ECCF receives a Community Partner Award from Beaver Creek Reserve Posted on October 17, 2024 by Eau Claire Community Foundation ECCF received the Community Partner Award at Beaver Creek Reserve's 2024 Annual Meeting. ECCF is honored to have received a Community Partner Award from Beaver Creek Reserve (BCR). This award had been recommended by BCR's team to acknowledge ECCF's support of the Reserve's work over the years, including the facilitation of a grant from Compeer Financial that significantly expanded BCR's outreach to rural schools. Grants from ECCF have also supported staff professional development opportunities, upgrades to recreational equipment, general operating expenses, and (most adorably) a large… Read More »
Women’s Giving Circle Members Celebrate Grantees at their Spring Gathering Posted on May 15, 2024 by Eau Claire Community Foundation The Women’s Giving Circle held its largest gathering ever at the The Brewing Projekt on May 13! Current WGC grantees shared all the good work they are doing to support women and children funded by the grant dollars from generous WGC members. Through the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Greater Chippewa Valley - Altoona Center students are learning to calm their emotions. The Chippewa Valley Museum is bringing our logging history alive for school age children with an interactive gallery renovation at the @wisconsinlogging. Children are building confidence and… Read More »
2023 Additions to ECCF’s Family of Funds Posted on January 2, 2024 by Eau Claire Community Foundation ECCF welcomed a variety of exciting new Funds in 2023! Read on to learn about these additions to our Family of Funds. AGENCY ENDOWMENT FUNDS These Funds allow charitable organizations to establish Endowment Funds within ECCF rather than create and manage such a Fund themselves. They generate a predictable stream of income so that the nonprofit can use the earnings from the Fund to offset its operations forever. Chippewa River Watershed Fund This Fund will help Landmark Conservancy preserve wild and scenic places in the Chippewa River Watershed. CVM-Wisconsin Logging… Read More »
2023 Women’s Giving Circle grant recipients Posted on November 8, 2023 by Eau Claire Community Foundation The members of the Women's Giving Circle voted to fund $41,300 in grant awards at their Annual Meeting on Nov. 7, 2023. Each grant recipient helps to fulfill the WGC’s mission of supporting women and children in the Eau Claire area. The organizations and programs the WGC has voted to fund are: Altoona Boys and Girls Club: "Social-Emotional Program Enhancements" Chippewa Valley Museum: "Children's Gallery Renovation at the Wisconsin Logging Museum" Chippewa Valley Youth Choirs (UWEC Foundation, fiscal sponsor): "Music Library Freshen Up" Eau Claire Area Hmong Mutual Assistance Association:… Read More »
ECCF collaborates with Compeer Financial to support opportunities for outdoor education at Beaver Creek Reserve Posted on November 7, 2023 by Eau Claire Community Foundation ECCF is proud to announce its partnership with Compeer Financial in the Rural Collaboration Project, an initiative aimed at bolstering rural vitality across the Midwest, with a focus on environmental learning opportunities for students in rural communities of the Chippewa Valley. In a significant step toward enhancing rural communities, ECCF has been selected as one of seven community foundations across the upper Midwest to participate in this pioneering initiative, receiving a grant of over $21,000 from the Compeer Financial Fund for Rural America donor-advised fund, the Agriculture and Rural Initiative.… Read More »
ECCF awards $100,000 in grants from the William A. Bingham Family Endowment Fund Posted on October 11, 2023 by Eau Claire Community Foundation ECCF is delighted to announce the allocation of $100,000 in grants from the newly established William A. Bingham Family Endowment Fund, an unrestricted Fund that aims to benefit the Eau Claire community. Grants have been awarded to The Wellness Shack, the Eau Claire County Sheriff’s Office, and the Eau Claire Police Department. Each grant has the potential for immediate and lifesaving impact. The Wellness Shack has been granted $20,000 to bolster its staffing and capacity-building efforts, enhancing its ability to provide crucial mental health resources and peer support to those… Read More »
ECCF Welcomes Wesley Escondo as New President & CEO Posted on July 5, 2023 by Eau Claire Community Foundation New President and CEO Wesley Escondo ECCF is pleased to announce the appointment of Wesley Escondo as its new President and CEO effective August 7, 2023. Escondo brings a wealth of experience and a strong commitment to community development, making him an ideal choice to lead ECCF into its next phase of philanthropic impact. Escondo succeeds Sue Bornick, Executive Director. ECCF has prospered under Bornick’s leadership. Since she became Executive Director in 2009, ECCF’s assets have more than quadrupled, dozens of new funds have been opened,… Read More »
Congratulations to the 2023 Community Grant recipients! Posted on May 16, 2023 by Eau Claire Community Foundation ECCF is pleased to announce that our Community Grant Cycle awarded $213,259 in grants to 50 nonprofits that serve Eau Claire County. This total includes an unprecedented eight grants of $10,000 or more! Grantees represent all four of ECCF’s giving categories: Create Culture (visual and performing arts, museums, literature); Form Futures (education, training); Give Green (animals, fitness, the environment); and Offer Opportunities (basic needs such as food, shelter, and medical care). 2023 Community Grant Awards Each year, ECCF’s Grants Committee, which is currently composed of 20 local volunteers, evaluates applications… Read More »
ECCF Seeks New Executive Director as Sue Bornick Moves to a New Role Posted on February 10, 2023 by Eau Claire Community Foundation Outgoing ECCF Executive Director Sue Bornick For over a decade, Sue Bornick has been the Face of the Foundation: As ECCF’s Executive Director since 2009, Sue has appeared at dozens of events, participated in countless meetings, and made numerous television appearances. ECCF has prospered under Sue’s leadership; during her tenure, its assets have more than quadrupled, dozens of new Funds have been opened, and hundreds of grants have been awarded. But 2023 will bring a new face to the Foundation. Sue is transitioning to a new… Read More »
The 2023 Community Grant Cycle Is Already Breaking Records! Posted on February 7, 2023 by Eau Claire Community Foundation 2023’s Community Grant cycle is already setting records, and the grant review process has barely begun! This year, an unprecedented 62 applications were submitted, with a request total of almost $500,000. That’s well over $100,000 more than the previous highest request total! Another exciting feature of this year’s Community Grant Cycle is the introduction of a new Operations grant category. Operations grants of up to $10,000 will help nonprofits keep their doors open during times of unusually high expenses or unexpected revenue losses. ECCF’s Grants Committee, which consists entirely of… Read More »
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