Your Gifts Your Dreams Your Legacy
Since 1991, thousands of people have chosen to give to causes they care about through the Marshall County Community Foundation. Anyone can be a philanthropist. Whether contributing to an existing fund or starting a new one, charitable endowments at MCCF improve the quality of life for the citizens of Marshall County and succeeding generations. MCCF receives gifts from people who care about Marshall County communities, invests these gifts forever, and uses the investment earnings to make grants each year to charitable causes. On these pages are stories of MCCF donors who are among those that have made contributions aligned with their values, life experiences, interests and desire to help Marshall County communities thrive. There are stories of vision. There are stories of compassion and commitment for others. There are stories of dedication to the arts, education and the environment. There are stories of parents inspiring children and neighbors caring for each other. Whether you have a crystal clear concept of what you hope to accomplish with your philanthropy – or an idea that’s just taking shape – the Marshall County Community Foundation can help you achieve your philanthropic goals. Your options range from creating a named fund for the common good to address emerging and evolving community needs, to establishing a donor advised fund from which you will recommend grants yourself, to designating one organization to benefit from your gift in perpetuity. Whatever your wishes, your hopes, your dreams for the future of your community, a charitable fund at the Marshall County Community Foundation can make them a reality. MCCF can help make your generosity more personal and more powerful.
“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant.” Robert Louis Stevenson
Helping Great Ideas Take Flight MCCF’s General Endowment Fund
Since 1991, donors to the Marshall County Community Foundation have built the community’s assets to $30 million and over $10 million has been returned to the community to support hundreds of charitable organizations and causes. With over 300 funds at the Foundation, donors can choose to support an existing fund or start a new one. For those that want to support special initiatives or ever-changing needs in Marshall County, giving to the General Endowment Fund at the Foundation is an option. The MCCF Endowment Fund is one of the most flexible and responsive of the Foundation’s funds in addressing new and emerging community needs. More than $2 million has been distributed through this fund alone. Twice a year grants are awarded from General Endowment Fund earnings to fund programs of non-profit organizations. These grants support specific projects in areas such as the arts, education, health and human services, recreation and the environment. In the early years of the Foundation, the Argos Park Board was awarded a grant to build an observation deck to protect the Wetland Areas. The Jacoby Church was restored with funds awarded to the Wythougan Valley
Preservation Council, Inc. A grant to Historic Bremen helped make it possible to move Bremen’s Train Depot to a new location. When additional money was needed for the completion of the Community Hospital of Bremen, Marshall County Community Foundation awarded a sizable matching grant providing incentive for others to give. The Community Resource Center was given a substantial grant to help fund their building project that would serve as a facility to bring social service agencies under one roof for more effective and accessible delivery of services. Plymouth School Corporation was awarded funds to help support the Weidner School of Inquiry, using project-based learning initiatives to drive student achievement; Plymouth School Corporation became one of few schools nationally to have a K-12 affiliation with New Tech Network. Performances of Mozart’s Requiem and Handel’s Messiah were funded with support from an MCCF grant. Ancilla College received funding to help launch the ADEPT (Assistive Developmentally-Enhanced Program and Technology) Initiative, a math and writing lab established through collaborations with workforce education partners. A grant to Bourbon Community Awareness, Inc. made it possible for Triton Destination ImagiNation to commission a patriotic mural in the downtown area. Triton School Corporation received funding for Project Lead the Way and increased access to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) curriculum. Marshall County communities become stronger and more vibrant with each grant that is awarded to support innovative and creative projects.
LIFT Fund Offers Friendship and Support
Affinity funds champion causes through pooled giving Women in Culver, Indiana, had a vision to support the advancement of other women in their community. Affinity funds give donors an opportunity to pool resources and decide as a group where their money goes. In 2010, the Culver women started an affinity fund they called LIFT, an acronym for Lending Inspirational Friendship Together. They soon discovered the power and passion that comes when women work together. LIFT members have a variety of professional talents and community service interests. Each member contributes annually to the fund. They then combine their knowledge and resources to help other women discover their personal strengths, purposes and goals. Subsequently LIFT help them identify, implement, and support action plans. Both the LIFT Fund and the number of members affiliated with the group continue to grow. By combining charitable dollars with their skills, talents and friendship, LIFT members empower more women to improve their quality of life through personal growth.
Turning Dreams to Reality
MCCF Serves as Opportunity Connector for Potawatomi Wildlife Park Potawatomi Wildlife Park board members had plans for the future – additional parking, a pavilion, a picnic area, and improved roadside appeal. Those dreams required more land. Will Erwin thought of a solution and what happened next was a series of events that created a unique win-win situation benefitting all Marshall County residents for generations to come. The Jennings family owned land adjacent to the park; their son Bruce was then serving as MCCF’s Vice President. When Will asked if they would be interested in exchanging parcels, they agreed. Will and his wife June then gifted the land to the Park using the Foundation as the vehicle. The result: everyone wins. Both families helped Potawatomi Park, a favorite cause, grow while avoiding tax burdens associated with agricultural land transactions. MCCF won because the transaction qualified for the Lilly Endowment Phase IV matching grant program. The people of Marshall County won because the match went into MCCF’s general endowment fund which annually awards approximately $160,000 in grants. The biggest winner was Potawatomi Wildlife Park. They now had the land needed to turn dreams into reality. An endowment fund at MCCF continues to provide annual distributions for general operations at Potawatomi Wildlife Park.
Culver Community Rallies to Preserve Local History
Antiquarian & Historical Society Endowment Fund While a February 15, 1858, newspaper notice told of plans for a meeting to organize an “Antiquarian and Historical Society” in Union Town (Culver), no more is known of that 19th century endeavor. However, in the 1990’s, a group of people began meeting informally to exchange local history information and share artifacts. Membership and activities increased including regular meetings in historic buildings, ice cream socials and a quarterly newsletter. Since then the group created a museum, replaced the lighthouse in the Culver Town Park, gained the designation of three historic districts on the National Register and reprinted several historical documents that shed light on the unique communities that grew up around Lake Maxinkuckee. Heritage Park began as a dream to beautify an abandoned service station in downtown Culver. The Antiquarian Society and concerned citizens of Culver were able to raise enough money to have the Park professionally designed and proceeded to have it built for the whole town to enjoy. Heritage Park is now a cherished landmark in Culver, a peaceful place for strolling or quiet meditation. The Park features memorial bricks chiseled with the names of people who love the town. The Antiquarian and Historical Society Endowment Fund began in June 2000 following the completion of Heritage Park. Annual distributions help preserve and promote the history of Culver, Lake Maxinkuckee and the surrounding area and support maintenance of the park.
BEAM lights the way for a brighter future Youth Philanthropy
Bettering Every Aspect of Marshall County (BEAM) is a youth organization working to prove that Marshall County’s young people are willing and able to make a difference in the community. Annually eighteen youth from each high school with students living in Marshall County come together under a common commitment to change the future. BEAM was established in 2008 under the guidance of Bruce Jennings, Bremen High School Principal, and with assistance from the Marshall County Community Foundation. As the first county-wide youth philanthropy group, BEAM helps prepare young people to be active, lifelong community citizens by giving opportunity to serve, give, lead and engage in local issues and strategic grantmaking activities. In addition to fundraising activities, BEAM members are active in community service projects such as helping with Potawatomi Wildlife Refuge Clean-Up and building a new playground in Culver, removing an invasive plant species from Centennial Park in Plymouth, serving to clean up the Yellow River, planting and maintaining a vegetable garden for senior citizens in Bremen, volunteering at the Boys and Girls Club, participating in a Bowl-A-Thon for Special Olympic Athletes at Marshall-Starke Development Center, visiting residents at Miller’s Merry Manor, and raking leaves in the fall for the disabled. Through grant distributions to K-12 students, BEAMers encourage Marshall County youth to “pay it forward” and improve the quality of life in their communities. Their first grant award to a Bremen Elementary/Middle School fourth grade class funded a birdhouse and birdfeeder project for construction and placement on the school campus.
PHS Speech and Debate Team is a Clear Winner
Endowment Keeps Team Focused on What Matters For over three decades now, Plymouth High School Speech & Debate teams have been bringing home trophies. They travel to tournaments all over the Midwest, take top awards in the State Finals competition every year and regularly send competitors to national competitions too. Speech & Debate competitors carry their skills with them into successful college experiences and career excellence. When the program first began, the school budget and team fundraisers covered transportation and other costs. Plymouth Community School Corporation Superintendent Dan Tyree, a former coach and team founder, recalls a time when “our kids spent more time raising money than practicing their speeches!� That changed when local businessman John J. Oliver gave a generous contribution to the Speech and Debate team through an endowment fund at MCCF and asked other donors to match his gift. The endowment fund provides needed funding for the teams to continue participation in competitions. Now, instead of fundraisers, the team can spend more time focused!
Charitable Lead Trusts and Charitable Remainder Trusts Provide Flexibility and Tax Savings for Leman Family Funds
When Wilma Leman’s husband Nelson passed away, she was left with a substantial estate. With the help of an estate planning attorney and the Marshall County Community Foundation, Wilma used charitable lead trusts and charitable remainder trusts to support the charities that mattered most to her and her family members. Charitable remainder trusts provide the most flexibility and potentially the greatest tax savings of all the Community Foundation’s planned giving options. The donor receives income for life and/or can designate income to another person for a specified term and any remaining assets go to a named charity. A charitable lead trust pays income to a charity for a specified period of time, after which trust assets revert to the owner or his or her family. Charitable lead trusts offer donors a dependable vehicle to support their favorite charities through MCCF, a way to preserve their wealth for the next generation and significant tax advantages especially when interest rates are relatively low. For Wilma, these options allowed her to give to various charities the money that would have been paid to the government in the form of estate and capital gains tax. In Wilma’s case, her heirs have determined that they received nearly the same amount of money from her estate as they would have had she not established funds at the Foundation. During the last years of her life, Wilma advised the Foundation annually which charitable causes she wanted to benefit from the fund. After her death, her heirs have chosen the recipients of the distributions. Marshall County Community Foundation was able to help make it possible for Wilma’s community and family to receive the benefit of her generous spirit long after her death.
James R. Cook Stays Connected to PHS Class of ‘61 Planned Gift Fulfills Dream of Giving Back
Jim Cook’s dream has finally come true. Jim was a dedicated member of his Plymouth High School Class of 1961. Through planned giving his dedication to his community will continue for years to come. After graduating from Plymouth High School, James R. Cook attended Indiana Business College in Ft. Wayne. He served in the U.S. Army in the Vietnam era, with the Army intelligence unit in the Pentagon, and with the National Guard as a Master Sergeant. Mr. Cook was a lifetime member of the Plymouth American Legion Post 27. Though Jim’s post-high-school career took him many places, he always returned to Plymouth. Jim dreamed of giving back to the community and decided to become a member of the John Marshall Legacy Society. Through his will, he indicated his desire to establish a permanent fund at Marshall County Community Foundation from the sale of his home and its contents. Jim wanted this financial assistance to support a student attending a trade, vocational, or non-traditional school. Jim passed away in 2011 and due to his generosity, the James R. Cook PHS Class of 1961 Scholarship Fund will benefit a Plymouth High School graduate every year.
Compton Engineering Scholarship Fund Young philanthropist gives back
Neal Compton was a senior in high school when his family returned to Plymouth, Indiana, where his father grew up. With the help of his guidance counselor, he applied to Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology where he graduated with a degree in chemical engineering. The Compton Engineering Scholarship Fund was established only a few years after Neal graduated from college. His dream is to encourage young people to pursue careers in engineering fields and give back to the community. An adventurer at heart, Neal’s travels take him many places and his story has many chapters ahead. By starting when he is young, Neal hopes to build the fund over his lifetime.
Honoring and Inspiring Courage, Character and Commitment 3 C’s Scholarship Keeps Memories Alive
A tragic accident on October 24, 2003, touched the hearts of many in Bremen and surrounding communities. Bremen High School football volunteer statisticians were on their way home from a football sectional game. Tragically, a car driven by a drunk driver collided head-on with their vehicle and killed three of the five men in the car. Casey Miller, Chad Beeson, and Carey Jones were friends who had made volunteering and supporting the Bremen community a top priority. All were graduates of Bremen High School. Casey was a top athlete in his day and owned a local business. Chad had served as a Bremen Police officer. Carey, another top athlete, had been coaching successful basketball and tennis athletes. After the tragedy, the community responded with generous donations to their surviving families. The 3 C’s Memorial Scholarship Fund was established and named for the three men: Casey, Chad, and Carey. Eventually the 3 C’s also became a reference to their courage, character, and commitment. This perpetual fund at MCCF annually supports scholarships for three student athletes that exhibit those same qualities. In this way, Casey, Chad, and Carey continue to give to the Bremen community just as they did while they were alive.
Samuel Elliott Perkins IV Memorial Scholarship Fund
The Perkins Family Charitable Bequest As a cartographer for the U.S. State Department, Samuel E. Perkins IV and his wife, Mary, lived much of their lives in Europe before retiring to Lake Maxinkuckee. Along the way, they amassed an estate worth $4.2 million. With no children, their decision to create a charitable bequest not only benefited the couple financially during their lives, but also the Marshall County Community Foundation upon their deaths, and, in the process, their estate paid no federal estate tax and very little Indiana inheritance tax. Successive generations of the Perkins family have lived on Lake Maxinkuckee since 1917. Samuel Perkins was a graduate of Culver Summer Camps (Woodcraft Camp in 1923 and the Naval School in 1927). He had worked for the U.S. Department of Commerce, served with the U.S. Navy during World War II and then served with the U.S. Foreign Service in Paris and Brussels. He and his wife traveled extensively and much of their personal property was acquired in Europe. The couple’s estate included the lake property and the money generated by a two-day personal property auction that attracted hundreds of buyers. The personal property included Culver memorabilia, World War II and Nazi memorabilia, antiquarian maps, political buttons, furniture, oriental rugs, glass, pottery, small primitives and assorted collectibles. The charitable bequest was a simple way to handle a classic estate. The Perkinses were able to retain and use their assets until they died, then the estate was divided tax free among four designated, recognizable charities. MCCF was one of those, receiving $1.2 million toward scholarships for county residents to attend Purdue University, Mr. Perkins’ alma mater. If the couple had left the entire estate to nieces and nephews rather than charities, for example, about one half of the total estate ($2 million) would have been used to satisfy state and federal death taxes. By 2013, the generosity and foresight of Sam and Mary Perkins had already improved the lives of fifty-five Marshall County students by awarding over $196,000 in scholarships.
Elizabeth Marshall Continues to Make History
Through a planned gift, her legacy lives on Elizabeth Marshall’s generous spirit and her love of history spanned her entire lifetime. A long-time Bourbon resident and daughter of ministers, Elizabeth Snider Marshall, or “Libby” as most knew her, played the church organ for many years. After becoming a nurse and working first in Indianapolis and then South Bend, she eventually returned to the area and served in Plymouth’s Parkview Hospital in the critical unit for many years. She and her late husband lived in the historic 1883 Shakes House in Bourbon. Active community members, they avidly studied the history of Bourbon and the surrounding area. Upon her death in 2011, Libby gave 160 acres of her land in Bourbon to the Marshall County Historical Society (MCHS) and, in turn, proceeds of the $1 million sale, were added to the MCHS Endowment Fund and a new nonpermanent fund at the Community Foundation. In addition, Libby donated her home with six acres of land directly to the MCCF, naming the First United Methodist Church of Bourbon as the beneficiary of annual distributions. Through planned giving, Elizabeth Marshall is still serving the communities of Marshall County. Her generosity lives on and, in recognition, she is a perpetual member of the John Marshall Legacy Society at the Marshall County Community Foundation.
Building a Brighter Future
Marshall County Neighborhood Center Nonpermanent Fund The Marshall County Neighborhood Center (MCNC) is on the frontline locally in the war against generational and situational poverty. Recognizing the importance of providing both a stepping stone and a path toward selfsufficiency, the Center provides basic needs services including food and clothing pantries. Additional services include household and utility assistance and free tax preparation. During the holidays MCNC distributes hundreds of Thanksgiving Baskets and Christmas Gifts throughout Marshall County. Dan and Nancy Schmelter recognized the importance of the services provided by the Neighborhood Center and wanted to help with long term goals. In 2013, they assisted MCNC in starting a nonpermanent fund at the Foundation. This type of fund is designed to help build for future projects and can serve as a stepping stone for nonprofit organizations to move toward an endowment fund providing annual support for generations to come.
Investing in the Community’s “Natural Resources” Two brothers, Two Investments in Marshall County Children
It began in 1996 when Floyd Mattix gave over $500,000 to establish the Mattix Scholarship Fund. The rest of the story is told here. Longtime Plymouth resident Herman Mattix, Floyd’s brother, held to what some might term old-school thinking, like the importance of a solid work ethic, saving money and making a lasting difference in the community. But it was that old-school thinking that resulted in the $1 million Herman and Florence Mattix Scholarship Fund, which will benefit deserving Plymouth High School graduates for generations to come. Herm’s work ethic prompted him to go to work while a junior in high school as a stock boy at the Plymouth Montgomery Ward store. There he met his future wife, Florence, who worked in the credit department. Rising through the ranks, Mattix spent a total of 42 years with Montgomery Ward – at the Plymouth store until it closed and at the Scottsdale Mall store in South Bend where he managed the auto center until his retirement in 1982. By all counts, their marriage was a team effort. When he was in the U.S. Army, Herm sent money home to Florence who would deposit it in the bank. Herm bought properties, and Florence, who worked at Marshall County Bank (later 1st Source Bank), managed the money. Although the Mattixes never had children, they became a part of the family of their niece and were very active in the community. Herm was known for his great sense of humor and it was obvious he loved life. He was very competitive, especially when it came to his brother. Herm told friends that when he passed on, he wanted to have done better than his brother! And he did when the Herman and Florence Mattix Scholarship Fund opened in 2005 with a $1 million gift. Herm believed that a community’s natural resource is its children, and he saw the scholarship fund as a means of keeping that natural resource in Marshall County. He had a heart for the nontraditional student and chose to support those who wanted to learn a vocation as well as those who wanted to further their education in a traditional two- or four-year college. By 2013, due to the generosity of both Mattix brothers, these two funds combined have provided more than $435,000 in scholarships.
Sharing a Love for Lake Maxinkuckee Ralph C. Vonnegut, Jr. Fund Benefits All Who Visit Culver
Ralph Vonnegut, Jr. grew up in Indianapolis and attended Shortridge High School. As a young man he earned the rank of Eagle Scout and spent his summers at Lake Maxinkuckee in Culver, Indiana. Mr. Vonnegut was a graduate of Wabash College and went on to a career as a farmer and stockbroker. He was an avid outdoorsman, enjoyed nature, sailing, and kayaking and was a voracious reader. With a love of Lake Maxinkuckee in his heart, Ralph eventually returned to the Lake as a full time resident and named Marshall County Community Foundation as the beneficiary of a Charitable Remainder Unitrust. After he passed, his family expressed their wish to see these assets reflect his love of the area by providing benefit to Lake Maxinkuckee. The Ralph C. Vonnegut, Jr. Fund was established in 2007 with an endowment fund of $400,000. Every year, grants are awarded to environmental, educational, or recreational projects directly related to Lake Maxinkuckee. A Charitable Remainder Trust provides the most flexibility and potentially the greatest tax savings of all the Community Foundation’s planned giving options. This giving vehicle provides a lump-sum gift to the Community Foundation, from which donors or their designated beneficiaries receive annual payments. These payments may be either fixed or based on a specified percentage of the trust’s changing value, as specified by the donor. Once the beneficiary(ies) are deceased, the remainder of the trust is added to an endowed fund at the Community Foundation, created or selected by the fundholder. There are two kinds of Charitable Remainder Trusts, defined by the payment option you select: An annuity trust pays a fixed dollar amount each year, equal to at least 5% of the value of the assets placed in trust. $100,000 placed in trust will generate $5,000 in annual income, regardless of market conditions. A unitrust pays a set percentage (at least 5%) of the value of the trust’s assets as recalculated each year. Payment amounts will increase or decrease with the annual market value of the trust’s assets.
Gibson Family Fund Gives Flexibility to Support Charities of Choice The Gibson Family Fund was established in April 1996 by Dave and Ginny Gibson. The goal of the fund was to establish an endowment that would provide an annual income to fund local designated charitable groups. At that time the Gibson children Gayle and Cameron were 22 and 19. Dave and Ginny felt it was important that they understand the importance of charitable giving and their responsibility to their community. Each year they meet and determine to which organizations they will contribute. They typically choose four to six organizations where they have had an involvement or see a special need. The Gibson Family Fund was established in MCCF because the Gibsons understood that the funds would be professionally managed and that there was a local office that could provide input and answer questions the children might have in the future. Dave Gibson is a former MCCF Board President and shares that his family’s experience with MCCF has been very positive. The flexibility of a donor advised fund gives them a wonderful way to insure that the causes they care about can be funded not only during their lifetime but for years in the future. A Donor Advised Fund at the Community Foundation is a good option for those who wish to be involved in their giving personally or with their families, but prefer not to handle the administrative and organizational burden. Donor Advised Funds are also a popular alternative to a private or family foundation because they offer many of the same benefits without the IRS-mandated distribution requirements or administrative burdens. A Donor Advised Fund is an efficient, cost-effective charitable giving solution that offers donors the flexibility to take immediate tax benefits for contributions and support their favorite charities on their own timetable.
Ounce of Prevention
One Family’s/One Community’s Response to Cancer The Ounce of Prevention Fund was created from the desire to raise awareness and provide support for those diagnosed with breast cancer in Marshall County. The story is a personal one; the Oliver family lost two women to breast cancer and supported another family member, a young wife and mother, as she fought hard after being diagnosed too. Jennifer Houin and Jessica Oliver, co-founders of the organization and sisters committed to the cause, continue to come up with fun, creative, and successful fundraisers. From sporting events to painting parties, pink is “in season” all year long! Their goal is to raise money locally to be invested locally to help people they may pass on the street or at the grocery store. And they don’t want this assistance to be restricted by age, economic or belief status as some support systems are, but instead, be available to all in need. Through their fundraising efforts, they have raised $200,000. They have been able to provide mammograms for those who are unable to afford them and purchase equipment to aid in the treatment of cancer and its related side effects. They have been instrumental in the development of a nurse navigator role at the Cancer Institute. While they started with a nonpermanent fund at the Foundation, the Oliver sisters also opened the Ounce of Prevention Scholarship Fund in 2013. The scholarship recipient must be a cancer survivor, have an immediate family member or friend who experienced cancer, or have demonstrated active participation in community service related to the prevention or cure of cancer.
Honoring a Great Man Whose Legacy Lives On
Bowen Family Fund supports Veterans Former Indiana Governor Otis Bowen will well be remembered for making a difference in the lives of others. Indiana’s 44th governor was a dynamic leader and distinguished himself in service at the local, state and national levels. From his early days in Fulton County where his dreams of practicing medicine were born, to his service in uniform in World War II, “Doc” Bowen’s life was defined by caregiving and public service. Upon his return from military service, he started a private medical practice in Bremen and began a career in public life that carried him from local office to the General Assembly and on to one of the most consequential governorships of Indiana’s second century. After his two terms as governor from 1973 to 1981, Dr. Bowen joined the board of directors of Lilly Endowment. His period of service to the foundation was interrupted only once — by his appointment as secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services during the second term of President Ronald Reagan from 1985 to 1989. He was the first medical doctor to hold that cabinet position. When President Reagan left office, “Doc” Bowen returned to Bremen, Indiana. Thomas M. Lofton, chairman of the Lilly Endowment’s board of directors, once described Dr. Bowen as “a quiet and thoughtful, gentle and forceful presence on the board.” Dr. Bowen’s wife, Carol, tells of his passion and influence in support of funding programs for returning veterans at Crane Naval Surface Warfare Station Center. The Center, located near Bloomington, is the third largest United States Navy installation in the world. The Lilly Endowment honors sacrifices made by veterans and their families by funding efforts that help them as much as possible to live rewarding and meaningful lives in families that are healthy and supportive. For the Bowens, a desire to support the Veterans Therapeutic Art Center, Inc. (VTAC) was clear. VTAC is a local program founded and operated by disabled/ combat wounded veterans who know first hand the difficulties that veterans meet when transitioning to civilian life from military service. There are 51,000 veterans living in surrounding communities; the organization’s goal is to provide a center for therapy to all those who have served in the U.S. military and their families through instruction and participation in the arts, crafts, mechanics and similar activities. With generous support from the Bowens through a fund at MCCF, VTAC moved into a permanent facility at 220 North Center Street in Plymouth. Partnerships with other organizations have developed quickly and continue to grow. VTAC is set to become a hub for resources and services to veterans and their families including licensed therapists and practitioners. “...the deeper purpose is to help veterans bond with one another through shared creative time, and to create bonds within the veteran’s own family and community as they work on projects together.” Daniel Atkinson (VTAC co-founder)
Jane’s Park The idea for Jane’s Park came in the spring of 1999 from two graduates of Bremen High School. Rhonda McIntyre, a Bremen elementary school teacher, and Linda Mullen-Clevenger, a reporter for the South Bend Tribune, dreamed of having a wooden playground structure in Bremen similar to the one in Plymouth and at Potawatomi Zoo. Both women knew Jane Sieg Stillson, a sister of one of their classmates. Jane died of cancer, a choice she made so that her unborn daughter, Jessica, would be born healthy. They decided to build the Bremen playground in memory of Jane. A nonpermanent fund was started at the Foundation for the building project. Many fundraisers were conducted to reach their $100,000 goal. A year later, construction took place. On the first day of construction, former governor and former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, Otis R. Bowen, M.D., ran the first chain saw of the project, inspiring others to get behind this local project. The playground was finished on Mother’s Day, as a fitting tribute to all mothers. The town of Bremen passed a proclamation dedicating June 15 every year as “Jane’s Park Day” and every year a volunteer crew meets on that day, Jane’s birthday, to clean and maintain the park. Jane’s Park Endowment Fund was established at MCCF to support maintenance of the park. Like MCCF, the whole intent of the project was to bring the community together toward a common goal.
LIVE UNITED is a Call to Action Inspiring Hope – Building a Brighter Future
The United of Marshall County (UWMC) was founded in 1961 to meet the charitable needs of the community. Most people are familiar with the annual campaign through their employer or through personal contributions. Dollars are raised and distributed annually to agencies in Marshall County serving the health and human services needs for thousands of people. Local dollars help local people. UWMC has helped generations of children realize their potential, strengthened families and provided access to health care for many. To build on the organization’s strengths and prepare for the future, the United Way established an Endowment Fund at MCCF in 2009 during a matching gift program offered by the Foundation. UWMC receives yearly distributions from the endowment to help cover operational costs. The goal long term is that the Endowment Fund grows so that every dollar donated to the United Way annual campaign will be used to support local programs and services. The UWMC endowment is a classic example of a win-win situation. MCCF serves its mission when endowment funds are created to benefit the people of Marshall County. The United Way serves its purpose when more funds are made available to help those who are most in need. Both objectives are met. Over time, United Way will see the entire value of the original investments returned as annual distributions are made from the MCCF endowment. And United Way will still have a permanent endowment in place at MCCF to serve future generations. Supporting an endowment for operations requires foresight and vision – and it’s an opportunity for loyal United Way supporters to make a lasting difference. Making a gift to the United Way endowment fund is an opportunity to give back to this community in a way that will matter as much fifty years from now as it does today. It is an opportunity to say to the world, “This is the community that I have chosen to call my own.”
COMMUNITY-MINDED PARTNERS • TRUSTED INVESTORS VISIONARY THINKERS • OPPORTUNITY CONNECTORS
2701 NORTH MICHIGAN STREET • PO BOX 716 • PLYMOUTH, IN 46563 574.935.5159 • www.marshallcountycf.org info@marshallcountycf.org