A $2.3 million endowment has been established to support entrepreneurship and people attraction in north-central Nebraska. Rudolph H. Elis created a donor-advised fund in 2006 that was funded by a bequest upon his death.

“This bequest is profoundly important to the work of the Nebraska Community Foundation. For many years NCF has talked about the importance of small business development and people attraction to generate new wealth creation in our hometowns. With this gift, Mr. Elis has given us a great model to share with others,” said Jeff Yost, NCF president and CEO.

Rudy Elis believed in hard work, living within one’s means, saving and investing. He was born and raised in Knox County. He worked the family farm outside of Verdigre and tended livestock all of his life. He never married and had no children. According to his friend and financial advisor, Brad Pflueger, Elis was a private person who spent most of his time working the home place. He was never seen in anything other than his overalls and work shirt.

Rudy Elis made frequent trips to Pflueger’s office in Norfolk and to O’Neill, where he visited with attorney Jan Krotter Chvala. He needed to make

sure he had finances to cover his health care, but he wanted his remaining estate to be used by rural communities that were working to stay vibrant.

“Rudy didn’t believe in handouts,” said Jan Krotter Chvala. “He was not into charitable giving in the traditional sense. He wanted to see people helping themselves.”

Rudy Elis died at the age of 92 in September 2007, and was buried in a pair of overalls and a work shirt that he had

personally selected. His values of hard work and self-reliance will live on through investments in working people for generations.

$2.3M Estate Gift for Entrepreneurship and People Attraction

NCF LAUNCHES REMOTE TRAININGMonthly webinars are helping affiliated fund leaders do a better job of promoting, governing and raising significant gifts for their community and organizational funds.

Full article on page 2

COLLABORATION LEVERAGES HTC FUNDING

“Grow Garden County” is off to a fast start thanks to support from the donor-advised fund of Tom and Cynthia Olson of Lisco. Garden County is a recent recipient of a USDA matching grant to support HTC efforts in this county with a population of just over 2,000.

Full article on page 6

GIFTS OF LAND ENRICH AFFILIATED FUNDSNCF helps two countywide affiliated funds accept gifts from families who chose to give back to their communities through gifts of land.

Full article on page 7

BEST PRACTICE: A REGIONAL FOCUS Emily Sallach announces the start-up of a countywide Youth Advisory Group for Holt County. Holt County is walking the talk when it comes to HTC’s regional approach to development. The strategy is moving forward on all four “pillars.”

Full article on page 8

A LOOK INSIDE...

The late Rudy Elis accepts his recognition as a member of the NCF Legacy Society.

NCF FINANCIAL SNAPSHOTTOTAL ASSETS(in millions)

12/05 12/06 12/07 12/08

$23.4

$28.9

$37.2

$52.8NUMBER OF PLANNED ESTATE GIFTS

12/05 12/06 12/07 12/08

86

108

129

147

www.nebcommfound.org

Grants from the endowment will fund programs for job creation, business transition, youth entrepreneurship and people attraction so that communities can grow and prosper.

ConnectionsSpring 2009

I On the Leading Edge

Affiliated fund leaders now have the opportunity to sharpen their skills in marketing, fundraising and governance without ever leaving their home or office. In January NCF launched its new webinar service, a monthly series of live, interactive online training sessions. The webinars are led by NCF staff members and sometimes feature experienced affiliated fund leaders as panelists. Participants view and hear the sessions through an Internet site, and they can ask questions and make comments by connecting via phone or by simply using a computer headset and microphone.

The sessions are offered on the second Wednesday of each month at 12:30 CT/11:30 MT and are repeated live at 5:30 CT/4:30 MT. Approximately 150 affiliated fund leaders participated in the first three sessions on marketing, donor visits and grantmaking. For information on how to join an online training session contact Sheri Hink at (402) 323-7347 or shink@nebcommfound.org.

Executive MembersBrian Thompson of Waverly, ChairShannon Harner of Lincoln, Vice ChairBrandon Day of Norfolk, SecretaryF.E. Pete Peterson of Brule, TreasurerP. Mark Graff of McCook, Immediate Past Chair

At-Large MembersJudy Brockmeier of EustisFred Bruning of BruningJanet Krotter Chvala of AtkinsonJudith Scherer Connealy of DecaturBob Kathol of OmahaFred Lockwood of ScottsbluffBob Mundy of OmahaLori Pankonin of ImperialCarol Russell of OmahaJon Schmaderer of StuartDennis Stara* of LincolnSusan Ugai of LincolnRichard Walter of ShickleyRay Welsh of Pender* Advisory Member

Honorary MembersHelen Boosalis of LincolnSteve Buttress of KearneyBrenda Council of OmahaConnie Day* of NorfolkJim Fehringer of ColumbusNancy Hoch of Nebraska CityRichard Hunt of Blair Kim Lauritzen* of Omaha Rodrigo Lopez of Omaha Ed Loutzenheiser of JuniataSenator Ben Nelson of OmahaRon Parks of PapillionBeverly Pollock of OgallalaSid Salzman of AinsworthJim Scholz of OmahaFrank Sibert of ValentineBob Stowell of OrdKathleen Thuman of MaywoodMimi Waldbaum* of OmahaJeanene Wehrbein of PlattsmouthJim Wolf* of Albion* Deceased

President and CEOJeffrey G Yost

President EmeritusMaxine B. Moul (retired)

NCF BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Inside NCF

2

NCF Launches Webinar Trainings

NCF Staff Profile: Jim GustafsonJim Gustafson, NCF Gift Planning Director, helps donors, their financial advisors and affiliated funds create charitable gifts that make a positive difference in communities across Nebraska. Jim is NCF’s in-house expert on designing innovative ways for donors to make meaningful contributions to the causes they care about. He has helped to arrange gift plans that benefit both the donor and their community. Jim was recently elected president of the Nebraska Partnership for Philanthropic Planning. Jim and his wife Terri live in Lincoln and are the parents of three adult daughters. Jim spends much of his spare time volunteering as a mentor for TeamMates. He can be reached at (402) 323-7341 or jgustafson@nebcommfound.org.

Matt Connealy, Sheryl Piere and Marilyn Anderson of Decatur participate in the webinar, “Marketing Tools that Get Results,” using a laptop computer and big screen TV.

“I definitely think this is a way to provide training in an effective and efficient manner. Thanks!”

Randy Vlasin Chase County Hospital Foundation

Upcoming spring and summer webinars:April 8 FAC Development Strategies

May 13 New FAC Orientation and Operations

June 10 Working with Financial Planners

July 12 Developing a Communications Strategy

On the Leading Edge I

More than 150 community leaders gathered in McCook on November 6 to celebrate NCF’s 15th anniversary and to look ahead to continuing success. “What we’re doing is breaking new ground,” said Mark Graff, NCF immediate past chairman. “We’re learning how to talk to people about charitable giving more directly, and how to make wiser investments by creating endowments that will benefit our young people today and for generations to come. The Nebraska Community Foundation is on the leading edge.”

Dr. George Garlick of Richland, WA was honored for his contribution of more than $1 million to build the Curtis Memorial Community Center. “My father never earned more than a dollar an hour as a school janitor in Curtis,” said Garlick. “But he was rewarded with pride, integrity and a sense of community.”

Several western Nebraska affiliated funds were spotlighted during the program. Thedford, Keith County and McCook each had stories of success to share.

Incoming NCF Chair Brian Thompson of Waverly honored Mark Graff of McCook for his service as Chair of the Foundation from 2006 to 2008. Mark will continue to serve on the NCF Board for the next two years. Bob Stowell of Ord and Kathy Thuman of Maywood were also recognized as they retired after serving nine years on the NCF Board.

The event was followed by a HomeTown Competitiveness Field Day. Sixty community organizers learned how HTC is invigorating development efforts in 16 sites across Nebraska. Panelists explained how HTC evolves differently in each setting. Sometimes the entrepreneurship task force is the early driver; sometimes the focus on youth or philanthropy is the catalyst for action. But as Bob Stowell of Ord pointed out, “The reason

things get started is leadership. It’s the people sitting at the table.”

Participants toured McCook and met several HTC activists, including the young entrepreneurs who own Game On, an Internet and retail business specializing in video games. Each of the HTC Pillar task forces presented, with the overarching theme of getting young people involved in leadership, entrepreneurship, philanthropy and community engagement.

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www.nebcommfound.org

BOARD MEMBERS, STAFFAND ANNUAL CELEBRATION

Annual Celebration and HTC Field Day

New NCF Board MembersFour new members were elected to the NCF Board of Directors during its annual meeting in November.

Judy Brockmeier currently serves as chair of the Eustis Area Community Foundation. Judy also serves on the Advisory Board for the Nebraska Community Improvement Program. Semi-retired from banking, Judy’s part-time job as a tour director and bank travel coordinator takes her to both regional and international destinations.

Lori Pankonin has been secretary of the Imperial Community Foundation since it was founded in 1999. She is involved in second generation ownership of four newspapers in southwest Nebraska and northeast Colorado. Lori plays an active role in her community as Rotary president, Arts Council secretary and member of numerous organizations.

Dennis Stara, originally from Butler County, has had a successful career in consulting, tax and audit services. He was instrumental in the growth and merger of several accounting firms with BKD LLP, where he specialized in working with financial institutions, agri-business and distribution clients. Upon his retirement in 2008, BKD was the 10th largest CPA firm in the U.S.

Richard Walter owns an insurance and real estate business in Shickley and is the past chair of the Shickley Community Foundation. Richard is currently Chairman of the Shickley Village board, and has served on the boards of the Nebraska Municipal Power Pool, Municipal Energy Agency of Nebraska and the American Public Energy Agency.

Participants pose at the historic Fox Theater—one of the stops during the McCook HTC Field Day.

New board members: (top left) Judy Brockmeier, (top right) Lori Pankonin, (bottom left) Dennis Stara, (bottom right) Richard Walter

“What we’re doing is breaking new ground… The Nebraska Community Foundation is on the leading edge.”

Mark Graff NCF Past Board Chair

2008 ANNUAL BANqUET SPONSORSFirst National Bank, OmahaMcCarthy Group Advisors, OmahaConsolidated Companies, LincolnThe Day Companies, NorfolkFarmers State Bank, MaywoodMcCook National Bank, McCookMillard Manufacturing, OmahaNebraska Investment Finance Authority, LincolnCurtis State Bank, CurtisLockwood Foundation, ScottsbluffBob Mundy, OmahaBettenhausen Family Foundation, LincolnHarris Properties, LincolnMutual of Omaha, OmahaNebraska Bankers Association, Lincoln

I On the Leading Edge

Affiliated Fund Updates

4

NCF Community FundsPender Public Schools now has an automatic external defibrillator (AED) thanks to a grant from the Pender-Thurston Education and Community Foundation. Every staff member at Pender Public Schools was trained to use the new AED.

Butler County Area Foundation continues to support its HTC leadership program, “Leading Locally.” In February eight members of the group traveled to Lincoln to tour the Capitol and Governor’s Mansion. They also sat in the gallery of the Unicameral and observed floor action, discussed the economy with Governor Dave Heineman, and visited their senator, Chris Langemeier, and others to learn what it is like to serve in the Legislature.

The McCook Community Foundation HTC Youth Working Group and McCook Public Schools have established a youth-led foundation. Students from 8th through 11th grades may participate in the McCook Youth Advisory Council to make grants and engage donors interested in helping to grow the endowment to support youth-led initiatives. An endowed gift from Andy and Geri Anderson of McCook supports HTC youth activities in the community.

The Wausa Community Foundation (pop. 636) is on track to receive an additional $5,000 when it meets the next benchmark for its Hunt Challenge Grant. The Foundation has raised more than $134,000 and has received an additional $40,000 from the Robert and Jeannette Hunt Challenge to build a permanent community endowment. The challenge grant campaign began about two and one-half years ago. The goal is to build an endowment of $200,000 by August 2009.

The Newman Grove Community Foundation has been issued a $50,000 challenge grant. The goal is to raise an additional $100,000 over the next two years to establish a permanent endowment to support entrepreneurship, youth engagement, economic development and non-traditional scholarships.

Bloomfield Community Foundation is spearheading the development of a new medical clinic with the City of Bloomfield. Fundraising for the $600,000 project totaled more than $100,700 within the first few months of the campaign. Construction will begin this spring.

Thedford Area Community Foundation (pop. 211) held its 5th Annual Banquet with 167 people attending. The event raised more than $15,000, which easily qualified the affiliated fund for an additional $3,000 grant from Consolidated Companies. The event includes a community auction and dance.

The Diller Community Foundation (pop. 287) endowment goal of $200,000 was met and surpassed as the year 2009 began. A group of 96 charter supporters will be honored, and gifts will continue to grow the endowment and generate earnings for annual support of community and economic development efforts.

Wallace Community Foundation (pop. 329) surpassed by far its $3,000 challenge from Consolidated Companies by joining forces with the Teen Center for a banquet and auction that raised nearly $25,000. Proceeds are divided between the two groups. The Foundation’s profits will be used to build the community’s endowment.

Governor Dave Heineman and Extension Educator Dennis Kahl meet with members of Butler County Leading Locally at the State Capitol.

Bids rise as Ruth Sheffield and Jim Smith display a quilt auctioned at the Wallace Community Foundation and Teen Center event.

School nurse Leslie Timm, second from right, demonstrates the AED to (l-r) Joan Moeller, school principal, Jason Dolliver and Mark Lorensen. Moeller and Lorensen are members of the Fund Advisory Committee. Photo: Kimberly Kai, The Pender Times

Affiliated Funds Provide Emergency Grants NCF assisted four affiliated funds that were invited to apply for $20,000 grants from the Peter Kiewit Foundation in Omaha to meet emergency relief needs in their communities. Community foundations in Columbus, Imperial, McCook and O’Neill distributed the grant moneys in January to area agencies providing emergency food, shelter and utility subsidies to needy families.

Lyn Wallin Ziegenbein, executive director of the Peter Kiewit Foundation, wrote a letter to the affiliated funds that explained the distribution of funds. “We are supportive of the good work our nonprofit colleagues are doing and are glad that

we can partner with so many of them in these challenging times,” Ziegenbein wrote in the letter.

Members of the Imperial Community Foundation present checks to the Imperial Community Center and the Southwest Nebraska Ministerial Association to be used for emergency food and utility needs.

(Standing l-r) Committee members Gene Johnson, Bryan Eldorado, Caroline Hall, Darren Vanness and Gerald Gunderson accept contributions from Russ Koehler (seated left) of Wausa Insurance Agency and Doug Johnson of Commercial State Bank. Each company recently contributed $10,000 toward the Hunt Challenge.

On the Leading Edge I 5

NCF Organizational and Donor-Advised Funds

www.nebcommfound.org

COMMUNITY AND ORGANIZATIONALSUCCESS HIGHLIGHTS

The WealthSpring Fund is a statewide affiliated fund providing resources to increase women’s economic self-sufficiency. WealthSpring was one of four recipients of Lincoln Benefit Life donations made on behalf of LBL’s employees in honor of the company’s 70th anniversary. Recent WealthSpring grants support training in health care occupations, financial education for low-income women and economic empowerment counseling for battered women.

Alumni Support Their SchoolThe He-Hi Alumni Association, which holds its account within the Hebron Community Foundation, has contributed $4,500 to replace badly worn stage curtains at Thayer Central Schools in Hebron. “The school is the center of activity during most of the year in our small communities” said Chairman Pat Kenner. “A project that many people see and enjoy regularly sends a great signal to alumni and community residents that their contributions do achieve results,” Kenner commented. The alumni support was leveraged with school funds. Drew Harris, Thayer Central Superintendent, stated that the board of education was inspired to act with the challenge donation from the alumni association last year.

Norfolk Launches Heroes Park Project Plans are taking shape for an eight-acre backyard park project for the Norfolk Veterans Home. The $1.5 million project will offer a tranquil space for veterans and visitors. It will feature a plaza for large gatherings, accessible walking paths, a kitchen facility and recreational areas. The Norfolk Veterans Home Foundation is an account within the Norfolk Community Foundation. The park’s theme, “From the Greatest Generation to the Latest Generation,” promises that people of all ages will enjoy the experience.

HTC Youth Leaders Honored Emily Sallach and Bergan Carr were honored at the 2008 National Philanthropy Day Luncheon, hosted by the Association of Fundraising Professionals Nebraska Chapter in Lincoln. Sallach and Carr were nominated for the Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy award by Meg Johnson of the Nebraska Children and Families Foundation. Sallach and Carr serve on the Governor’s Youth Advisory Council and the O’Neill HomeTown Competitiveness Task Force. As young leaders they have organized numerous fundraising activities and events to support community projects. “These two outstanding leaders have left a mark on the community of O’Neill and their state and they continue to inspire the next generation of rural community leaders and philanthropists,” said Johnson.

Construction of Heroes Park is scheduled to begin in the fall of 2009.

Emily Sallach, Meg Johnson and Bergan Carr

Lincoln Benefit Life president, Larry Dahl; Marcus Johnson, Boys and Girls Club; Susan Ugai, WealthSpring Fund chair; Brian Wachman, United Way

AFFILIATED FUND LEADERS LEARN AND SHARENCF’s 2008 Rural Philanthropy Conference drew an overflow crowd to the Lied Lodge in Nebraska City last fall.

200 Total participants

58 Presenters

57 Affiliated fund participants

25 Affiliated funds represented

22 Affiliated fund presenters/panelists

Action planning for moving community funds forward was built into each of the 16 concurrent training sessions. The final morning was devoted to planning for implemention of new ideas back home.

For a full report on the 2008 Rural Philanthropy conference, go to www.nebcommfound.org/RPC/2008RPC.htm.

GIFTS TO NCF AFFILIATED FUNDS IN 2008Despite economic uncertainty, charitable giving to affiliated funds remained strong in 2008.

Month of Year-End December Total

First Time Donors 279 1,745

Number of Gifts 1,233 6,977

Number of Affiliated FundsReceiving Gifts 101 139

Total Amount $3,680,430 $15,920,000

Gifts over $500 291 1,273

I On the Leading Edge6

Private Support Sparks HTC InitiativeTom and Cynthia Olson of Lisco established a donor-advised fund through NCF with a gift of more than $100,000 in 2006. They wanted to get Garden County in western Nebraska growing again, and NCF’s message of rekindling hope through HomeTown Competitiveness inspired them. They started using their charitable dollars to support homegrown prosperity.

Today things are happening in Garden County. Eight local public and private entities have partnered to leverage support for several community development grants. Recently, NCF was awarded a USDA matching grant for $124,000 over three years to support HTC in Garden County. The county has hired an HTC coordinator and business coach.

Now “Grow Garden County HTC” is moving into strategy development. In January 70 residents came together to set priorities for leadership development, entrepreneurship, youth engagement and philanthropy. With a county population of just over 2,000, that’s a significant number of people taking on leadership roles.

“With the difficult economic times facing our country today, it is an opportunity for Garden County to demonstrate its great quality of life and

that it is forming a strategic plan to diversify its economy beyond agriculture production. Grow Garden County can be successful with the joint effort of individuals throughout the county,” said Mr. Olson.

Garden County is known for its pristine natural environment and excellent hunting and fishing. This may be why more than half of the teens surveyed there say they would like to stay in or return to the area if career opportunities were available. The same number would be interested in entrepreneurship training and owning their own business someday.

People like Tom and Cynthia Olson are helping to make that possible. As Chairman of the Lisco State Bank and with banking interests in other communities, Mr. Olson recognizes that investment in people is critical to the future of our small towns. Philanthropic assets are a perfect, yet often untapped, resource for community reinvestment.

“To come back and give back can insure that our legacy will be around for awhile,” said Mr. Olson.

“One thing is certain; it is a good, safe investment that can pay big dividends.”

Charitable Giving

NCF President and CEO Jeff Yost with Legacy Society members Cynthia Olson and Tom Olson of Lisco

The Nebraska Community Foundation partners with community leaders to inspire charitable giving, prudently manage financial resources and make strategic investments for the prosperity of our people and our communities. Confirmed in Compliance with National Standards

for U.S. Community Foundations

WAYS TO ESTABLISH A DONOR-ADVISED FUND Donors can use a number of common gift options to connect to the causes they care about:

Gifts of Cash•Appreciated Property•Real Estate•Securities (public or privately held)•Gifts of Ag Commodities •Bequests in Wills or Trusts•Beneficiary Designations•

- Life insurance - IRAs - Bank accounts

Charitable Gift Annuities•Charitable Remainder Trusts•

For illustrations and stories about people who are investing in their hometown, visit the NCF Web site at www.nebcommfound.org/tools4donors.htm.

BENEFITS OF DONOR-ADVISED FUNDS Donor-advised funds make charitable giving simple and enjoyable. In a donor-advised fund, donors make an irrevocable contribution to a fund, claim a charitable contribution on their income tax returns, then recommend how the money in the fund should be distributed to charity. There are several advantages:

You have flexibility in the timing of distributions.•You avoid the time and expense of establishing •a private family foundation.

You recommend grants, but do not have to •handle the contributions to individual charities.

NCF handles all accounting, investment •management and recordkeeping.

Your fund is not bound by the IRS minimum •distribution rules applicable to private foundations.

You may be able to recommend an investment •advisor for the fund, in accordance with NCF policy.

You have the option of remaining anonymous. •For more information, contact Jim Gustafson, NCF Planned Giving director at (402) 323-7341 or jgustafson@nebcommfound.org.

“To come back and give back can insure that our legacy will be around for awhile. One thing is certain; it is a good, safe investment that can pay big dividends.”

Tom OlsonLisco, NE

NCF helped to facilitate two recent gifts of land, illustrating the opportunity for capturing wealth transfer within NCF’s affiliated funds.

Butler County Butler County area organizations will receive the proceeds when NCF completes the sale of 154 acres of fertile farmland located about three miles southwest of David City. Charles Stoops of Carpenteria, CA contributed the property. He told Larry McPhillips, chair of the Butler County Area Foundation (BCAF), that it is what his dad, Charles Stoops, Sr., would have wanted. The Stoops family isn’t interested in recognition, Stoops said. They just like to help out.

The gift will benefit the community through the BCAF, as well as the David City library and hospital foundations.

This is the second gift of land the Stoops family has made to the Butler County area. About 10 years ago Stoops’ parents, Charles and Grace Stoops, gave the community 80 acres of land just before the elder Mr. Stoops’ death.

Keith CountyA housing development in Ogallala is the source of a recent gift to the Keith County Community Foundation. The proceeds from the sale of a donated residential lot will go to support the Keith County Community Foundation’s endowment fund.

The gift comes from the developers, Clark and

Eileen Anderson, who are former long-time residents of Paxton and Ogallala and the former owners of Buenz Drug (now the U-Save Pharmacy) and gift store in Ogallala. They like the idea of a countywide foundation, and saw the advantages of making a meaningful contribution through a gift of real estate.

Jim Thalken, chair of the Keith County Community Foundation, said working through NCF makes the transfer of title an easy process. “Jim Gustafson has been extremely helpful. NCF is taking all the necessary steps and handling all the paperwork involved with the acceptance of the property,” Thalken said.

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COMMUNITY PHILANTHROPYAND CONTRIBUTIONS TO NCF

www.nebcommfound.org

On the Leading Edge I

July 2008 through December 2008$100,000 or MoreThe Ford Foundation

$25,000 to $99,999First National Bank of Omaha *The Peter Kiewit FoundationW.K. Kellogg Foundation

$10,000 to $24,999Cooper FoundationKathleen Thuman/Farmers State Bank *

$5,000 to $9,999The Day Companies * Consolidated Companies McCarthy Group Advisors

$2,000 to $4,999Great Plains Communications Inc.

MNB Financial Group/McCook National BankNebraska Investment Finance Authority Ron and Judy Parks/Millard Manufacturing Corp.

$1,000 to $1,999Bruning State Bank *Robert E. Mundy *Curtis State BankWilliam and Erma Damme Farms LLCCornerstone BankTinstman Family Donor-Advised Fund

$500 to $999Bettenhausen Family FoundationFred and Carol LockwoodJeff Yost and Cindy Ryman Yost *Sam and Joyce BairdJanet Krotter Chvala and Gary ChvalaDeryl Hamann

Mutual of Omaha Insurance CompanyHarris PropertiesHBE Becker Meyer LoveNebraska Bankers Association

$100 to $499Shannon Harner and Philip GoddardDoug and Pat Friedli *Jana and J.C. Jensen *Reggi and Doug Carlson *BKD LLPWenke Manufacturing CompanyLorenson Lumber & Grain CompanyWelsh Financial ServicesKarla and Matthew Egger *American National BankLori and David PankoninBrian Ardinger and Susan StibalJudith Scherer Connealy and Matt Connealy

Contributions to the Nebraska Community Foundation

*All or a portion of this gift was made in support of the NCF Endowment.

Results of youth surveys conducted by NCF in two area middle and high schools are prompting affiliated fund leaders of the Boone County Area Foundation (BCAF) to refocus its grantmaking to emphasize greater long-term impact.

The surveys, funded by the donor-advised Connie Fund of Norfolk, show that the vast majority of teens surveyed rate their communities as at least average or above average, and more than 60 percent say they could picture themselves living in their community in the future if career opportunities were available. These findings surprised many adults.

With three new members on the Fund Advisory Committee, BCAF decided to forego its traditional annual grantmaking this year. NCF is helping the affiliated fund take a close look at what strategies might better nurture youth engagement and people attraction.

BCAF met a $100,000 challenge grant issued several years ago by Jim and Elaine Wolf of Albion. With more than $300,000 in endowed funds, BCAF can provide significant annual support for countywide entrepreneurial efforts.

Justin Bounds, Emily Martian, Beau Bremer and Alexandria Mullings are students at Boone Central Middle School, where 80 percent of the students surveyed said their community was a good place for kids.

Land Transfers Retain Wealth Locally

New Grants Will Focus on Impact

Volunteers www.nebcommfound.org

Best Practice: A Regional Focus Holt County is one of NCF’s most dynamic HomeTown Competitiveness sites because it takes a regional approach to community development. In 2005 HTC fueled the imagination of leaders and young people in Stuart (pop. 625) and Atkinson (pop. 1,244). These two small towns launched a leadership program that brought people from both communities, including adults and teens, together for the first time. Interest grew among the four task forces working on entrepreneurship, leadership, youth engagement and philanthropy, and soon, the county’s largest city, O’Neill (pop. 3,733), joined the collaborative work. Each of the three communities had already established NCF affiliated funds through which charitable gifts could be made and directed to support HTC activities.

In April of 2007, Holt County and its eight municipalities signed an inter-local agreement to support a new Holt County Economic Development (HCED) office, and hired its first full-time director. Each of the communities is represented on the HCED board of directors. They have collaborated

to secure outside resources, such as a Building Entrepreneurial Communities grant and a Federal Home Loan Bank JOBS grant. In less than two years, HCED has directly assisted with the creation of 11 start-up businesses and 9 business expansions, which resulted in the creation or retention of 110 jobs. HCED helped to bring 11 families back to Holt County since 2007. Even more alumni have returned on their own.When HCED held its first countywide celebration,

“Expanding Business – Building Community,” Jon Schmaderer, a member of the Stuart Community Foundation, credited HomeTown Competitiveness as the major catalyst for recent achievements. Speaking to the 144 people who had gathered for the event, Schmaderer said, “The HTC framework enabled us to focus on the key areas that would ultimately help us achieve long-term sustainability because HTC pillars are built on resources we already have right here in our communities.”

The O’Neill Youth Task Force is spearheading efforts to form a countywide youth advisory council. And, as a sign of its commitment to young people, HCED gives each high school graduate a full-sized, personalized mailbox as a reminder that they are always welcome home and an invitation to come back.NCF works with donors and financial advisors in the county to secure major planned gifts to support ongoing HTC efforts. Significant local gifts from donor-advised funds of Paul and Karen Seger, Martha and Mary Linhart and Rudolph Elis, totaling nearly $2 million, will provide a significant annual infusion of funding for Holt County far into the future. Ultimately, HTC’s regional approach is proving to be a powerful case statement for prospective donors because it has renewed their hope for the future prosperity of their hometown.

NON-PROFIT ORGUS POSTAGE

PAIDLINCOLN, NE

PERMIT NO. 449650 J Street, Suite 305 PO Box 83107 Lincoln, NE 68501-3107(402) 323-7330 • Fax (402) 323-7349www.nebcommfound.org info@nebcommfound.org

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

BEST PRACTICES

Jon Schmaderer explains the HTC impact at HCED’s first countywide celebration.

High school student Jesse Thoendel of Chambers receives a personalized mailbox inviting him to return home sometime in the future.

“The HTC framework enabled us to focus on the key areas that would ultimately help us achieve long-term sustainability… ”

Jon SchmadererStuart Community Foundation