Moments in Philanthropy :: August 2012
In This Issue
New Funds at Madison Community Foundation
Kathleen Woit to Retire in 2013
Pleasant Rowland Great Performance Fund for Theater Grant Awards
Columbus Area Endowment Presents Grants for Community Projects
Donor Event Presentation Now on MCF Website
Sequoya Library First Library to Reach $10,000 for NEH/BTP Campaign
George Nelson, Dr. Frank Byrne, Toni Sykes Recognized in IB Hall of Fame
Tom Linfield Featured Artist in James Watrous Gallery
New Funds at Madison Community Foundation
Betty Jane Perego Fund for Multicultural Youth Programs
Columbus School District Endowment
Frozen Assets Fund
Grutzner Family Fund
Robert and Dorothy Troller Maximum Giving Fund
River Valley School District Endowment
Sharifa Merchant Charitable Gift Annuity
Kathleen Woit to Retire in 2013
After 15 years as president of the Madison Community Foundation, Kathleen Woit has announced her decision to retire in July, 2013. “In 1997, my vision was to open wide the doors of MCF and use our expertise and the efficiency of the foundation to help as many people as possible start funds,” said Woit.
“The growth and financial stability of the Madison Community Foundation is certainly something that Kathleen can and should be proud of, said Rich Lynch, MCF Board Chair/Board of Governors, Chairman, J. H. Findorff & Son Inc., Madison. “Her passion for our community is the true legacy that will carry forward. It resides in the culture she has developed around the Foundation; one of leveraging resources, of caring with diversity of purpose, and achieving sustainable results.”
"Kathleen Woit is one of the most influential role models in our community. One of her greatest attributes as a leader is her ability to attract, inspire and retain tremendously talented Board members, employees and volunteers. As a result, the future of the MCF could not be brighter. Kathleen led by example, was passionate about the mission of MCF, worked tirelessly to achieve that mission and brought the best out of everyone who had the great fortune to work with her,” said David W. Reinecke, former MCF Board of Governors member, partner, Foley & Lardner LLP.
Woit’s plans for her retirement include staying in the area. “My roots in this community are deep. I expect to continue to help build our community assets and plan to work on a number of charitable projects,” she expressed.
A selection committee has been formed by the MCF Board of Governors; QTI is conducting the search. All questions should be directed to Marshall Heyworth or Paige Goldner at QTI – 608-257-1057.
Pleasant Rowland Great Performance Fund for Theater Grant Awards
Madison Community Foundation recently awarded $137,250 from the Pleasant Rowland Great Performance Fund for Theater to four theater companies who will be performing in the 2012-2013 theater season.
“Theater in Overture greatly enhances the cultural and economic vibrancy of our community,” said Kathleen Woit, Madison Community Foundation President. “These grant awards support a variety of theater experiences for all ages, including not only the performances themselves, but also school and retirement facility outreach, workshops, talk backs, and a writing festival.”
The Fund for Theater endowment provides competitively-awarded annual funding to Wisconsin-based professional theater companies presenting work in the Overture Center.
Forward Theater Company received $75,000 for four productions:
44 Plays for 44 Presidents, FTC Monologue Festival Soul Food, Collected Stories, and Good People. Forward will be offering matinees this season for the first time.
CTM received $25,000 for And Then They Came for Me: Remembering the World of Anne Frank. Unlike anything done to date in the Playhouse, this award-winning, multi-media play incorporates videotaped interviews, historical photos and film into the staged performance.
Four Seasons Theater received $25,000 for three productions: She Loves Me, The Gershwin Songbook and Avenue Q. Production of the third installment of the Great American Songbook Series will include community outreach performances at senior centers, schools, and civic events.
Opera for the Young received $12,500 for Family Opera Day – Cinderella in the Playhouse
Performances will be complemented with workshops in theater, music and design with assistance from Madison Children’s Museum and Madison Youth Choirs.
Columbus Area Endowment Presents Grants for Community Projects
The Columbus Area Endowment Advisory Committee recently approved grants to three Columbus area nonprofits.
Pam Duborg is the main coordinator for the Tot Lot Committee, which received a grant to provide handicap-accessible playground equipment for children in Columbus’ Fireman’s Park. “For the first time in 40 years this playground has equipment usable by handicapped children,” she said. We are grateful to CAE for making this possible.”
Other grants went to the Columbus Senior Center for development of a computer lab at the Center and the Columbus Historic Landmarks & Preservation Commission for new appliances at the Rest Haven Community Building.
CAE is an affiliate of the Madison Community Foundation, with its funds dedicated to making the Columbus area a better place to live, learn, work and play.
Affiliate Funds are endowments that are housed at MCF, but serve communities outside Madison. Each Affiliate represents one community and is represented by an advisory committee of residents from that community. Advisory committee members raise resources for the endowment and recommend distributions from the endowment for charitable causes within that community. Affiliates partner with MCF to maximize earnings, secure principal and minimize administrative costs.
For more information on CAE,visit the website here.
To make a donation to CAE, visit the donation page here.
To learn more about Affiliate Funds, visit the website here.
Sequoya Library First to Reach $10,000 in Cash for NEH Project
The Sequoya Library Board, Friends Group and staff are proud to announce they have met their goal of raising $10,000 toward their commitment to the National Endowment for the Humanities Beyond the Page (BTP) Endowment Campaign. The overall goal amount of the campaign is $1.4 million.
“This is the first time all the Dane County libraries have come together to work toward a common goal, and it is wonderful to have this early success, ” said Tom Linfield, MCF Vice President, Grantmaking, who developed the BTP Project. “The momentum is building as the libraries are creating events and fundraising projects to help meet the goal.”
The Beyond the Page campaign is a joint effort of the Dane County Library Service and the Madison Community Foundation to create a permanent endowment that will support humanities programming in all 28 public libraries in Dane County forever. Each library in Dane County is committed to raising at least $10,000 from their patrons to help meet the goal.
Visit the Beyond the Page website here for information on upcoming events and news.
To make a donation to the Campaign, visit the donation page here.
Donor Event Presentation Now on MCF Website
MCF focus for 2012 has been the Beyond the Page campaign - a joint effort of the Dane County Library Service and MCF to create a permanent endowment that will support humanities programming in all 28 public libraries in Dane County forever.
Featured speaker at the 2012 MCF Donor Event on June 6 was Amy Eshleman, currently Program Leader for Education for the Urban Libraries Council. Eshleman was instrumental in crafting programs for young adults while on staff with the Chicago Public Library. She is currently leading the creation, implementation and expansion of YOUmedia, a national model for interest-driven, participatory learning for teens.
Eshleman’s slide presentation on her experience with teens and the library as community learning center is now on the MCF website. It is listed on the MCF homepage right column.
Access the web page here.
George Nelson, Dr. Frank Byrne, Toni Sykes Recognized in IB Hall of Fame
The InBusiness Magazine 2012 Hall of Fame announced in July includes three people who generously provided MCF Board of Governors membership and leadership in the last two decades.
George Nelson, Executive Vice President of Morgan Murphy Media, served on the MCF Board from 1997 to 2007, as MCF Board Chair from 2006-2007.
Dr. Frank Byrne, St. Mary’s Hospital President and CEO, is currently serving as a MCF Board Governor.
Toni Sikes, general partner, Calumet Venture Fund and founder and former CEO of The Guild, served on the MCF Board of Governors from 2000-2008.
Congratulations to all three very deserving community members.
To read the InBusiness article, visit the website here.
Tom Linfield - Featured Artist in James Watrous Gallery
Tom Linfield, Vice President of Grantmaking at MCF, is one of three artists whose works will be featured in the James Watrous Gallery at Overture from Friday, August 31 to Sunday, October 14.
The “About Seeing” Exhibition explores differences in how people see from the stand point of three people who have experienced significant vision anomalies. Opening reception is on Sunday, September 9, from 3-5 p.m.
For more information, visit the event website here.