Moments in Philanthropy || September 2010
In This Issue
Madison Community Foundation New Funds
Two Trails Converge: Ice Age Junction Joins Military Ridge
A Legacy for Trevor Marsh
Lombardi Goes to Broadway
MCF Co-hosting Middleton Chamber of Commerce Social Hour
Bravo, Madison Children’s Museum
2010 Wisconsin Land Trust of the Year
2010 Library of the Year: Monona Public Library
Did You Know?
Madison Community Foundation New Funds
Community Restorative Justice Endowment
Community Restorative Justice Fund
Jim Green Memorial Fund for Monona Grove School District
Two Trails Converge: Ice Age Junction Joins Military Ridge
Biking through Dane County recently became much easier when the new Ice Age Junction Bicycle/Pedestrian Trail opened in Verona on August 25. The trail is two miles long, including a 200 foot underpass that provides a direct link from the southwest side of Verona Road to the Military Ridge State Trail and feed into both the Capital City and Badger State Trails.
Madison Community Foundation provided grants of $150,000 for the tunnel and $15,000 for the trail, which directly helped leverage Federal Transportation funding. Dane County and the City of Verona were also funding partners.
“We at Madison Community Foundation are proud to be part of the effort to connect trails for bike and pedestrian use around the county,” Kathleen Woit, Madison Community Foundation President, said. “Completion of the Verona portion of the Ice Age Junction Trail is a testament to how groups can successfully join together to bring the dream of a well-connected bike transportation system into reality. Generations of Dane County residents will safely use this trail for recreation and transportation.”
At the trail-opening press conference, Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk noted that the underpass improves the safety of walking, jogging, and biking through the area. The underpass is the first in Wisconsin to utilize high efficiency LED lighting and a skylight to maximize daytime light.
A Legacy for Trevor Marsh
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Trevor Marsh playing rugby.
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Belonging came naturally to Trevor. An athlete and long-time member of the South Metro Tigers Rugby Club in South Minneapolis, Trevor was known by his friends as a caring comrade, always ready to listen and help. After he became the victim of a senseless murder in 2006, his parents decided the best way to create a legacy for Trevor was to establish a fund in his name that would create a positive impact in the lives of young people.
“After all of our research, we chose Madison Community Foundation as the home for the Trevor Marsh Memorial Fund,” said Bruce Marsh, Trevor’s father. “The staff was respectful and responsive to our needs, and their fee structure was the lowest of all the funds we researched.”
Since 2007, distributions from the fund have helped support Trevor’s team, the South Metro Tigers Rugby Club, enabling them to double in size. The team serves a diverse group of inner city kids of all races, backgrounds and income levels, for whom the camaraderie of rugby provides a community focus and a sense of belonging.
“When remembering Trevor, we would like to add joy to the lives of young people,” added Bruce Marsh. “Our goal is to inspire these teens by giving them an opportunity to try an activity that helps them gain self confidence and learn some life skills. We want Trevor’s short life to continue to have a positive impact, the impact he would have made in many more lives, given time.”
As with all funds at MCF, you may contribute to the Trevor Marsh Memorial Fund to further the work his parents have begun. Visit the website
here, or contact
Paul Houseman, MCF Donor Relations Manager, at (608) 232-1763.
Lombardi Goes to Broadway
It is not everyday you get to help fund a work that goes to Broadway, but Madison Community Foundation did just that.
Back in 2006, Madison Repertory Theatre's fourth annual Madison New Play Festival provided a workshop for the dramatization of
When Pride Still Mattered, a biography of famed Green Bay Packers coach Vince Lombardi, written by Pulitzer-Prize-winning author David Maraniss. Eric Simonson, Steppenwolf Theater Company member and Academy Award winning playwright from Chicago, was commissioned to adapt Maraniss’ book. It was the first time the Festival focused on work by Wisconsin writers with themes that celebrated Wisconsin.
Using audience feedback and actor experimentation, Simonson modified and polished the material into what became “Lombardi/The Only Thing”, performed on the Madison Repertory/Overture stage as a full production in 2007.
The work first staged in 2006 has now made it all the way to Broadway. On September 23, 2010, performances of the newest version of Simonson’s Lombardi drama begin at The Circle in the Square Theatre in New York. The legend of one of Wisconsin’s most colorful characters – he of uncompromising character, steadfast leadership and the ability to inspire others to excel - is now on a bigger stage.
Madison Community Foundation is honored to have been there at the beginning.
Madison Community Foundation Salutes the Following Community Assets:
Bravo, Madison Children’s Museum!
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Girls chat in the Play Acting Hut, funded by MCF.
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MCF Board of Governors and staff extend hearty congratulations to the Board and staff of Madison Children’s Museum for the extraordinary creativity and hard work that went into the new facility that opened to the public on August 14, 2010.
The Wonder Ball Gala held on August 7 netted $151,000 for the Museum, and was topped off by an additional gift of $250,000 from the Nate Brand Family Foundation to complete the campaign.
Madison Community Foundation provided $150,000 toward the capital campaign for the new facility.
“We’re so grateful to the Madison Community Foundation for long-term support of Madison Children’s Museum through its generous grant to our capital campaign, operating dollars from the Great Performance Fund, and the help we receive through donor-advised funds,” said Ruth Shelly, MCM Executive Director. “MCF staff has provided guidance on fundraising and on our strategic role as a resource for children and families in the region. We share the Madison Community Foundation commitment to community and the importance of investing in our youngest citizens in order to ensure a bright future for all.”
MCF holds two endowments to support Madison Children’s Museum. To contribute, click
here. For more information about or information on visiting the Madison Children’s Museum, visit their
website.
2010 Wisconsin Land Trust of the Year
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Prairies are a preservation focus of NHLT.
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Natural Heritage Land Trust has earned the 2010 Wisconsin Land Trust of the Year award.
Natural Heritage Land Trust is being honored for the size and scope of its accomplishments in 27 years of work in and around Dane County. Since 1983 the Natural Heritage Land Trust has permanently protected 6,509 acres of important land and water at 14 parks and natural areas, 11 scenic areas and streambanks, 3 wildlife areas, and 25 working farms.
“Although we are pleased to receive the Land Trust of the Year award, we are not slowing down,” explained Jim Welsh, NHLT Executive Director. “This fall the Land Trust is working to complete several exciting land conservation projects, most notably purchasing 100 acres at Westport Drumlin, east of Waunakee, to protect four additional prairie remnants and buffer the main prairie and oak savanna.”
The 2010 Wisconsin Land Trust of the Year award will be presented to Natural Heritage Land Trust by Gathering Waters Conservancy on September 30th, 5:30 pm at Monona Terrace in Madison.
For more information on the award event, contact Jim Welsh at (608) 258-9797 or
jim@nhlt.org. To donate to the Natural Heritage Land Trust Endowment, click
here.
2010 Library of the Year: Monona Public Library
Under the creative leadership of the late library director Demita Gerber, Acting Library Director Erick Plumb, and staff, the Monona Public Library has gone from good to great! The award bestowed by the Wisconsin Library Association recognizes immensely successful innovative programs and initiatives, inventive partnerships and leading-edge collections.
The library staff has worked hard to increase the collective impact of limited financial resources during difficult budget times. By completing an endowment challenge by Madison Community Foundation, the library built a $150,000 endowment. Partnerships with the City of Monona, the South Central Library System, The Natural Step, Monona Public Schools and many other organizations allowed them to offer programming such as the “Great Stories” program to reach out to at-risk teens in alternative high schools, garnering 85 percent participation. The library also established a Teen Advisory Board that initiated several community wide literacy programs and year-round activities for teens. Another program allows patrons to “Book a Librarian” for a session of uninterrupted assistance for reference or research.
In addition, the library assessed community needs to develop collections in two key areas: sustainability and environmental concerns, funded by Madison Community Foundation Collections Grant, and health and wellness, funded by a grant from the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation in Madison.
Madison Community Foundation co-hosting Middleton Chamber of Commerce Social Hour
Madison Community Foundation and Capitol Bank are co-hosting the Middleton Chamber of Commerce Business Social Hour on Thursday, September 16, 2010, from 5-7p.m. at Capitol Bank, 710 N. High Point Rd., Madison. R.S.V.P. to Lisa at (608) 836-1616 or
lisa.cutsforth@capitolbank.com.
Did You Know?
- The Madison Community Foundation now has over 900 separate charitable funds in our family of endowment and passthrough funds.
- Twenty-seven Dane County libraries have added hundreds of thousands of new learning materials to the South Central Library System collections as a result of Madison Community Foundation grants.
- Charities working to benefit the greater good in Madison, Dane County, Wisconsin, throughout the United States, and worldwide locations have received distributions from the Madison Community Foundation.
- Madison Community Foundation has provided funding to support 9 (exclusively) food pantry gardens in Dane County since 2009. Those gardens alone have infused over 55,000 pounds of produce into the food pantry system to date.