A Joint Initiative Between     Heart of Wisconsin     Business & Economic Alliance and     Community Foundation of Greater     South Wood County

Home About Us B2B Club Breaking News Contact Donate Events / Programs Feedback Ideas Incubator Industry Clusters Links / Resources Progess Funds Progress Teams Public Art / Murals Publications		Breaking News August 3, 2004 - Charitable arm continues to grow after a decade By ANTOINETTE RAHN, Daily Tribune Staff The Community Foundation of South Wood County will celebrate its 10th birthday Wednesday after growing from a $1 million donation from one person to $32 million in contributions from thousands of people. The foundation, originally the South Wood County Community Foundation Inc., was established by Mary "Virginia" Brazeau and the Richard S. Brazeau Family Foundation in 1994 with $1 million in matching gifts. The first grant was $35,000 to the Boys & Girls Club of the Wisconsin Rapids Area to assist in its organization. Projects that have benefited from grants administered by the Community Foundation include The Neighborhood Table free meals, the Healthy Smiles dental program and the construction of recreational trails throughout south Wood County. Among the organizations that benefit from foundation grants are Opportunity Development Centers, the United Way of South Wood County and the Family Center Inc. The foundation has come a long way, said Don Krohn, a foundation boardmember from 1994 to 1998. "We were nine people who sat down around a table on a sunny afternoon in 1994 and looked at one another with each of us thinking, 'What do we do now?'" said Krohn of Port Edwards. "This auspicious start was the beginning of the Community Foundation. "It was hard to imagine back then how it would grow like it has." Community foundations build a pool of charitable, endowed assets to serve a specific geographic region. The principal is invested and the interest from the investments is distributed in the form of grants. With a variety of programs and people giving to and receiving from funds managed by the foundation, it's clearly a product of the people, organizers said. "This is your community foundation," said Kelly Lucas, chief executive officer and executive director. "It's a public foundation created by the community, for the community, and the 10-year celebration is for all members of the community." It has been an exciting journey, say some who have been involved in the foundation or who have been helped by its programs. "With Virginia Brazeau's initial donation of $1 million in July of 1994 to start the foundation, she made a provision that the fund would match your pledge dollar for dollar, and you could pledge for five years and get matching funds," said Linda Czlapinski, a Wisconsin Rapids resident and donor. "She put forth a challenge to everyone. I had the utmost respect for her and her vision, and I knew this was something I could do - I could make a difference. "When I see and hear about all the wonderful things that have come to be because of her foresight, how can you not be happy about being involved? She was our catalyst. She provided us with a start, and now it is up to us to carry on for ourselves and our community." As the part-time executive director from 1994 until early 1996, Earle Garber of Wisconsin Rapids said he was part of an education process. "We had to sell the idea to the community, and it took time to develop," Garber said. "What ended up happening was that people began to understand that the endowment can't be spent, only the interest. Which means even the little guy's donation is important. "The way (the foundation has) grown is just wonderful." In the last 10 years, 8,500 individual donors contributed to the Community Foundation of South Wood County. Since 1995, the foundation has distributed 2,500 grants locally and beyond, for a total of more than $14 million. The foundation received more than $32 million in gifts, ranging from $1 to more than $4 million, and it currently manages more than 220 individual charitable funds with more than $18 million in total assets. The foundation is about looking ahead, said Beth Klumb, president of the Wisconsin Rapids Public Schools Endowment Fund. The Schools Endowment Fund was established in the spring of 2001 by the School Board and the foundation's board of directors. "This fund is for anything that would enhance education," Klumb said. "This past fall we awarded our first five mini-grants to WRPS staff, totaling $2,000." The grants helped teacherChristine Pace create the Robo Lab for science classes at East Junior High, while Melanie Kozlowski used a grant to buy audio books and headsets to assist students at Lincoln High School with various learning styles and abilities. "Working with the Community Foundation has been a wonderful experience," Klumb said. "I can't say enough good about Kelly (Lucas) and the staff at the foundation." The annual meeting of the Community Foundation of South Wood County is at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday. In addition to the annual meeting, the gathering also will celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the Community Foundation. The event will be held at Centralia Center adjacent to Rapids Mall and is open to the public. You can reach Antoinette Rahn at 422-6726 or arahn@wisconsinrapidstribune.com.
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