Summer 2012 Newsletter

STEPPING INTO SUMMER NEWS! IN THIS ISSUE

CFNCW Friends,

Grantee Highlight: Methow Arts Alliance

Who knows if summer is here or not, but the CFNCW is feeling the office heat! We received a record 1,076 scholarship applications this year - and we still have a few more with late-June deadlines.

Record Breaking Applications for Grants and Scholarships Sympony in the Park July 3rd, Wenatchee NPI Updates

Silver Linings

Donor Profile: Earl and Barbara Tilly

Earl Tilly's family moved to Dryden, Washington in 1944. It's a small town along Highway 2, and when they arrived, Earl attended Dryden Elementary School.

"I was in the top 6 of my class!" he proudly states, which I dutifully write down until his wife, Barbara, looks at me and kindly reveals, "there were only 6 in his class!" and we all laugh. This is how my interview with the Tillys begins.

Continued on back page...

We awarded over $126,000 in Regional Impact Grants spring cycle to 41 nonprofit organizations and over $46,000 in Methow Valley Fund grants to agencies in the Methow Valley.

We are busy planning 25th Anniversary events, including a very special Symphony in the Park on July 3rd at Lincoln Park in Wenatchee. And we just finished our 4th Annual NPI Summit in Chelan, with a fundraising class on July 12 on deck.

We hope you enjoy this summer issue, and that it gives you an inside look at how our generous donors and hard-working nonprofits are shaping your communities!

Grantee Highlight: Methow Arts Alliance Keeps Arts Education Alive in Okanogan County In April 2012, over 65 students and parents in Okanogan County received free tickets to see Obbo Addy & Okropong, a West African music and dance performance brought to the Omak PAC by the Methow Arts Alliance and the Omak Performing Arts Center. As part of our 25th Anniversary celebration, the Community Foundation sponsored the event, which provided a pre-event reception as well as free tickets for students and families that needed them, including 25 students from Paschal Sherman Indian School were also provided with transpiration to the event. The gift provided an opportunity for these students to experience art and music that may otherwise not be exposed to.

Methow Arts Alliance Executive Director Amanda Jackson and CFNCW Executive Director Beth Stipe with students from the Paschal Sherman Indian School.

Methow Arts Alliance provides Art Education programs to ensure that the arts are an integral and dynamic aspect of education and a positive force in grades K-12, contributing to overall student success and community health. For the first time in over 10 years, Methow Arts received no funding from the state for the first half of the school year. Methow Arts received a $5,000 Regional Impact Grant last Spring that provided arts education for five Okanogan County school districts or 5,350 students and their teachers in the Pateros, Brewster, Okanogan, Omak and Paschal Sherman Indian School districts. This Spring, the Alliance received a $4,000 grant from the Methow Valley Fund for classroom residencies with professional teaching artists in the Methow Valley School District.

9 S Wenatchee, Wenatchee WA | 509-663-7716 | www.cfncw.org

Executive Directors

Record Breaking Number of Applications for Grants and Scholarships It's a year of breaking records at CFNCW. This year we received 46 applications for Regional Impact Grants (typically we see less than 40). Over $126,000 was awarded to 41 of those nonprofits. To see the list of recipients and their projects, click here.

August 8, 2012 11:30am-1:30pm CFNCW Conf Room Bring your lunch and join your fellow nonprofit executive directors to discuss common issues, ask questions, share gripes, and sing praises.

Community Calendar Do you find your events are scheduled on the same day as other local events? Are you competing the with the same audience for attendance? Ready to work together?

CFNCW is creating a Community Calendar to help local nonprofits better schedule their fundraising and community events and avoid conflicts.

We've collected dates from over 50 organizations and are in process of establishing a shared calendar system.

To submit your dates and/or to join the listserv to receive updates on the calendar, email jennifer@cfncw.org.

We've also received more scholarship applications than ever, with 1,076 logged and more arriving daily. Most of our scholarship awards have been determined and are being announced at school ceremonies across the region. There are still a few scholarship left with late-June deadlines.

The increased number of applications is a sign of increased demand. If you are interested in establishing a scholarship fund, or a fund which allows you to give grants to projects that are important to you, please email Beth Stipe beth@cfncw.org for a consultation. We provided tailored services that meet our donors' charitable intent.

A few of our 2012 scholarship recipients, clockwise from top left: Blanca Castillo, Cara Valdez, Jase Velazquez, Emma Palumbo, and Ryan Easter

You can see a full list of scholarship recipients when we publish a snapshot of our annual report in the Wenatchee World in September, and we'll also share them in our fall newsletter.

25th Anniversary Event Symphony in the Park Help us celebrate our 25th Anniversary at the Symphony in the Park on July 3rd at Lincoln Park in Wenatchee!

The Wenatchee Valley Symphony will perform at 8pm, with special guests Mariachi Estrella de Mexico performing at 7pm. Volaclist and previous scholarship recipient, Stacia McRae, will be performing the Star Spangled Banner and a Puccini aria with the symphony. The Wenatchee High School Drumline and The Follies have special treats for us as well. AND, the evening will conclude with FIREWORKS! So bring your blankets and your picnics and enjoy music and entertainment under the stars!

25th Anniversary

Celebrating Silver Linings

4th Annual NPI Summit Materials Available CFNCW's 4th Annual NPI Summit was held on June 6th at Campbell's Resort in Chelan, WA, featuring sessions on board engagement, fundraising, messaging, financials, and technology. Over 100 people from nonprofit organizations across NCW attended the event, and we heard a lot of great feedback.

We are collecting materials from presenters and those that can be shared are available at www.cfncw.org/nonprofit-practices-institute.

"I learned many valuable pointers... I appreciate the assistance the CFNCW provides to nonprofits like mine."

-Bryan Maroney, VP Chelan-Douglas County Volunteer Attorney Services

Fundraising Training - July 12, 2012 Fundraising Ethics and Strategies for Charities and Nonprofits brought to you by the Washington State Secretary of State's Office

Learn from an expert about fundraising ethics and strategies! Dr. Stuart Grover, Chair Emeritus of The Collins Group and member of the Secretary of State's Charity Advisory Council, shares over 30 years of experience as a fundraising consultant. Join this interactive workshop to learn why philanthropy trumps transactions. You'll also discover the importance of donor loyalty and learn how to differentiate between bad and good fundraisers.

This isn't a "how-to" for fundraising events, but delves deeper into the responsibilities and ethics of fundraising for charitable and nonprofit organizations.

Lunch will be provided. Registration is limited, so sign-up today!

Cost is $10 per person (to help defray the cost of lunch) Thursday, July 12, 2012 | 10:00am - 3:00pm Wenatchee Valley College Theatre 1300 Fifth Street, Wenatchee, WA 98801 Register online at www.cfncw.org!

This year the Community Foundation of NCW is celebrating 25 years of giving.

Throughout the year, we will be organizing and sponsoring special events throughout the region and bringing you stories of compassion and giving in our communities.

Do you have a story to share? Is there important information you'd like to see in this newsletter? We want to hear from you! Email me at jennifer@cfncw.org and let me know your thoughts and ideas. We want to be sure you're getting only the news you need and want!

Donor Profile: Earl and Barbara Tilly (continued from front) Earl and Barbara are a happy couple with beaming smiles and great senses of humor. They were the first couple to be married at the Grace Lutheran Church in Wenatchee in 1961. Earl and his parents owned and operated a local business selling farm and orchard equipment. They have three children and five grandchildren. Earl holds a degree from the University of Washington in Business Administration, served 7 terms as a state legislator, was the State Director of Farmers Home Administration (FmHA), and was Mayor of Wenatchee from 1994-1999.

He’s also an avid – and very good – tennis player. He’s nearly famous around the area for his championships, “it’s a lifelong sport!” he says with enthusiasm. Barbara has a degree from the University of Washington in Music Education, a Master’s in school counseling, and plays the piano.

Barbara also served on the board of the Community Foundation of NCW for 9 years, in addition to serving on the Chelan County PUD Commission from 1991-2002. She speaks with compassion and intelligence; it seems as if there is nothing she can’t do.

When asked what they love most about North Central Washington, Earl says “It’s like an old pair of slippers.” They have family and a great many friends here, they love the history, the outdoor recreation – biking, skiing, and hiking – the four seasons, and the beautiful mountains. They are proud of the fruit industry and its growth, and they appreciate having healthcare so accessible.

Barbara’s first experience with philanthropy began at a very young age. “When I was a child, for every dollar I earned I had to give 10 cents to the church, save 10 cents for college, and the 80 cents left I could spend.” Earl’s first experiences began through tithing at church, but he recalls a significant experience later in life when he gave to the Pacific Lutheran University to help build their library. Before his time at UW, he was a student at PLU and they consider him alumni. Being able to give to that project was important to him, and he continued a career in philanthropy by serving on the board of the United Way as well as being on the first board of the Wenatchee Valley College Foundation. Earl also started the Wenatchee Habitat for Humanity initiative, after meeting Habitat’s founder, Millard Fuller, who challenged him to open the affiliate. The Community Foundation of NCW gave one of its biggest grants of its time, $25,000, to jumpstart the program. Fuller attended the grand opening of the first Habitat home in Wenatchee.

The Tillys hold two funds at the Community Foundation – one is a designated fund to support the Boy Scouts, and the other is a Donor Advised Fund, which allows them to give to any nonprofit they desire. This fund has allowed them to give to their church, schools, and cultural programs– their Community Foundation Fund even purchased the clock in Centennial Park.

They chose the Community Foundation of NCW because they like that their contribution appreciates without paying taxes and they can give however they want. Barbara likes the hands-on evaluation of grants through site visits for each applicant, something she pushed for when she was a board member. They also appreciate that the money stays locally, the management fees are low, and they don’t have to do any thinking on investing.

As for the future of North Central Washington, they are excited about the Chelan-Douglas Land Trust Foothills project, “that is something of value for generations to come,” says Earl. He would like “the next big thing” to be a quality aquatic center. Barbara desires to help the poor in the valley, and is currently co-chairing a “backpack” project, where low-income schoolchildren receive a backpack full of food items for them to take home on weekends. “One of the reasons we exist is to give” Barbara says.

Whether it’s serving on community or government boards, helping to create new initiatives, or financially supporting projects, it is certainly evident that the Tillys really do exist to give. And the Community Foundation of NCW will ensure that their giving continues for good, forever.

9 S Wenatchee, Wenatchee WA | 509-663-7716 | www.cfncw.org