9 minute read
F FOUNDATION
from V5I3 Good Day!
By Joan C. Smith
Grange Foundation Board Chairwoman
Greetings Fellow Grange Members: It is a pleasure to serve as the Chair of your Grange Foundation and hope I have served you well.
Below I share with you the Foundation activities since our 154th Annual Convention in November 2020 through November 2021.
We would like to thank all Grangers and Granges who contributed during these past 18 months to any of the Grange Foundation funds. This certainly was a traumatic year for many Grange families who lost loved ones, suffered illness, and continue to have residual health issues as a result of the ongoing pandemic.
Your Grange Foundation board of directors continued to meet virtually every other month to manage the investment portfolio, look at alternative fundraising avenues, program planning, grant options, how to support our members and Granges and to determine our way-ahead for supporting the Grange programs.
Organization Structure
Our committee and members of the 1-N-1000 Club, developed recommendations on our Board structure, the election process, and sub-committees.
By-Laws were amended which allows the Delegates to the National Grange Convention to vote for candidates who have applied by October 15 or on those nominated from the floor during our Annual Grange Foundation meeting.
This 10-member Board may include individuals who are not Grange members but have shown an interest in the Grange and its programming.
Fundraising
Grange Foundation has the following 12 individual fund areas: • American Arts and Heritage/Culture
Fund • Headquarters Building Fund • GROW Club Fund • Kelley Farm Fund • Leadership and Community
Development Fund • Communications Fellows Fund • Youth Exchange Program Fund • Program for the Deaf Awareness Fund • Junior Leadership Development Fund • National Lecturer Fund • Youth Leadership Development Fund • Grange Foundation – General Fund
Your support is greatly appreciated and donations may be made online at www.grangefoundation.org or by check to Grange Foundation, sent to 1616 H St. NW, Washington, DC 20006.
We are now reworking our Foundation website to modernize it and provide the type of data needed by individuals in corporate giving offices such as board member bios, Foundation financial info, measures of impact, etc.
We then asked Amanda Brozana-Rios, a National Grange employee, to provide a few hours of her work month to fundraise for the Foundation.
We also tried something new: a Grange Foundation Virtual Telethon in June 2021.
The telethon, conceptualized and carried out by National Grange Junior Director Samantha Wilkins and National Grange Youth Director Mandy Bostwick, was held in support of the Junior and Youth Programs. A total of nearly $23,000 was raised in the one-day event.
There will be another telethon in July 9, 2022.
Members can contact Samantha at samantha@nationalgrange.org to become a host of a segment, provide a recorded testimony, be interviewed, or to offer a video of your talent or some other demonstration.
Sponsors get special recognition.
We are also seeking individuals willing to provide funds for a matching contribution.
GRANGE FOUNDATION MISSION STATEMENT
The Grange Foundation supports youth development, promotes agriculture education and research, improves communities, and fosters culture, heritage, citizenship, and charitable activities.
“Grange GivingTuesday”
Giving Tuesday is the Tuesday after Thanksgiving in the United States that encourages people to do good. It is touted as a “global generosity movement unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world.”
On November 29, 2022, or any Tuesday of any month there are hundreds of ways to participate in Grange GivingTuesday (GGT).
Whether you give your voice, goods, your time, or your money, being generous is a way to fight for the causes you care about and help people in need.
Investment Portfolio
In October of 2019 we completed our analysis of our portfolio and moved the funds to Park Avenue Securities with First Financial Group (FFG) as our investment manager.
Since inception in October 2019, in its first year we have realized a return of 9.07%. The income earned from January through October 2021 is $22,131.
The board is very pleased with the performance of our investments and look forward to continuing positive earnings.
Audit
An independent audit was conducted of the Grange Foundation financial documents, and all was found to be in
Jewelry donated for fundraiser
During Grange Revival 2021 in Sturgis, South Dakota, a generous donation of two pieces of Montana silver and gemstone jewelry was made by Marty Billquist, Past President Montana State Grange and former National Grange Executive Committee member. These were used as a fundraiser and grand prizes in a special coverall BINGO. Thank you to Marty for the donation.
Deaf Program
We had no applications in 2021 for our two Deaf $1,000 Grants. An application for a project must be submitted through your State Grange for consideration by the Foundation. See the criteria on www.grangefoundation.org.
1-N-1000 Club
Seven fellow Grangers have become members of this Club in 2021. We want to thank Club member Eugene Fletcher of Michigan who personally designed and created the 2021 Revival Cornhole Tournament 3D Trophies, 3D produced Fidgets, and 2021 National Grange Convention Emblem auctioned off at Convention.
We invite you all to become a member of the 1-N-1000 Club. This Club - whose membership is capped at 1,000 people or Granges - requires a one-time $1,000 donation to join.
The current special project is our historical documents preservation. Twenty-seven boxes of documents were gathered so far at the Headquarters of original handwritten writings of our founders, the original charter documents/signatures of Granges across the country, original ceremonial and ritualistic thoughts and guides, etc.
These items are now being scanned and digitized. These precious documents are more than 150 years old and were deteriorating. The 1-N-1000 Club felt this was our most pressing and urgent need. The next set of documents for preservation will be identified in early 2022.
Partnership in Agricultural Literacy (PAL) Award
This was the 13th year we have sponsored this award. This was formerly known as the Agriculture Advocate Award and is provided by the Grange Foundation as part of the National Agriculture-in-the-Classroom program.
This award was renamed in 2021 and criteria was adjusted to include individual volunteers, associations, Grangers/Granges who support the agricultural education of pre-K-12 graders.
See our award winners’ full story on www.grangefoundation. org. Remember, this award can be won by you or your Grange.
Go to www.agclassroom.org for more information and the application which has a due date of February 2022 Publications
Continue to follow what your Grange Foundation is doing through articles in Good Day!, Patron’s Chain, Facebook, YouTube, Website and our soon to be published Grange Foundation Newsletter.
Photo by Lindsay Schroeder
Eugene Fletcher has provided a variety of 3-D printed items for the Foundation to sell or auction to raise money. At this year’s session, he provided a 3-D printed version of the Convention logo and fidget blocks to benefit the Junior, Youth and general Foundation funds.
Bequests/Estate Planning
Put the Grange Foundation in your estate planning/will or as a beneficiary on a 401k or a CD or IRA as a charity which you support.
We are a charitable, tax deductible 501(c)3 organization. Giving to the Grange Foundation can help your own current personal IRS obligations and your inheritance tax burden and you are supporting the organization you love.
Don’t forget about the Grange in your will. How about making the Foundation a beneficiary in your life insurance policy or as a percentage of your estate?
Think of your National Grange Foundation when estate planning — you love it, preserve it.
Please remember your National Grange Foundation projects and especially our Juniors and Youth programs. Do not forget about a long-term planned giving to support your Grange Foundation through your estate planning.
If you have any further questions, please reach out to me by email at ngfb@grange.org or (5710) 662-7220. You may also send your donations to Grange Foundation, 1616 H Street, NW, Suite 1100, Washington, DC 20006.
By Amanda Brozana Rios
Foundation Associate
The National Grange Foundation board recently held its reorganizational meeting after the appointment of several new members.
Daniel Greer, of Colorado, has been selected for an at large seat to the board.
Greer’s family has been honored as a Grange Legacy Family and his son, Billy, was National Junior Ambassador in 2019.
“I’m excited to serve on the board of the Foundation that has provided many opportunities to my family over the years,” Greer said.
Members of the National Grange Executive Board who have been crossappointed include Lynette Schaeffer, of Illinois, who will serve as Vice Chair, Christine Hamp, of Washington, who was newly elected Vice President of the National Grange, and Susan Noah, of Oregon, who will serve as Treasurer of the Foundation.
Clay Snyder, of Pennsylvania who has been an at-large member of the board since 2016, was elected Secretary.
Betsy Huber, by virtue of her office with the National Grange, serves as President of the Foundation board.
Joan C. Smith was retained as Foundation Board Chairwoman. She has been a Grange member for more than 50 years and is the President of Potomac Grange #1 in Washington, D.C. and member of Farmington Grange in New Jersey.
Michael Martin, of Pennsylvania, and Melanie Bostwick, of Kansas, have been retained as members at large.
Ensure the Grange future in 4 easy steps
Contribute to the many Worthy Projects of the Grange and Grange Foundation
You can make a difference by donating to the National Grange or make a tax-deductible donation to the Grange Foundation, which will help in many ways to strengthen our organization and ensure it truly lives on forever.
STEP 1. SELECT FUNDS OR PROGRAM(S) YOU WOULD LIKE TO SUPPORT.
Please indicate the amount you wish to donate to each fund or project. Choose as many as you wish to support and indicate the percentage or amount of your total donation you wish to go to each fund or project selected. If you do not indicate amounts, an equal distribution of your donation will be made to each. Unspecified donations will be credited to the Grange Foundation General Fund.
NATIONAL GRANGE
A nonprofit, agricultural fraternity designated as a 501(c)(5) by the IRS.
$______ Internship Program $______ Legal Protection Fund
STEP 2. CALCULATE YOUR TOTAL DONATION.
100% of all proceeds go to the programs you wish to support.
GRANGE FOUNDATION
A nonprofit organization, focused on the betterment of rural America and agriculture based on education and leadership development, designated as a 501(c) (3) by the IRS. Donations to the Grange Foundation may be tax deductible. Consult your financial advisor.
$______ General Fund $______ Junior Grange Fund $______ Grange Youth Fund $______ Community & Leadership Development Fund $______ American Arts & Culture Fund $______ Deaf Awareness Fund $______ Kelley Farm Fund $______ Communication Fellows Program $______ National Lecturer’s Fund
STEP 3. PROVIDE YOUR PAYMENT DETAILS. Check one.
_____ I have enclosed checks made payable to National Grange and/or Grange Foundation.
_____ I wish for my donation to be made via credit card. (Visa, MasterCard and Discover accepted)
Name on card ___________________________________
Card Number ____________________________________
Expiration Date ________/_________ CVC __________
Signature _______________________________________
You may also go online to www.grangefoundation.org or call Amanda Brozana Rios (301) 943-1090 to make your contribution today.
