2009 Year End Review

After spending time re-organizing and re-educating, the Tyler Area Community Foundation (TACF) seated its permanent advisory board on Nov. 23. This step marks the end of a year-long process with our partner, the Southwest Initiative Foundation, to “pass the torch” from the original core group of volunteers who got things started to a new board focused on building a permanent endowment for the community and meeting a $25,000 challenge grant from SWIF.
We want to thank those individuals who started TACF in 2001. Their vision is inspiring, as community foundations are among the fastest growing forms of philanthropy today! Now, there is a waiting list at SWIF for a community foundation, and we are grateful we participated in the program when there was availability. Founding board members included: Bo Duncan, Denny Blomgren, Karl Lunder, Marty Gallanter, Dr. John Utoft, Joy Schak, Deanna Drake, Sharon Jacobsen, Kelly Knudsen, Rick Lemonds, Bob Anderson, Kristi Luger and Dacia Burckhardt.
We also want to acknowledge and thank our new advisory board members who will carry TACF forward into the future. These community leaders will set new goals, raise endowment dollars, educate the community and award grants through an application process once enough money has been raised. New board members include: Sandy Enemark, Stephanie Ekema, Trent Hess, Glen Peterson, April Thomas, Joan Jagt, Gary Manson, Dan Tolsma and Tim O’Leary.
As part of its new responsibilities, new board members participated in a fundraising planning session with SWIF and set a goal of raising $13,000 for the permanent endowment. This amount is needed within 12 months to meet the challenge grant from SWIF, and SWIF will match every gift, dollar-for-dollar, up to the $13,000 we have left! Generous donors to the endowment in 2009 include: Hope Mutual, Skiver Car Show, Tyler Community Chest, Kelly Knudsen (State Farm), Tyler Lion’s Club, Sharon and Henry Jacobsen, Buzz and Joyce Dass, Tyler Kiwanis Club, Lois Andersen, Joan and Jerry Jagt, and Tim and Stacy O’Leary.
In addition, TACF has partnered with the Tyler Golf Club and is helping it raise money for the renovation project. Over $175,000 has been raised so far and will be used as expenses are incurred related to the renovation. Generous donors to the golf club project include: Allen Lund, Ines Peter, Jim and Carol Kopel, John and Margaret Bornhoft, Lennie Burckhardt, Charlie Swenson and Sonja Lund, Dr. John and Nancy Utoft, Tim and Stacy O’Leary, Beck Agency (Kullen Stanek), Kelly Knudsen (State Farm), Hope Mutual and the Tyler Lions Club.
Thank you to all donors!
There is still time to give during 2009 – either to the endowment to help us meet the match from SWIF or to the golf club project. All gifts are tax deductible. Contact a TACF board member for more information. You can also follow the activities of the Foundation by reading our blog updates at http://tylerareacf.blogspot.com

December 3rd Update

Good Afternoon! Just a few donations to recognize at this time. Look for a year end write up to appear early next week. The foundation has recently received a donation of $2,000 to the Tyler Golf Club project from Hope Mutual Insurance. The foundation has also received a $250 donation from Lyon-Lincoln Electric Cooperative and a $50 donation from Joan and Jerry Jagt for the endowment fund. We would like to thank these individuals and organizations for the investment in Tyler through the TACF.

November 24th

First, I would like to recognize a couple of recently received donations. We received a $1,000 donation from the Tyler Community Chest for the endowment fund and we received a $500 donation from James and Carol Kopel to the Golf Course Project. Thank you!

Last night, the TACF seated its new board and held a fundraising planning session. The new board members are: April Thomas, Dan Tolsma, Gary Manson, Steph Ekema, Sandy Enemark, Joan Jagt, Glen Peterson, Trent Hess and Tim O'Leary. I would like to thank each of them for taking the time to volunteer to serve on this board.

This also means that you will start to see more of us in the community as we look to raise the final $13,000 needed to meet the $25,000 match challenge from the Southwest Initiative Foundation. We have the next 18 months to raise these dollars, so we will be looking for your help in meeting this goal.

Nov 20th Update

One donation to report to the Tyler Golf Course Project. Lennie Burckhardt has donated $10,000 to the project and we would like to thank him for the donation. To date, $175,100 has been raised for this project.

On November 23rd, we will be seating the new board. Look for an update on next week's blog.

Update

It seems that that the more updates I do to the blog, the more checks we receive. So, I thought that I would try it again. Today, we received a $250 donation to the endowment fund and $1,000 donation to the Golf Course Project from Kelly Knudsen State Farm Agency.

Update on Endowment and Project Funds

Good Afternoon! It has been awhile, so I thought that I would update everyone on what has been going on with our two funds. The endowment fund has received a couple of donations over the last month. So on behalf of the TACF, I would like to recognize the following donors to the endowment fund: Arnold and Joyce Dass, the Tyler Kiwanis Club ($250), Tim and Stacy O'Leary ($100), and the Tyler Lion's Club ($1,000). Thank you very much for your contributions to the future of Tyler.

The Tyler Golf Club Clubhouse remodel project has really taken off fast thanks to Wally Christensen and the other volunteers. To date the following individuals have donated to project fund: Allen Lund ($100,000), Charlie Swenson and Sonja Lund ($30,000) John and Margaret Bornhoft ($25,000), Ines Peter ($5,000), Kullen Stanek ($3,000), John Utoft ($1,000), Tim and Stacy O'Leary ($100) and the Tyler Lion's Club ($500). There has also been various others that have donated time or material to this project including the City of Tyler, Bornhoft Concrete, and Rick Brownlee.

Please let me know if I left anyone out, otherwise, thank you for your donations to both funds.

Update on Projects and Board

Good Afternoon. It looks like we have just filled the last board position for the new foundation board. Sandy Enemark has agreed to fill the remaining 2 year board seat and we thank her for volunteering. In other news, the foundation set up a Tyler Golf Club project fund at its last meeting and we received our first donation to the project from John and Margaret Bornhoft. I have also been contacted by other donors and I hope to recognize all of them when I receive their donations, so look for more recognition updates in the future.

Just a reminder that we are nearing the end of the year, so if you would like to give a tax deductible donation, please remember the Tyler Area Community Foundation where both the endowment fund (which qualifies for matching dollars from the Southwest Initiative Foundation) and the Tyler Golf Club project qualify as tax deductible donations.