Laura Meronk with her family

By Laura Meronk, attorney and shareholder, Godfrey & Kahn – Appleton

As a board member and volunteer with the Community Foundation, I’m honored to help donors invest in the community that has given them so much. This work is personal. I’ve benefited from growing up and now raising my own family in the Fox Cities.

Laura Meronk

As a child, I took for granted the opportunities that are provided within a stable and thriving community. As an adult, I’m now able to recognize that these opportunities were available largely due to the hard work and significant contributions of prior generations.

Giving my time to the Community Foundation is one way to celebrate the gifts of those who forged the path before me. Through our collaborative efforts, we strive to ensure that this region will continue to be strong and vibrant for years to come.

However, we also recognize the need to connect current and future donors to projects and initiatives that will provide timely and lasting impact. One example of this is the Community Foundation’s work to establish the COVID-19 Community Response Fund in partnership with the United Way Fox Cities. Through the COVID-19 Community Response Fund, generous individuals, businesses and organizations throughout the community came together to support nonprofits providing critical basic needs services and help for those most impacted by the pandemic.

I continue to be in awe of donors’ commitment to the people and places within the Fox Valley Region – both for today and for generations to come. Through my work with the Community Foundation, I continue to learn more about the perspective and leadership of past and current donors and the great scope and influence of the Community Foundation in our community.

I witness how the Community Foundation provides each of us with the chance to make a positive impact and to inspire our friends and neighbors to do the same. Donors of all levels and backgrounds work with the Community Foundation to direct their generosity in ways that impact lives and create a ripple effect of opportunity throughout the Fox Valley Region.

Here is a video where I share more thoughts about this ripple effect:

If you’re interested in getting involved, I welcome you to reach out online or by phone. We’d love to inspire you to give and make a difference.

Laura Meronk is an attorney and shareholder with Godfrey & Kahn in Appleton, a firm that represents many of the biggest private and public sector businesses in the area.

Check out our report to the community! What does a Community Foundation do? Glad you asked! Learn more here.