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By David Vollrath, Executive Director Union County Foundation Every year at this time I like to report on the Foundation’s activity from the previous year. 2006 was another year of substantial growth coupled with meaningful charitable impact for the citizens of Union County. Our assets increased over 47% during the year to just under $5,000,000. The Foundation’s investment committee effectively directed our asset allocation portfolio (63% equities, 31% fixed income, 6% cash) to yield returns of over 12.5% for the year. With an increased asset base comes the ability to disburse more charitable dollars. In 2006 the Foundation disbursed a record $433,086 to charitable causes. A significant portion of those distributions ($255,711) flows from three local fraternal organizations: The Eagles, The Elks, and The Moose. These fraternal organizations continue to support Union County charity at a level largely unrecognized by most of our citizens. These organizations deserve our praise and our sincere thanks. As a non-profit organization the Foundation’s purpose is to promote and facilitate charitable giving in Union County. The Foundation now houses over 40 named funds including these recent additions: The Marysville Moose Family Scholarship Fund, The Laverne & Juanita Yoder Charitable Fund, and The Corey Hoehn Memorial Scholarship Fund. Currently 14 scholarship funds are based within the Foundation. In 2006 over $47,000 in scholarships were awarded students throughout Union County. A comprehensive listing of our named Funds can be found on our website at unioncountyfoundation.org/funds.htm. The Foundation continues to accept grant applications on a quarterly basis with deadlines for this year being January 5, April 5, July 5, and October 5. Grant applications can be found on the website or picked up at our office. Proudly in 2006 the Union County Foundation received full national accreditation from the National Council on Foundations. This accreditation process included compliance with a broad range of organizational and financial practices and procedures. This accreditation represented the culmination of an exhaustive and comprehensive two-year process. Perhaps even more important than the charitable activity of the present is the activity that reaches into the future. During 2006 the Foundation was named a part of several estate plans that will produce wonderful charitable activity in the future. As a result of generous benefactors such as Mary & Ben Coleman, future generations will be favorably impacted. The Foundation is proud to increasingly provide the mechanism that allows unshaped charitable dreams to easily become reality. The Union County Foundation is honored and humbled to be of service to our communities. By design our volnteer board serves in relative obscurity. I’d like you to know who they were in 2006: David Allen (legal Counsel), Bob Buckley (CPA), Phillip Connolly, Robin Craft, Dan Fitzgerald, Barbara Holcomb, JR Kruse, Robert Lewis, Dr. John Linscott, Tom McCarthy, Frank Miller, Carolyn Mitchell, Dorothy Mudgett, Pat Nuckles, Dr. Frank Raymond, Greg Sehnert, and Barbara Timmons. The successes of 2006 are now replaced by our dreams for 2007. The people of Union County continue to demonstrate that they have a tremendous heart for charity. We look forward to working with you and for you in 2007. |
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