Members of Kiwanis provide cookies at “Light Up the Night” (pre-COVID), in conjunction with last year’s annual Appleton Christmas Parade in Appleton.

By Jeffrey Walters treasurer, Appleton-Fox Cities Kiwanis Club

As a donor and treasurer of Appleton-Fox Cities Kiwanis Club’s two funds, I’m grateful for the administrative help and investment base provided by the Community Foundation. Our local Kiwanis Club prides itself in being a group of volunteers dedicated to changing the world one child and one community at a time. This mission led us to explore establishing funds at the Community Foundation.

Kiwanis club members at an Old Glory Honor Flight Mission upon arrival at the Appleton airport. The club assists with crowd control, getting wheelchairs off the flight and general cleanup after.

We’ve established the Appleton-Fox Cities Kiwanis Endowment Fund and Appleton-Fox Cities Kiwanis Charitable Fund within the Community Foundation for the preservation of Kiwanis ideals, charitable contributions, and long-term community support. Our Endowment fund is set up for future charitable projects and the Charitable fund allows more immediate use of funds.

Both of these funds provide the donor with a tax-deductible vehicle through which to contribute to Kiwanis and our programs.

The Community Foundation’s team of skilled professionals helped create a charitable giving plan that captured the Kiwanis values and beliefs. Thanks to them, we learned how to engage others in donating to our fund, growing it to a level where it can soon begin to meet community needs. In addition, the Community Foundation’s 24/7 online donor services hub allows us to easily review charitable giving to date, recommend a grant or update our contact information.

We intend to begin annual distribution of grants in 2021. When that time comes, the club will rely on the Community Foundation’s extensive knowledge about important issues facing the Fox Valley Region, built though strong relationships with nonprofits and an unwavering pursuit of understanding our community needs. On behalf of the club, I thank the Community Foundation for its valuable resources and ongoing support of our charitable efforts to ensure that together, we flourish.

Check out our list of Community Foundation charitable funds here. Learn more about the Kiwanis here.