Moments in Philanthropy :: June 2012
In This Issue
Madison Community Foundation Awards $200,000 to Access Community Health
MCF Grant to Habitat Restore West
Meet the MCF Board: Martha A. Taylor
Gender and Generosity Workshop – June 26
Economic Outlook Event – July 31
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Madison Community Foundation Awards $200,000 to Access Community Health
in Spring Grant Cycle
Madison Community Foundation (MCF) led the spring grant cycle with a gift of $200,000 to Access Community Health Centers for the South Side Clinic Capital Campaign as part of more than $483,000 the MCF Board of Governors recently awarded to ten Dane County nonprofits.
The new 21,500 square foot Access building will allow for additional space for dental, pharmacy, and x-ray services as well as add space for medical and behavioral health services.
“Access Community Health Care continues to be one of the area’s strongest nonprofits, serving a population that experiences financial, cultural and social barriers to receiving health care,” said Kathleen Woit, Madison Community Foundation President. “This grant builds upon MCF investment in the South Park Street neighborhood.
Other 2012 Spring Competitive Grants awarded by MCF include:
Fitchburg Optimists Club - $75,000 for a new Splash Pad located at McKee Farms Park. The fully accessible aquatic destination will provide opportunities for summer recreation.
The Freshmobile - $30,000 to equip and operate a mobile food market to bring fresh produce to residents living in low income neighborhoods who have limited access to grocery stores. The Freshmobile will travel to four targeted neighborhoods.
Madison Metropolitan School District - $60,000 toward five new piano keyboard labs at Emerson, Hawthorne, Lake View, Leopold, and Lindbergh Elementary Schools. Each lab will have 16 keyboards to accommodate 30 students. The project will transform MMSD music education by providing new instruments, new curriculum, and professional development for teachers.
Middleton Outreach Ministry - $20,000 to purchase additional refrigerator/freezer units. Distributing close to 700,000 pounds of food in 2011, Middleton Outreach Ministry is now the third largest food pantry in Dane County. High quality commercial grade storage equipment will more effectively safeguard the food and allow MOM to better accommodate the growing numbers of families it serves.
Rolling Meadows Homes Cooperative - $10,000 to plan, design and build a cooperative garden space site for this senior housing community. The Oregon Middle School Eco-Center and Oregon High School Horticulture program will partner with Rolling Meadows to provide site planning, plantings selection and student labor.
Verona Area School District / Verona Public Works - $27,000 for the Whalen Pond Neighborhood Ecology Education Initiative. A city-school-university partnership has been established in an effort to provide students with an outdoor classroom/lab space for hands-on education and long-term data gathering.
Village of Marshall - $15,000 for a 1:1 challenge grant to build a new natural play area at Converse Park. The play area will be constructed predominantly of natural components and will help combat childhood obesity, create connections to the natural world and provide a community hub for creative play.
Wisconsin Institutes of Discovery & Madison Children’s Museum - $30,000 for the Sparks of Discovery Program. This program will create six accessible, unique and interactive modules for children and families, complementing in-school learning and sparking interest in further STEAM (science, technology, art, engineering and math) exploration and/or careers.
Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestra - $16,000 for the Endangered Instrument Workshop Series. The series will collaborate with local musicians, MMSD and the UW School of Music to increase interest in and mastery of three endangered instruments (bassoon, viola & French horn), rarely taught in schools due to both the limited availability of private lessons and the high cost of purchasing instruments.
MCF Grant to Habitat Restore West
A $50,000 matching grant gift from Madison Community Foundation will fund the startup costs of a second Habitat ReStore located on the Westside of Madison. The grant has been matched by the DeAtley Family Foundation and totals $100,000.
“Habitat for Humanity of Dane County and the Habitat ReStore are tremendous assets in our community. Along with reducing the amount of usable building material that goes into our landfill, they have created many new affordable homes for families throughout the area. The Board of Governors and the Madison Community Foundation staff want to honor their extraordinary efforts and ensure that their exemplary work continues,” said Kathleen Woit, MCF President.
The Habitat ReStore sells new and used building materials to the public at discount prices, including: appliances, cabinets, flooring, hardware, windows, wood furniture and more. Proceeds from the Habitat ReStore fund the construction of Habitat for Humanity of homes in Dane County.
The new Habitat ReStore at 5906 Odana Road will open July 10. Donations may be dropped off Tuesday to Saturday, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Donations are tax deductible. The new store is also seeking volunteers to work in warehouse, stock, deconstruction, sales and donation areas.
“Thank you to the Madison Community Foundation and the DeAtley Family Foundation for helping the Habitat ReStore expand to a second location in West Madison,” said Jen Voichick, Habitat ReStore Director. “This location will also help us bring in more donations from the Westside and help our deconstruction crew expand its kitchen tear out business.”
To find out more about Habitat Dane County, visit their website here.
Meet the MCF Board: Martha A. Taylor
Martha Taylor has been a member of the MCF Board of Governors since 2009.
My philosophy on philanthropy comes from my family, my church, life experiences and lessons learned from a thirty-six year career as a philanthropy officer at the University of Wisconsin Foundation. The generosity of so many inspires me to do likewise.
My husband Gary Antoniewicz and I have a giving plan that includes the major institutions that have positively affected our lives. Our MCF pass through fund helps us keep track of our gifts each year and monitor our philanthropic plan. We hold established family endowment funds at MCF in honor or memory of family members, and have planned gifts through MCF for A Fund For Women, our church and the UW Foundation.
As a representative for the UW-Madison on the MCF Board, I bring the UW and UW Foundation viewpoints to the table. As a donor to MCF, it has been rewarding to see intimately how well the organization is staffed and managed. We are blessed to have strong and caring philanthropic staff leadership.
Philanthropic gifts can be one of the most meaningful parts of one’s life, reflecting the values we want to pass on to the next generations. All philanthropists and donors I know are basically HAPPY people. Giving time, talents and treasure creates huge opportunity for meaning and happiness in life, no matter what one’s income.
In Madison we have many “millionaires next door”— those who have substantial resources but choose a modest lifestyle and prefer to give anonymously. We never see their names on buildings. I salute these generous philanthropists in the Madison area for their great spirit of sharing and the significant differences they have made in the life of our community, the University, Wisconsin and the world.
Gender and Generosity Workshop – June 26
This one-day workshop is a lively and inspirational exploration of the motivations and marketing principles behind philanthropy based on gender. Sessions will include: a panel discussion by donors who share their passion for philanthropy, interactive exercises examining whether an organization is gender sensitive, and presentations by leading experts on topics of interest to women and philanthropists. Donors, nonprofit leaders, fund development professionals, and marketing professionals are especially encouraged to attend.
This event is co-sponsored by MCF.
For more information including registration, visit this website.
Economic Outlook Event – July 31
Madison Community Foundation will be hosting an Economic Outlook Event on Tuesday, July 31, 2012 from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m., at the CUNA Mutual Auditorium, 5710 Mineral Point Road, Madison, WI. There is no charge for this event, however, RSVP is required. Click here to register.
Returning as speaker for this event will be Verne Sedlacek, President and CEO of Commonfund, a nonprofit investment company that serves as a primary investment advisor for Madison Community Foundation. An engaging and exemplary speaker, he will discuss Commonfund’s outlook on the economy and endowment spending in light of the dynamic state of today’s financial climate.
Complimentary registration for this event is on this webpage.