Category: General

Larry Sawyer and Debra McDowall at the grand opening of the new Read Play Learn space at JJ’s Laundromat in Appleton. “Can we do this here?” That’s the question Colleen Holz had when she heard about laundromats around the country designing literacy spaces for kids. She reached out to Lance Nevins, the owner at JJ’s […]

The Fox Valley Literacy Council came looking for a Capacity Building grant from the Community Foundation to improve its communications and recruiting of new students. It worked. It worked so well that now they have a bit of a space crunch. A $50,000, two-year Capacity Building grant from unrestricted funds allowed the literacy tutoring group […]

It is no secret that the Fox Valley region is rich in arts and culture — it’s part of what makes our community so special. So, when the Community Foundation expanded and renovated our office space two years ago, we knew we needed to find a way to incorporate local art into our environment. This […]

The paper and printing industries have strong legacies throughout the Fox Valley. In February, our new rotating Art Showcase at the Community Foundation puts printing in a new light — as art. Printmaker Joann Mariahazy (pictured above) has her “Falling Quilts” series on display at our office building, where we are using one of our […]

Jeff Squier Ted Kedrowski are making an impact in the Fox Valley after dedicating their Ironman fundraiser to benefit those impacted by COVID-19. Imagine swimming, running and biking for miles to train for an Ironman event, only to learn that the event wasn’t going to happen. Two local athletes, Ted Kedrowski and Jeff Squier, had […]

When it comes to planning your legacy, have you had “the talk” yet? For Rick and Sue Detienne, it’s been about 15 years, and they’re still talking. The Appleton couple met while attending Lawrence University.  Rick worked for Laminations and retired 11 years ago. The two began considering ways they could bless their community today […]

When you think of those who make extraordinary donations to help those in need, names like Bill and Melinda Gates, Mark Zuckerberg and other famous philanthropists might come to mind. Ranking among those celebrities is a couple from De Pere, whose estate gift of $103 million to the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region is […]

Alan Blake knows from the inside why he can trust the Community Foundation and United Way Fox Cities to do the right thing in helping people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Blake, a retired bank executive, has been a volunteer on committees for both organizations. “We were encouraged and grateful that both the Community Foundation […]

Verve, a Credit Union is committed to serving the community by providing financial support to programs and organizations that help keep our communities strong. That commitment led Verve to earmark $50,000 to match donations (where available) through June 30, 2020. “Community foundations and COVID-19 relief funds provide much-needed financial resources to individuals, families and businesses […]

January 13 is Make your Dream Come True Day. 8-year-old Gabriel of Greenville wished for a camper, and Make-A-Wish Wisconsin made his dream come true thanks to generous donors in the community. Community Foundation funds supporting Make-A-Wish Wisconsin are listed below this article. By Kris Teofilo, Senior Regional Director Make-A-Wish Wisconsin Together, through Make-A-Wish® Wisconsin, […]

People in the Fox Valley have no shortage of options for their philanthropic dollars. Many of our donors at the Community Foundation use their donor advised funds to support favorite charities across the country, including alma maters, organizations in the communities where they’ve lived in the past or have a second home, or charities in […]

By Kathryn Mawer, CFA, CAIA Vice President / OCIO Advisor, FEG Investment Advisors One question I often hear from people when their community foundation switches to an Outsourced-Chief Investment Officer (OCIO) model is, “I understand that the OCIO manages my donation, but who manages the OCIO?” Great question! What you may not see at first […]