsch The Karasek family has a long history of working for the village of Lyons dating back decades. And that history is getting a new chapter. Steven Karasek, 60, who two years ago retired after 36 years in the public works department, has been appointed by Mayor Christopher Getty to serve…
Walker teacher Eva Manzke honored by farm bureau
Spread the loveBy Carol McGowan School District 104 teacher Eva Manzke was recently honored by the Cook County Farm Bureau for her work with teaching students about agriculture. Students at Walker Elementary in Bedford Park, and Manzke herself were surprised when Principal Amanda Venegonia said they were gathered to honor Manzke, as she had been…
Moraine Valley’s Tom Diaz earns All-Conference honors
Spread the loveBy Carol McGowan Tom Diaz is a freshman at Moraine Valley Community College, and is making big strides with their cross country team. Diaz is also a 2021 graduate of Argo Community High School, and is the first Argonaut to earn All Region honors while pursuing his cross country career. MVCC’s Men’s an&…
Summit native marks decade with the Harlem Globetrotters
Spread the loveBy Carol McGowan Saul White Jr., better known as Flip White to basketball fans, has been with the famed Harlem Globetrotters for just over 10 years, and has no intention of stopping the entertainment he provides for his fans. White, who grew up in Summit, attended Wharton School and Graves Junior High (now…
A heavenly sound
Spread the love In what is arguably the most ornate and beautiful house of worship on the Southwest Side—St. Joseph Church in Back of the Yards–the Polonijna Orkiestra Chicago played liturgical music selections last Sunday. Founded in 2011, the orchestra is designed to teach young musicians Polish music and culture. St. Joseph parishioner Konrad Pawelek…
Crime images spark outrage in Gage Park
Spread the loveRobbed at gunpoint in his own garage By Tim Hadac Home-security camera images of a 48-year-old Gage Park man being robbed at gunpoint in his own garage outraged a number of Southwest Siders this week. Images showed the man driving his car down the alley in the 5500 block of South Richmond at…
Here’s the skinny: Trimmed-down Lawrence helps Oak Lawn top Evergreen
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Oak Lawn senior basketball player Davion Lawrence is 45 pounds lighter than he was last season, but insists his eating habits are the same. He has, however, changed up his training habits. Heading into football last fall, Lawrence and a few fellow seniors wanted to get in the…
Neighbors
Billions of cicadas get ready to raise a racket
Spread the loveBy Kelly White If you haven’t heard the buzz yet, you will soon. With 2024 marking a big year for periodical cicadas in Illinois, billions of the red-eyed buggers will soon be making an appearance. Periodical cicada broods XIII and XIX will be emerging throughout much of the state at the same time.…
‘A man of honor, a beacon of kindness’
Spread the love. Chicago weeps for Officer Luis Huesca . By Tim Hadac People across the Southwest Side shed tears earlier this week, as throngs of police officers and other filled the St. Rita of Cascia Shrine Chapel at 77th and Western for a funeral Mass for CPD Officer Luis M. Huesca. Officer Huesca was…
Archer Manor Little League starts its 2024 season
Spread the love. Sunny skies and mild temperatures greeted the boys and girls, moms and dads, umpires and coaches, and everyone else participating in Archer Manor Little League’s Opening Day parade and ceremonies at Archer Park. Since 1952, AMLL has provided athletic opportunities for thousands of boys and girls in Archer Heights, West Elsdon, Central…
Dread over car drifters on streets
Spread the love. Reckless drivers take over SW Side intersections . By Tim Hadac At the April meeting of the Garfield Ridge Neighborhood Watch, a police officer admitted that the drag racing/drifting phenomenon seen and heard in the Midway area in recent years “probably will increase, but we hope not.” The admission was triggered by…
Don’t raise pilots’ retirement age, García says
Spread the love. From staff reports U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García (D-4th), senior member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, recently led a letter joined by 121 Members of Congress urging House Democratic leadership to reject any changes to the pilot retirement age in a final version of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization bill.…
CTA launches ‘chat’ feature on website
Spread the love. From staff reports Artificial Intelligence has made another step forward at the Chicago Transit Authority. CTA officials recently launched the “Chat with CTA” chatbot, a new virtual automated service featured on transitchicago.com. The communication tool allows riders to report issues, provide feedback and receive answers in real-time. Additionally, it provides the CTA with customer…
New effort to aid kids with disabilities
Spread the love. From staff reports A new grant program aimed at providing financial assistance to families of children with disabilities was launched recently by Mayor Brandon Johnson, in partnership with the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities and Ada S. McKinley Community Services. Children with disabilities is a population disproportionately affected by the pandemic,…
Dart warns of Sheriff’s Office imposters
Spread the love. From staff reports Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart recently alerted the public of an uptick in telephone and email phishing scams in which scammers identify themselves as a Sheriff’s Office employee in an attempt to defraud victims. Scammers are using the actual names and respective titles of Sheriff’s Office employees to…
It’s ‘Batter up!’ time in West Lawn
Spread the love. Peggy Zabicki Your correspondent in West Lawn 3633 W. 60th Place • (773) 504-9327 . It must be May because baseball season is here. I recently reported on the West Lawn Little League, whose 2024 season is now underway. Another West Lawn youth athletic association is Midway Baseball Softball Association. Their teams…