Exciting things to come in 2025!
How quickly 2024 has passed! Here I am sharing my final President’s Letter of the year. I am grateful to be serving the community and our Board of Directors in my capacity and grateful to this readership allowing me to share my thoughts and CFMC’s triumphs and goals, needs and news with the community at large. Of late, we have been especially fortunate, and I am thrilled to share our good news.
Just before Thanksgiving, CFMC received the largest gift we have seen in a decade. This first-time donor made a substantial gift of stocks, asking to remain anonymous which did not surprise me given the character of the man. He is as wise as he is generous. Besides this incredible gift he is giving to his community, he is also showing us the important, and often forgotten, lesson of humility. Not lost on me was the unwavering support of his sons. Obviously, his character made a mark on the men they are today.
This single donation satisfies nearly a third of Lilly Endowment’s requirement for Morgan County. To recap, Lilly Gift VIII triples every donation made to our unrestricted grant-making account. This is the account that supports our county’s not-for-profits and school districts. If we raise $450,000 in donations, Lilly Endowment gives Morgan County $1 million dollars. And here is the real impact: we will give just over $73,000 in grants in 2025. If we hit our donation goal of $450,000 and receive the $1 million from Lilly Gift VIII, we will likely be able to grant $135,000 in 2026, almost doubling our impact from one year to the next.
I do not expect only a few people to get us to our donation goal; however, I do hope to inspire small and collaborative giving. Pulling together and combining our donations is exactly what our new 100 Women Who Care and Guys Who Give are designed to do.
Started in Vigo County, these giving circles are prevalent in many of our neighboring counties. Women and men commit to donating $500 per year (given annually or quarterly) and gather 4 times per year to grant the proceeds to local not-for profits by vote. Because these donations go directly to not-for-profits, they are eligible for the Lilly Gift VIII triple match! Giving back to the community, collaborating with like-minded women and men, and 4 fun nights – it doesn’t get better than that! Johnson County’s 100 Women Who Care is 10 years strong and has granted just under a half million dollars to their local non-for profits. Please watch our website for details and contact me to join this transformative movement. Exciting things to come in 2025!
