The Education Committee of the Women's Giving Circle has been working hard to prepare for this year’s Fall Educational Event. The community is invited to this wonderful FREE event, so please remember to mark this date on your calendar. Click here to see the Save the Date card.

The topic this year is "Homelessness: Its Effects on Children and Families in our Community,"
with panelists Heidi White, Director of Prairie Ridge Early Learning Center; Dani Claesges, ECASD Homeless Coordinator; and Kelly Christianson, Executive Director of Beacon House.

Date: Monday, September 26, 2016
Time: 5:00 – 7:00 pm
Location: Prairie Ridge Learning Center
3031 Epiphany Lane
Eau Claire, WI 54703
(on the west side of Eau Claire near the intersection of Folsom and Clairemont, near Burger King)

The committee asked each organization for a list of needed donations. Please see the list below. We appreciate any items that you are able to bring to the event.

Prairie Ridge Early Learning Center –Heidi White, Director
1) Boys' and girls' clothing (sizes 3T-5T)
2) Socks and underwear
3) Personal care items (soap, shampoo, toilet paper, toothpaste, laundry soap, etc.)
4) Crockpots (6 qt. size) for their Fight Against Hunger Crockpot project
5) Non-perishable food items for their Prairie Ridge on-site food pantry

ECASD Homeless Program – Dani Claesges, Homeless Coordinator
1) Flash drives
2) Zip binders
3) Tennis shoes (boys' size 11-4, girls' size 12-3)
4) Feminine style backpacks
5) Boxes of tine-tipped markers

Beacon House – Kelly Christianson, Executive Director
1) Pillows
2) Single fitted bed sheets

Please contact the Eau Claire Community Foundation at info@eccommunityfoundation.org or (715) 552-3801 if you have any questions about this event. We hope to see you there!

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Welcome to the ECCF Summer Newsletter!

Want to catch up on the latest ECCF happenings? Please click the link below to read:

• A letter from ECCF Board of Trustees Chairman Mark Faanes
• Grantee Spotlights
• News from the Eau Claire Public Schools Foundation
• A Women's Giving Circle update
• Upcoming Events
• And more!

ECCF Newsletter Summer 2016

The post The ECCF Summer Newsletter Has Arrived appeared first on Eau Claire Community Foundation.

Mayo Clinic Health System of northwest Wisconsin has awarded the Eau Claire Community Foundation a $250,000 grant for the Confluence Arts Center in downtown Eau Claire.

“The Confluence Arts Center highlights the value placed on the arts in the Chippewa Valley,” said Randall Linton, M.D., president & CEO of Mayo Clinic Health System of northwest Wisconsin. “Mayo Clinic Health System is proud to play a role in making this performing arts center a reality. It will be a destination landmark for years to come and will also help attract and retain highly skilled healthcare workers in the Eau Claire area. We look at this as an investment in both our community and our employees.”

The Mayo Clinic Health System grant will be paid over five years and will be matched by a $1.5 million challenge gift offered by a group of anonymous donors. The “Breaking New Ground” campaign is a community-wide effort to build the Arts Center.  Funding has included $15 million from the state of Wisconsin, $5 million from the City of Eau Claire and $3.5 million from Eau Claire County.  More than $14 million in philanthropy has already been committed to the $45 million dollar project, according to Sue Bornick, Executive Director of the Eau Claire Community Foundation (ECCF).

Presenting the grant award was Dr. Linton from Mayo Clinic Health System.   The award was accepted by ECCF Board of Trustees Vice Chair Laura Talley, ECCF Board of Trustees Secretary Laurie Klinkhammer, and Eau Claire Confluence, Inc. Chair Jerry Jacobson. Members of the Confluence Fundraising Committee were also present.

The Confluence Project, located at the confluence of the Chippewa and Eau Claire Rivers, is a collaborative effort to continue the revitalization of downtown Eau Claire.

The 130,000 square foot Arts Center will include a 1,200 seat large theater and a 400 seat flexible theater, along with rehearsal rooms, offices, and classrooms for UW-Eau Claire.  The project is expected to break ground in late fall if the philanthropic goal of nearly $16 million is reached and to be completed in late 2018.

The challenge campaign ends September 30. To learn more, visit communityfortheconfluence.org , email info@eccommunityfoundation.org, or call the Eau Claire Community Foundation at (715) 552-3801.

The post Mayo Clinic Health System Donates $250,000 for Confluence Arts Center appeared first on Eau Claire Community Foundation.

Many wonderful nonprofits are working hard on behalf of the Eau Claire community, and we're spotlighting several of them to give you a sense of the variety and scope of their achievements. Each spotlighted organization represents one of our four giving categories (Create Culture, Form Futures, Give Green, and Offer Opportunities), and each received an Eau Claire Community Foundation grant in the 2016 grant cycle.

The currently spotlighted organizations are Eau Claire Jazz, Inc.; the L.E. Phillips Career Development Center; the Ski Sprites Water Ski Team; and Feed My People Foodbank.

To go directly to our new Grantee Spotlights, please click here.

For more information about the 2016 grant recipients, please click here.

Thank you to these organizations as well as all the other nonprofits who make Eau Claire such a great place to live!

The post New Grantee Spotlights appeared first on Eau Claire Community Foundation.

Maelstrom by David Riemer

Sculpture Tour Eau Claire announces the 2016 sculpture that won the People’s Choice Award: Maelstrom by Dave Riemer from Wausaukee, Wisconsin.

Mr. Riemer, a Chicago native, defines his medium as kinetic sculptures: sculptures designed to be in the outdoors all year round to capture the wind. “The artistry of Maelstrom is in its creation, of course, but also in the eye of the beholder. While the sculpture is composed of many individual pieces, the wind creates a movement and you end up seeing a shape that isn’t necessarily there,” says Mr. Riemer.

Maelstrom is rendered in copper, brass and stainless steel and stands at 76 inches high. It is sponsored by Western Wisconsin Urology. The sculpture, valued at $4,800, is purchased by Sculpture Tour Eau Claire and will be added to the City of Eau Claire’s permanent collection. Determination of the sculpture’s permanent location is forthcoming.

Mr. Riemer has another sculpture, available for sale, in this season’s tour: Kaleidoscope.

Kaleidoscope by David Riemer

Public Works Director Phil Fieber says, “Every year, we look forward to the People’s Choice Award. This award is a unique statement made by folks who live in and visit Eau Claire.”

The 2016 People’s Choice Award and other award winners were announced at the Xcel Energy stage at the Fall Festival on Saturday, September 17th, 2016, at 2:30 PM.

People’s Choice voting occurred online and by paper ballot from May through September 15th. Community residents and visitors of all ages were encouraged to vote. Ballots and brochures are free and made available to the public in ballot boxes posted on Water Street, South Barstow, North Barstow and the Mayo Clinic Health Systems Eau Claire campus. 2016-2017 season brochures are available online and in ballot boxes throughout the entire season.

The 2016 Awards funding sources are N. Barstow Business Improvement District and S. Barstow Business Improvement District. Over 40 corporate sponsors participate in the planning and installation of the annual sculpture season, as well as financially sustaining the public arts display to insure, repair and address any issues with sculptures, thereby sustaining Sculpture Tour as a free service to the community.

STEC Executive Director Michelle Koehn says, “We had a record number of website visits and votes this year. This is a testament to the organization’s six-year history and ties to the community.”

In addition to the People's Choice Award, Sculpture Tour Eau Claire awards two prizes at $1,000 each: Best of Bronze and Best of Other Materials. Sculptures in the 2016 - 2017 season, as in all past seasons, are rendered in diverse materials. Bronze is a traditional art form. Other materials indicate artists’ renderings in non-bronze such as steel, metals, ceramics, and found materials, to name a few.

“All the sculptures are carefully evaluated by a jury for artistic merit,” says Alice Katz, STEC President, Board of Directors.

For the Love of the Game by Bobbie Carlyle

For the Love of the Game by Bobbie Carlyle from Loveland, CO, is awarded 2016 Best of Bronze. Bobbie Carlyle says, “I sculpted For the Love of the Game as a memorial for a family who lost their two young boys who lived and breathed baseball. The parents came to me with their personal grief, and I transformed it into art to inspire young people and
raise consciousness to the circumstances responsible for the drowning.

Portal by Tommy Reife from St. Louis, MO, is awarded 2016 Best of Other Materials.

Portal by Tommy Reife

“What struck me about Eau Claire is how meaningful the dialogue is between the arts community and the community at large. The thing I considered while creating Portal was the type of vehicle that can pull you up in space and raising yourself up there. So this type of community arts dialogue through Sculpture Tour is meaningful to my art and my artistic process.”

President Alice Katz says, “Sculpture Tour Eau Claire is fortunate to have access to artists who come from diverse walks of life, all with rich troves of narratives that bring out the best in our community. The People’s Choice Award is a shining example of how we—as a community—can enrich where we live with a simple vote. And this vote can also transform an artist’s career.”

You can visit www.sculpturetour.org if you would like to learn more or support Sculpture Tour Eau Claire.
* * *
Sculpture Tour Eau Claire (STEC) is a 501(c)3 non-profit and a fund within the Eau Claire Community Foundation. Programming, including the annual installation, dismount and rotation of sculptures, is sustained by generous corporate sponsors, donors, and grant funding. The organization’s mission is to enhance the quality of life in Eau Claire by using the arts to promote tourism, economic development, health, and education.

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Kelly Christianson addresses the audience at the 2016 WGC Fall Educational Event.

The 2016 Women’s Giving Circle Fall Educational Event took place on Monday, Sep. 26, at the Prairie Ridge Early Learning Center. All of the Women's Giving Circle Education Team’s hard work resulted in an extraordinary event: 115 people came to learn about “Homelessness: Its Effects on Children and Families in our Community.”

The presenters were Heidi White, Director of Prairie Ridge Early Learning School; Dani Claesges, ECASD Homeless Coordinator; and Kelly Christianson, Executive Director of Beacon House.

Heidi White

Heidi White explained how the high poverty rates at Prairie Ridge (with 70% of students qualifying for free and reduced lunches) inspired efforts to serve these children through various programs such as the Parent Child Home Program. This intervention program currently serves 40 families; it supports parents and fosters early literacy skills by providing home visits for two years. Prairie Ridge Fight Against Hunger was started in 2013 to make sure students have adequate nutrition. Since then, it has distributed over 57,000 pounds of food. It also provides families with crock pots, ingredient bags, and recipes so families can create their own home-cooked meals, and it offers a summer food program that has distributed over 13,000 pounds of food to 92 families. A hoop house project to get children involved in growing their own food is also being implemented. In order to support this excellent work, Prairie Ridge Fight Against Hunger started a fund with the Eau Claire Public Schools Foundation. Donors can support this fund at any time; online donations can be made via the Prairie Ridge Fight Against Hunger Project Fund page, which can be found at www.ecpsfound.org/funds.

Kelly Christianson

Kelly Christianson was the next to present. She challenged stereotypes of homeless people by pointing out that most of them are actually children ages 7-12. She also pointed out how expenses that would be merely irritating to many people, like car repairs, can be catastrophic to parents who lack access to credit and child care. The new development in Eau Claire, while exciting, is also worsening the problem by resulting in skyrocketing rents. Beacon House serves homeless children by giving them a place to stay while their families work to identify and overcome their obstacles to housing. The average stay lasts about 45 days, and the families almost always have found permanent housing by the time they leave. Beacon House, which is supported by donations and volunteers from more than 20 local congregations, puts its philosophy—“Housing is a right and not a reward—into practice, with life-changing results. For more information about Beacon House and ways to donate, please visit www.beacon-house.org.

Dani Claesges

Finally, Dani Claesges explained the role of the Eau Claire Area School District’s Homeless Program. Among its other support services, the Homeless Program provides transportation to homeless students, who often have to move frequently, so they can have the stability of going to a single school throughout the academic year. She too challenged stereotypes and debunked the idea that helping homeless families will simply enable them. The Program’s numbers are impressive: Of the families it serves, 75% require services for only one year or less. Another 20% are homeless less than two years. Only 5% are served longer than two years. These statistics are a powerful indication that assistance given to homeless families is a helping hand to help get them back on their feet, not a crutch they’ll depend on indefinitely. If you’d like to support the Homeless Program, you can donate to the Homeless Children and Youth Fund on the Eau Claire Public Schools Foundation website, www.ecpsfound.org/funds.

Before the evening concluded, Women’s Giving Circle Chair Sue McIntyre announced the happy news that in addition to overflowing boxes of donated items, the audience had given a significant amount of money to the three organizations: $440 to Prairie Ridge Fight Against Hunger, $375 to the Homeless Program, and $288 to Beacon House. She also gave an update on the Grants Team’s current work and invited the audience to attend the next Women’s Giving Circle wine social and, if they’re not already part of the Women’s Giving Circle, to consider becoming members. She also thanked everyone who had been so generous and worked so hard to create such a successful event.

Thank you to the presenters, to event sponsors Gordy’s County Market and Sam’s Club, and to the Women’s Giving Circle Education Team for making this eye-opening evening possible!

For more information about the Women's Giving Circle, please visit the Women's Giving Circle page on this website.

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The donors who issued the $1.5 million challenge grant to secure additional philanthropy for the Confluence Arts Center in June knew that the September 30 deadline was aggressive. Despite the challenge of raising $1.5 million in only four months, the community stepped forward generously – pledging and donating $1.3 million by midnight on September 30. Because progress was so good, the challenge donors offered to extend the deadline to December 31 to secure the remaining funds for the match.

“We have been overwhelmed by the number and extent of gifts that were received, especially over the last week,” said Jill Barland, philanthropy committee co-chair. “As it looked like we were going to be close but not quite there, the donors who issued the initial $1.5 million pledge contacted us and offered to extend the deadline to December 31. They know that many people make their giving decisions closer to the end of the calendar year. They wanted us to take advantage of potential year-end gifts that come because donors consider their tax situations and giving plans. We also know of donors who for whatever reason missed the crucial Sept. 30 deadline. We want to make sure people know that they still can give to the Arts Center construction and have their gifts qualify for the match.”

To date, nearly $15 million in philanthropy has been received for the Arts Center. The total raised and additional funds still being accepted represent the largest single fundraising campaign in recent Eau Claire history. Barland stressed that any and all funds given through the end of the calendar year will be reflected in the giving totals and will count toward the matching gift challenge.

“As the project construction begins, we know that every gift will be necessary to ensure we are able to stay on schedule and build the Arts Center we know this community expects,” said Jerry Jacobson, president of Eau Claire Confluence Arts, Inc., the non-profit entity that owns the land upon which the building will be constructed and that will own the Arts Center. “Projects this large and this complicated are continually being challenged to maintain cost control yet also accommodate changes in expenses. Every dollar of philanthropy will be put to good use. We are so appreciative of the various donors who have made new gifts as well as the many who have increased and/or extended their pledges. The generosity of the greater Chippewa Valley has been extraordinary.”

Jacobson noted there are several naming opportunities still available in the Arts Center, including the name on the building itself. There are various giving levels to reflect the value of the gifts. A popular option is having one’s name on a theater seat in the large theater. All gifts of $5,000 or higher will be recognized with names on seats. He added that would be a great way to honor a family member or someone who had made a difference in one’s life.

Following the Arts Center groundbreaking on October 6th in conjunction with the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents, the project will continue with final designs and construction documents. The goal is to have the Arts Center open in 2018.

Gifts can be made through the Eau Claire Community Foundation by visiting the Confluence Building Fund page on this site or contacting Sue Bornick at 715-552-3801. They can also be made through the UW-Eau Claire Foundation by contacting Kimera Way at 715-836-5180. You can also go to www.communityfortheconfluence.org to make a secure online gift. For more information, contact Dan Clumpner at 715-832-8707.

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The Eau Claire Community Foundation is pleased to announce that it's currently accepting grant applications for the 2017 grant cycle. Any tax-exempt nonprofit serving the Eau Claire Community is eligible to apply.

The deadline for submitting online applications is midnight on Jan. 31, 2017, and the deadline for submitting the required hard copies to the ECCF office is 4:00 p.m. on Feb. 1, 2017.

More information about this funding opportunity is available on the Apply for a Grant page of this website.

We also invite nonprofits to attend one of our free grant training sessions. Attendance isn't required for grant applicants, but it's strongly encouraged. Each session will cover the same topics, so you only need to come to one. More information is available on our Events tab.

Please feel free to contact the ECCF Program Specialist at grants@eccommunityfoundation.org or by calling (715) 552-3801 if you have questions about the ECCF grant cycle.

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The Women's Giving Circle is pleased to announce that in 2016, it’s awarding a record-breaking $36,000 in grants. Each grant recipient helps to fulfill the Circle’s mission of supporting women and children in the Eau Claire area. The organizations and programs the Circle has voted to fund are:

• Boys and Girls Clubs of the Greater Chippewa Valley—“Health and Nutrition: Culinary Classroom and Kitchen Program,” $5000
• Chippewa Valley Free Clinic—“Women’s Health and Hygiene,” $5000
• Fierce Freedom—“Hotel Industry Anti-Sex Trafficking Training,” $5000
• Girls on the Run of the Chippewa Valley—“Investment of Heart & Sole: Curriculum 2 and Program,” $1000
• Lutheran Social Services—“Trauma Services for Women and Children,” $5000
• Safe Sleep Task Force—“Safe Sleep,” $5000
• Trinity Equestrian Center—“Finding Hope Through Horses,” $5000
• Western Dairyland Economic Opportunity Council—“Women’s Business Center,” $5000

You can read a description of each grant by clicking 2016 Women's Giving Circle Grant Descriptions.

The Women’s Giving Circle members pool their charitable dollars into a fund at the Eau Claire Community Foundation in order to maximize their philanthropic impact. The Circle began in 2007, when a group of over 100 Founding Members each pledged a total of $1,000 over 4 years. Today, it has over 230 members, and it continues to grow.

This year’s grant awards bring the Circle’s total grant distributions since inception to $186,487. Grantees will officially receive their awards at the Gift of Giving breakfast, which will take place at the Clarion Hotel (2703 Craig Road, Eau Claire) at 7:30 am on December 7, 2016.

The Women’s Giving Circle members invite the Eau Claire community to attend this celebration of philanthropy. Tickets are $15 and include a plated breakfast. They also welcome new members; anyone can join the Circle at any time.

For more information about the Women’s Giving Circle, please consult the Women's Giving Circle page of this website. You can also write to office@eccommunityfoundation.org or call 715-552-3801 if you'd like to RSVP for the Gift of Giving Breakfast.

The post Women’s Giving Circle Announces 2016 Grant Recipients appeared first on Eau Claire Community Foundation.

After many months of planning and fundraising in the community, the new playground project at the Chippewa Valley Montessori Charter School is coming to life. The playground has been a long-awaited project, and students, teachers, parents and community members alike are thrilled to see the vision unfold. Groundbreaking on the project is scheduled for this summer.

The project is funded by several private gifts and is made possible in large part due to generous grants from area businesses. Scheels’ partnership in the endeavor brought the project over the fundraising goal with their $40,000 grant.  “All of us at Scheels are glad to contribute to the outdoor learning environment project at the CVMCS. The project is sure to have a significant impact on the children of the school and the surrounding community.  The physical fitness and scholastic development of our children is an important facet of our community responsibility, and as such we welcome the opportunity to give back to the community in this way,” Daniel Baemmert, Eau Claire Scheels’ Assistant Store Leader, shared.

Parents and community members share Baemmert’s enthusiasm and are grateful for the support. Blenda Yun, CVMCS Parent and Trustee of the Eau Claire Public Schools Foundation, said, “We are so grateful to have the opportunity to bring this innovative space not only to the students of CVMCS but also to the West Riverside neighborhood.  None of this would be possible without the support of the families and friends of CVMCS, the Eau Claire community, and the Eau Claire Public Schools Foundation."

Businesses in the area who pride themselves on health and fitness have been supportive of the project.  The playground is also sponsored by a generous Hometown Health grant through Mayo Clinic Health System. Chippewa Valley Montessori Charter School’s principal, Todd Johnson, was thrilled to see the support from the community. “Someone once told me there are 100 different words for the word “snow” in the Inuit Native American language. I wish there were that many for ‘thank you!’ I would use every one of the words to express my gratitude!”

The Eau Claire Public Schools Foundation is a Supporting Organization of the Eau Claire Community Foundation. To learn more, please visit the ECPSF website at www.ecpsfound.org.

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Welcome to the ECCF Winter Newsletter!

Want to catch up on the latest ECCF happenings? Please click the link below to read:

• A letter from ECCF Board of Trustees Chairman Mark Faanes
• Grantee Spotlights
• News from the Eau Claire Public Schools Foundation
• A Women's Giving Circle update
• Upcoming Events
• And more!

ECCF 2016 Winter Newsletter

The post The ECCF Winter Newsletter Has Arrived appeared first on Eau Claire Community Foundation.

We can help you turn your retirement account into a vehicle for charitable giving.

Wondering what to do with your annual IRA distribution? We have good news for charitably minded taxpayers in their 70s and up—and for the communities and causes they care about most. A permanent change in federal law now makes it possible to give individual retirement account (IRA) assets to charity, free from federal tax, every year. 

You could give far more with less by directing your IRA charitable rollover to the Eau Claire Community Foundation’s Community Fund—or you may consider establishing a family endowment at ECCF. This may be an attractive giving option if you are:

• A single or married individual at least 70½ years old who’s required to take minimum IRA distributions but who doesn’t need the extra income.
• Interested in making a significant gift to impact your community.

“We can help you take advantage of this legislation and experience the joy of giving during your lifetime,” said Sue Bornick, ECCF Executive Director. “We have the knowledge and expertise to guide people and make the most out of their contribution.”  

 Common Questions About Charitable IRAs

 What are the key benefits of an IRA charitable rollover?

• Avoid taxes on a transfer of up to $100,000 from your IRA to ECCF
• Satisfy your required minimum distribution (RMD) for the year
• Reduce your taxable income, even if you do not itemize deductions
• Make a gift that is not subject to the 50% deduction limits on charitable gifts

Why give your IRA charitable rollover to the Eau Claire Community Foundation?

• Personalized Service—We can make your charitable transfer easy, flexible and effective, helping you achieve your personal, charitable and financial goals. 
• Local Expertise—ECCF staff members have a deep knowledge of the community and work hard to serve the people who live here. When you give to the community foundation, you know your gift will be used wisely. 
• Community Leadership—We take great care in bringing the community together for the common good, pooling our resources to strengthen our greatest assets.

How should I direct my IRA charitable rollover to ECCF?

Contact your IRA plan administrator to make a gift from your IRA to ECCF. Your IRA funds will be directly transferred to ECCF to help continue our important work. Please note that, under current law, IRA charitable rollover gifts cannot be made to your donor-advised fund.  Please contact us if you wish for your gift to be used for a specific purpose or want help in establishing a family endowment.

How do I designate ECCF as the beneficiary of my IRA in my will or estate plan?

When naming ECCF as the beneficiary of a retirement plan, please use the legal name Eau Claire Community Foundation and Tax ID number 39-1891064. Please also indicate the name of the ECCF fund that should receive the gift.

For more information on charitable giving and the charitable IRA opportunity, please contact Sue Bornick at (715) 552-3801 or info@eccommunityfoundation.org

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The Delong Middle School Choir sings under the direction of Sarah Olson during their recent Christmas concert.

By Julian Emerson, Leader-Telegram:

As DeLong Middle School choir students sing at an upcoming outdoor concert, their voices will spread the Christmas spirit by bringing awareness to the plight of Eau Claire's homeless residents.

Students from that school will perform at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 20 at Wilson Park in downtown Eau Claire, near the Sojourner House homeless shelter. The public is invited to gather at Wilson Park and sing with students.

As part of the event, titled "Caroling for a Cause," DeLong students are gathering items needed by homeless residents to donate to the shelter. In addition, they hope their performance prompts donations to the Eau Claire school district homeless program.

DeLong choir teacher Sarah Olson decided to involve her students in assisting homeless people after learning about a series of music concerts performed in October in Eau Claire and other locations to raise awareness of and money for homeless-related causes. Those performances, the first of which was in Eau Claire, happened after musicians became inspired by an Eau Claire Leader-Telegram series titled "On the Streets" about Eau Claire's homeless population that appeared in the newspaper in 2014.

"I want to expose my students to the fact that there are needs in our community, that there are people living here who need our help," Olson said. "And I want my students to know there is something they can do to help."

Some of the students Olson teaches are among the 360 in the school district whose families are homeless. Those students are assisted by the school district's homeless program, which provides a wide variety of services to those students and their families.

Donations to the Eau Claire school district homeless program can be made at the Eau Claire Public School Foundation's Homeless Children and Youth Fund page. You can also contact Dani Claesges, Coordinator of the Eau Claire School District Homeless Program, for more information about current needs. You can email her at dclaesges@ecasd.us or call her at (715) 852-3044. 

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Mayo Clinic Health System of northwest Wisconsin has awarded the Eau Claire Community Foundation a $250,000 grant for the Confluence Arts Center in downtown Eau Claire.

“The Confluence Arts Center highlights the value placed on the arts in the Chippewa Valley,” said Randall Linton, M.D., president & CEO of Mayo Clinic Health System of northwest Wisconsin. “Mayo Clinic Health System is proud to play a role in making this performing arts center a reality. It will be a destination landmark for years to come and will also help attract and retain highly skilled healthcare workers in the Eau Claire area. We look at this as an investment in both our community and our employees.”

The Mayo Clinic Health System grant will be paid over five years and will be matched by a $1.5 million challenge gift offered by a group of anonymous donors. The “Breaking New Ground” campaign is a community-wide effort to build the Arts Center.  Funding has included $15 million from the state of Wisconsin, $5 million from the City of Eau Claire and $3.5 million from Eau Claire County.  More than $14 million in philanthropy has already been committed to the $45 million dollar project, according to Sue Bornick, Executive Director of the Eau Claire Community Foundation (ECCF).

Presenting the grant award was Dr. Linton from Mayo Clinic Health System.   The award was accepted by ECCF Board of Trustees Vice Chair Laura Talley, ECCF Board of Trustees Secretary Laurie Klinkhammer, and Eau Claire Confluence, Inc. Chair Jerry Jacobson. Members of the Confluence Fundraising Committee were also present.

The Confluence Project, located at the confluence of the Chippewa and Eau Claire Rivers, is a collaborative effort to continue the revitalization of downtown Eau Claire.

The 130,000 square foot Arts Center will include a 1,200 seat large theater and a 400 seat flexible theater, along with rehearsal rooms, offices, and classrooms for UW-Eau Claire.  The project is expected to break ground in late fall if the philanthropic goal of nearly $16 million is reached and to be completed in late 2018.

The challenge campaign ends September 30. To learn more, visit communityfortheconfluence.org , email info@eccommunityfoundation.org, or call the Eau Claire Community Foundation at (715) 552-3801.

The post Mayo Clinic Health System Donates $250,000 for Confluence Arts Center appeared first on Eau Claire Community Foundation.

The Women’s Giving Circle, a fund of the Eau Claire Community Foundation, has announced its Circle Advisory Team for 2017. In order to join the Women’s Giving Circle, members contribute at least $250.00 a year. Part of their contribution supports grants to local nonprofit organizations that run programs benefiting women and/or children. The other portion of the contribution is used to build an endowment at the Eau Claire Community Foundation for future grants.

Anyone—male or female—can join the Women’s Giving Circle. People ages 39 and under are encouraged to take advantage of the Young Philanthropists program, which allows them to join the Circle at a reduced rate of $150/year for up to three years.

Since 2008, the Women’s Giving Circle has awarded $186,487 in grants. In 2016, it granted a record-breaking $36,000 to eight Eau Claire area nonprofits: the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Greater Chippewa Valley, Chippewa Valley Free Clinic, Fierce Freedom, Girls on the Run of the Chippewa Valley, Lutheran Social Services, Safe Sleep Task Force, Trinity Equestrian Center, and Western Dairyland Economic Opportunity Council.

The Women’s Giving Circle is led by the Circle Advisory Team. At the Annual Meeting of the Women’s Giving Circle, the members elected the following individuals for the 2017 leadership positions:

2017 Women's Giving Circle Chair Jill Prushiek

2017 Women's Giving Circle Co-Chair Sarah Stokes

 Circle Advisory Team Chair: Jill Prushiek
 Circle Advisory Team Co-Chair: Sarah Stokes
 Circle Advisory Team Secretary: Karen Eisenbarth
 Education and Programs Team Chair: Petey Ahneman
 Education and Programs Team Co-Chair: Jennifer    Hanson-Bremer
 Grants Team Chair: Sherry Macaul
 Grants Team Co-Chair: Jeanne Peterson
 Membership/Outreach Team Chair: Pat Markin
 Membership/Outreach Team Co-Chair: Marianne  Klinkhammer
 Circle Advisory Team Past Chair: Sue McIntyre

For more information about the Women’s Giving Circle, or to become a member, contact the Eau Claire Community Foundation by writing to info@eccommunityfoundation.org or calling (715) 552-3801. More information is also available on the Women’s Giving Circle page of this website.

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There are many ways to honor and thank the superheroes in our schools, those who work with our students on the front lines every day. The Golden Apple Awards are just one way to celebrate our faculty and staff. Golden Apple Honorees are nominated by their peers to receive grant funding to use in their schools, sponsored by generous area businesses. The Eau Claire Public Schools Foundation is thrilled to announce this year’s Golden Apple Awards Honorees:

• Chippewa Valley Montessori Charter School honors Jeremy Harrison, Kindergarten-6th Grade Teacher
• DeLong Middle School honors Sarah Binder, Special Education Teacher
• Flynn Elementary School honors Joann Waldhart Adams, 3rd Grade Teacher
• Lakeshore Elementary School honors Melinda Wright, Physical Education Teacher
• Locust Lane Elementary School honors Mike Peplinski, 4th Grade Teacher
• Longfellow Elementary School honors Tom Dahl, Physical Education Teacher
• Manz Elementary School honors Becky Linderholm, English Learning Teacher
• Meadowview Elementary School honors Katie Engel, School Psychologist
• Memorial High School honors Erin Layde, Biology and Life Science Teacher
• McKinley Charter School honors Megan McCrackin, Competency Component Teacher
• North High School honors Renee Morehead, Family/Consumer Education Teacher
• Northstar Middle School honors Michelle Olson, 6th Grade and English Learning Teacher
• Northwoods Elementary School honors Cheryl Moss, Special Education Assistant Teacher
• Prairie Ridge Early Learning Center honors Melinda Daubitz, Headstart Assistant
• Putnam Heights Elementary School honors Dayna Smith, School Secretary
• Robbins Elementary School honors Heather Kapanke, Guidance Counselor
• Roosevelt Elementary School honors Jason Wendtland, 4th Grade Teacher
• Sam Davey Elementary School honors Mary Uelmen, Special Education Assistant Teacher
• Sherman Elementary School honors Tim McManus, 2nd Grade Teacher
• South Middle School honors Scott Faris, Science Teacher

Generous businesses sponsoring these individuals include Charter Bank, C&M Home Builders, Kristo Orthodontic Specialists, Marine Credit Union, Market & Johnson, Marshfield Clinic and Security Health Plan, Mayo Clinic Health System, McDonald’s Courtesy Corporation, McDonough Manufacturing Company, Northwestern Bank, University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire, Wipfli, Xcel Energy, and more.

Honorees will be celebrated at the annual Golden Apple Awards Banquet on Thursday, April 6, 5:30-8:00pm at Wild Ridge & Mill Run Golf Course. Tickets for the banquet are $45 and space is limited. For tickets, contact Sarah French at sfrench1@ecasd.us.

The Eau Claire Public Schools Foundation is a Supporting Organization of the Eau Claire Community Foundation. To learn more or to donate, please visit the ECPSF website at www.ecpsfound.org.

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The Eau Claire Community Foundation thanks Dave Johnson and everyone else at EO Johnson's Eau Claire office for their generous donation of a color copier. We're especially excited about its ability to collate and staple, not to mention its multitude of other handy functions. This new addition to our office will improve our ability to communicate with the community while reducing costs in the process.

EO Johnson's donation also benefited ECCF neighbor King's Closet, a nonprofit that provides free clothing to people in need. Because King's Closet received the machine replaced by the new copier, one gift has improved life at two nonprofit offices.

Thanks, EO Johnson!

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Do you know someone who has made a positive and long-lasting contribution to the lives of children in the Chippewa Valley through innovative work, leadership, volunteerism, or philanthropy? If you answered yes, be sure to nominate this person for potential recognition as an Outstanding Achievement Award honoree.

Outstanding Achievement Awards are presented at the annual Children’s Legacy Luncheon; each Honoree selects a nonprofit to receive a $500 grant. Hosted by the Eau Claire Community Foundation during its first 15 years, this time-honored event has found a new home with the Children’s Museum of Eau Claire.

This year’s Luncheon will take place on June 15, 2017, at The Florian Gardens in Eau Claire.

Nomination forms are available on the Children’s Museum of Eau Claire website. Submissions are due by 5:00 pm on Friday, April 7th.

If you have any questions, please contact Children’s Museum of Eau Claire Executive Director Mike McHorney at mike@childrensmuseumec.com or 715-832-5437.

The post Outstanding Achievement Award Nominations Are Now Being Accepted appeared first on Eau Claire Community Foundation.

Do you want to learn about some of the outstanding philanthropic work going on in the Chippewa Valley?

If so, click the link below to find:

• Funds both current and new
• Grants disbursed in 2016
• Donors to the ECCF and to the Eau Claire Public Schools Foundation
• Spotlight profiles of fund holders and grantees
• And much more!

2016 ECCF ANNUAL REPORT

The post The 2016 ECCF Annual Report Has Arrived! appeared first on Eau Claire Community Foundation.

The Women's Giving Circle is now accepting grant applications! The mission of the WGC is to support nonprofit organizations that run programs benefiting Eau Claire area women and/or children. To celebrate its tenth anniversary, the WGC will be awarding grants of up to $6000 (up from the previous maximum of $5000) in 2017. If your nonprofit is planning to create such a program or significantly improve an existing one, you're eligible to apply.

You can learn more about this opportunity at the WGC Grant Information page of this site.

All grant applications must be submitted by midnight on July 1, 2017.

Please call the Eau Claire Community Foundation at (715) 552-3801 or email Rebecca at grants@eccommunityfoundation.org if you would like more information about the Women's Giving Circle and its grant application process.

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