Category: General

“We strengthen our community for current and future generations by helping people make a difference in the lives of all.” That concise mission statement of the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region is what motivates me to serve on its Board, currently as Board Chair. I began my Community Foundation journey by getting involved […]

As 2025 winds down, now is the time to plan your charitable giving. Starting January 1, 2026, new Federal rules will take effect. Here are a few key changes: Deduction for non-itemizers: Standard deduction filers may claim a direct deduction for charitable giving – up to $1,000 for individuals and $2,000 for married couples filing […]

It almost seems like if all the people involved in making a new pedestrian, bicycle and fishing bridge connecting the Little Chute and Kaukauna trail networks happen were to link hands, they, too, could stretch 1,133 feet across the Fox River. Work started almost three weeks ago but a ceremonial groundbreaking Tuesday (Aug. 18) officially […]

Every February, people in the United States celebrate the achievements and history of African Americans as part of Black History Month. After a year of racial justice protests and national reckoning with pervasive systemic racism it is clear that we must commit to a deeper understanding of Black History year-round, and we must make space […]

Rather than perform in person, students are once again applying for a competitive music scholarship via video. Chloe Sawall from Appleton East High School records a YouTube audition for a scholarship through the Community Foundation. She is one of two Miller Music Education Scholarship awardees in 2020. Each year the Community Foundation awards hundreds of […]

The Marilynn W. Taylor/Wohlt Cheese Fund within the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region recently awarded grants totaling $180,500 to the Friends of New London Public Museum for its expansion to support a part-time Executive Director; Weyauwega Area Historical Society for their historical silo mural painting; Boys and Girls Club of the Fox Valley […]

Homeowner Marsha Jenks is sharing her journal entries here on our blog as her house, garage and yard are rehabbed during the Greater Fox Cities Area Habitat for Humanity’s first-ever Rock the Block blitz Sept. 14-19 in an Appleton neighborhood. The Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region helped RTB get started with a $300,000 Community Leadership Initiative grant. I […]

September 17, 2015 Yesterday, the volunteer crew arrived bright and early, ready to rock my block! Volunteers removed an old decrepit chimney that was falling apart on my roof. Another couple of guys went to work on my landscaping. I had so many weeds and monster plants that I couldn’t see my neighbor’s driveway or […]

September 23, 2015 I can’t thank all the volunteers enough for the hard work that they did for me during Rock the Block. My property was the second-biggest project in the program. As I watched all the weeds disappear and the new paint appear on my fence, the rust become a beautiful white railing. My […]

In January 2026, the Brillion Area Family of Funds (BAFF) officially hit its fundraising goal of $1,000,000 ($500,000 through community fundraising and $500,000 through a single donor match) to establish a permanent endowment fund for the Brillion community. This endowment, called Brillion Area Family of Funds Endowment Fund, provides a permanent source of dollars for […]

You can practically hear the kettle bells ringing out! Many folks are feeling particularly generous toward those in need at this time of year, and the Community Foundation is pointing donors toward a number of matching gift opportunities in the Fox Valley that will help our nonprofit partners make a huge impact in our communities. […]

Mary Beth Nienhaus donates $50,000 to the Thompson Center on Lourdes matching gift campaign. By Liz Neuman, Executive Director, Thompson Center on Lourdes The Thompson Center on Lourdes (TCoL), proudly announces the Nienhaus $50,000 Matching Grant Campaign! TCoL board member Mary Beth Nienhaus has generously opened the door of opportunity for us to strengthen our […]