Grants & Scholarships of the Door County Community Foundation
Inspiring People to Give Back to Sustain the Community We Love.
That simple statement is our mission. It’s engraved on our office windows so it’s literally the lens through which we view the world. In practice, we divide our work into four parts.
We are a Custodian of Charitable Assets.
The Community Foundation holds millions of dollars of charitable assets – some of which is immediately distributed such as when we administer the settlement of an estate for the benefit of many different charities. Other moneys form the principal of Endowment Funds, forever making distributions in the names of our donors. We also hold countless endowments on behalf of local non-profits. Thanks to the community’s generosity, our assets are growing by more than $1 million each year!
We are a Champion of Philanthropy.
Our mission is to “inspire people to give back to sustain the community we love.” We encourage giving for the benefit of every charity, to address every issue, and to impact the quality of life of every citizen of Door County. We publish listings of more than 350 local non-profit groups and write articles and radio commentaries highlighting their good work. We provide quality training, counsel and education for non-profit boards and staffs so they can become more effective. Our Philanthropist of the Year award and our Celebration of Giving honor generous people in our community. We’re here to promote giving in Door County.
We are a Facilitator of Giving.
The people of our community have distributed tens of millions to charity through the Door County Community Foundation since our founding in 1999. We provide a means for giving back which is both easy and highly tax efficient. From the use of simple tools such as a Donor Advised Fund, to the most complex estates and planned giving vehicles, the Community Foundation raises the level of giving in Door County for the benefit of all local charities. People don’t give to the Community Foundation, they give through us.
We are a Convener of the Community.
A community foundation’s greatest impact often comes from its ability to convene people and organizations around community issues. We have brought folks together to address different concerns – leading to the creation of the Women’s Fund and the rejuvenation of the Green Fund. We are now working on an economic development initiative – because the best way to combat poverty is to ensure that good jobs are available. We welcome the opportunity to work with inspired people to help them realize their dreams for Door County.