Category: General

‘Tis the season of gift giving, and Santa Claus isn’t the only one who gets to hear wish lists! At Nonprofit Leadership Initiative (NPLI), we are privileged to have nonprofit leaders share their wish lists with us all year long. If you’re searching for the perfect present for your favorite nonprofit, we’ve got you covered. […]

When Mary Grist passed away in 2020 at the age of 91, her family knew they wanted to continue her passion for giving. More than two decades ago, Mary and her late husband Jim Grist established an endowment fund, the Jim and Mary Grist Family Fund within the Community Foundation. Last year their five children […]

Appleton native Leah Witthuhn is a 2016 Celebrating Volunteers recipient of a Youth Scholarship Award. Music lessons and instruments can be expensive, and many local students might not get the chance to learn and perform if not for Appleton East High School grad Leah Witthuhn. With the help of her parents and many community mentors, […]

The six children of John and Ann Gillen grew up watching their parents not only sharing their time and talents with the community, but also consistently sticking up for the underdog. “If it was a friend of ours who was in a tough spot, they were always willing to help,” says daughter Lisa Murphy. “If […]

By Rob Underhill The idea of setting up a Community Foundation trust came from a family conversation one night. We had been giving to various charities over time and we had reached a point where we wanted to bring our only son Cameron into the conversation and give him the experience of how great it […]

The holiday season brings such warm feelings that people’s thoughts often turn to charity. For the more practical among us, maybe it’s the Dec. 31 tax deadline that leads some to think of getting their deductions in order. Whatever motivates you, your year-end giving is vital to support the good work done by nonprofits all […]

By Curt Detjen, President and CEO, Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region We are busily setting the table for Thanksgiving and for a busy December here at the Community Foundation. We’ll share many wonderful stories of giving from our donors, nonprofits and partners in the weeks ahead, along with giving opportunities throughout the Fox […]

Each fall we typically host a Celebration of Giving event to thank people, businesses and organizations that have given generous donations of time and money to the Community Foundation to help maintain and improve the quality of life in the Fox Valley region. However, the pandemic has forced us to remain socially distant for the […]

When John Steiner decided with his siblings to create scholarships at two area high schools, his group wasn’t a whole lot smaller than the graduating classes. John Steiner comes from a family with 16 children – all but two still surviving. To take on a project with his family means covering an age range of […]

Today is Giving Tuesday, a global generosity movement that has been taking place on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving since 2012! Giving Tuesday inspires us to act. Our donations of time, talent, and treasure play a pivotal role in helping nonprofit organizations fulfill their missions focused on improving well-being and solving problems that lead to greater […]

In a world that often feels fast paced and divided, there is one day each year that brings people together in an extraordinary way, Giving Tuesday. What started in 2012 as a simple idea, a global day of generosity following the frenzy of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, has grown into a worldwide movement that […]

Look at the paperweight-shaped glass buttons that Portland, Ore., artist Greg Hanson creates and it’s not hard to trace his inspiration. The Appleton native was highly influenced by the Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass in Neenah. “The people of the Fox Valley don’t know what a gem they have,” Hanson said. He was in town for […]