Fulton County | Northern Indiana Community Foundation

Fulton County

Welcome to the Fulton County Community Foundation
Fulton County is a wonderful agricultural community. Its population is one of hardworking people who are eager to make their community the best in the state.

Since 1993, Fulton County Community Foundation has brought caring people and charitable endeavors together for the good of this great community. The Community Foundation gives donors flexible and tax-effective ways to ensure their charitable giving. We work to build substantial endowment funds for our community through contributions large and small.

Fulton County Community Foundation is proud to be a part of the Northern Indiana Community Foundation (NICF). The NICF allows us to maximize our investment benefits and be more cost efficient. This way Fulton County donations can do more—right here in Fulton County.

So far, Fulton County Community Foundation has dispersed nearly 4 million dollars in grants and scholarships. Currently the Community Foundation holds over $8 million in assets and administers 110 funds.

Fulton County Community Foundation
meets $100,000 Operating Endowment Goal
May 2008

Pictured from left to right; Front row, Fulton County Community Foundation board members Andi Lee, Laura Snipes, Glenda Bode, Nancy Day, Phyllis McGurck. Back Row, Brian Johnson, FCCF, John Brown, Pike Lumber Company, Arik Lee, Rochester Telephone Company, Kirk Robinson, FCCF board member, Dick Belcher, First Federal Savings Bank./td>

Picture from left to right; John Brown, Pike Lumber Company, Arik Lee, Rochester Telephone Company, Dick Belcher, First Federal Savings Bank, Brian Johnson and Phyllis McGurk, Fulton County Community Foundation.

In 2005, Lilly Endowment Inc. issued the Sustaining Resource Development initiative. The goal is to help community foundations become self-sustainable. Part of the SRD plan for the Fulton County Community Foundation is to create an Operating Endowment that will help provide for day to day operations. This will allow the Community Foundation to focus on it's primary mission of helping donors improve their community.

Three local companies joined with the Community Foundation to help meet the 2007 goal of $100,000. First Federal Savings Bank, Pike Lumber Company and Rochester Telephone Company combined to match $1 for $1, up to $50,000 combined, for all funds raised by the Community Foundation for the Operating Endowment. The Community Foundation met their goal of $50,000 which was matched by these companies.

Rochester Telephone Company president Alan Terrell said "The Community Foundation has helped support many worth while projects in our area." He went on to say "The Operating Endowment match was a critical step in assuring the long term sustainability of the Community Foundation and to ensure that future projects can be supported."

The Community Foundation has been able to support a wide variety of projects though out Fulton County. It has also been able to help support many deserving local students with college expenses through a variety of scholarships.

"The primary mission of the Community Foundation is to help donors to fulfill their charitable wishes and to support the local causes that they are passionate about," said Associate Director Brian Johnson. "By creating the Operating Endowment, it will allow us to focus on our mission and to help ensure that the Community Foundation is available in the future to help donors make a difference Fulton County."

Since inception, the Fulton County Community Foundation has been able to distribute more than $4.4 million in grants and scholarships. If you have questions or would like more information about the Community Foundation, contact Associate Director Brian Johnson at 224-3223 or by e-mail at fulton@nicf.org.

We would like to say thank you to the following individuals and businesses who helped us meet our 2007 goal.

Matching Partners
First Federal Savings Bank	Pike Lumber Company	Rochester Telephone Company

Individual Donors
Mr. & Mrs. Pierre W. Absi Mr. & Mrs. T. Jay Albright Mr. & Mrs. Dean Baker Mr. & Mrs. E. Parke Baxter Mr. & Mrs. Richard E. Belcher Mr. & Mrs. Wayne Bode Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Bohr Mr. Daniel P. McCarthy & Ms. Susie Marvel Ms. Phyllis McGurk Mr. Ronald K. Meyers Mr. Ada C. Miller Mr. & Mrs. C. Allen Miller Mr. & Mrs. Steve O'Dell Mr. & Mrs. Kevin Pugh	Mr. & Mrs. Robert R. Bridge Mr. & Mrs. John Brown Mr. & Mrs. Richard R. Cole Mr. Larry Cunningham Mr. & Mrs. Ben B. Daulton Mr. & Mrs. Eugene Foley Dr. & Mrs. James Fritts Mr. Joe A. Richard Mrs. Violet Seiwert Mr. & Mrs. Marc Sirken Mr. & Mrs. Arnold Snipes Ms. Holly A. Statler Ms. Melinda R. Straeter Mr. & Mrs. Roy Sutton Mr.& Mrs. Scott Teel	Mr.. & Mrs. Donald R. Groenleer Mr. & Mrs. George Hapner Mr. & Mrs. Bob A. Hoffman Mr. & Mrs. John W. Howkinson Mr. & Mrs. Dan Johnson Mr. & Mrs. Brad D. Thomas Mr. & Mrs. Robert Tobey Dr. & Mrs. Thomas Troutman Mr. & Mrs. Channing Utter Mr. & Mrs. Martin Van Meter Mr. & Mrs. Patrick R. Walgamuth

Corporate Donors
Airvac, Inc. Deans Foods First Financial Bank Fritts Family Dentistry	Gast Heating and Cooling, Inc. Rochester Metal Products Rochester Rotary Club	Smith Sawyer Smith, Inc. Wal-Mart Foundation

Hope Hospice Agency Endowment Match a Success

For the second year in a row, the Fulton County Community Foundation has completed a successful Agency Endowment matching campaign. For 2007, Hope Hospice of Fulton County accepted the challenge of raising $25,000 to be matched with a $1 for $1 match from the Community Foundation's unrestricted funds. Because of the support of the community, the program was a wonderful success taking only four months to raise the $25,000 in matching funds.

In a letter of thanks to the community, chairman of the fundraising effort, Don Groenleer wrote, "On April 1, 2007 I accepted the challenge of chairing the fundraising efforts for the Fulton County Community Foundation's agency endowment match. The goal of the agency match is to reach out to agencies that do not have an endowment fund with the Community Foundation, increasing its sustainability. The Community Foundation looks for agencies that impact many lives and are important to the quality of life in Fulton County.

Following last year's successful 4-H agency endowment match, the Community Foundation chose Hope Hospice of Fulton County to benefit this year from a $1 to $1 match up to $25,000. Hope Hospice has served the community's spiritual and medical need for more than 12 years. This endowment fund within the Community Foundation will benefit Hope Hospice today and forever.

I am happy to report that the match is now complete. Hope Hospice of Fulton County now has an endowment fund that is over $50,000. Once again the wonderful people of Fulton County and beyond contributed amounts ranging from $5 to $5,000 to meet this match. I would like to thank Hope Hospice of Fulton County and everyone who helped to make this campaign a success."

This is the second year the Community Foundation has offered it's agency matching program. In 2006, the Community Foundation was successful in establishing a permanent endowment for Fulton County 4-H.

Once again, the Community Foundation is working with local agencies to continue this program in 2008. If you would like more information on the Fulton County Community Foundation, contact Associate Director Brian Johnson at 574-224-3223 or by e-mail at fulton@nicf.org.