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WCI’s endowment helps area
Published 10:47am Thursday, January 26, 2012Awards season isn’t only in Hollywood right now. Here in west central Minnesota, West Central Initiative (WCI) is awarding a share of $75,000 to the Fergus Falls YMCA Foundation Agency Fund, the Friends of the Prairie Wetlands Learning Center Fund, and the Underwood Education/Community Foundation for successfully meeting WCI’s 25th Anniversary Endowment Challenge.
In the spring of 2011, WCI launched the challenge to encourage its component funds (funds set up by and for communities and organizations, and administered by WCI) to create or increase a permanent endowment fund by raising at least $10,000 by Dec. 31, 2011.
The three area funds are part of the 15 component funds to successfully meet the challenge. Each will receive $5,000 from WCI for their endowment.
“Even though we don’t have a trophy to hand out, we still want to recognize the outstanding performance of the advisory committees of these two foundations,” said Kim Embretson, WCI’s vice president of development. “Because of their efforts, donations made to their permanent endowment funds stay invested to keep producing income for grants year after year. This will have a huge impact on the Fergus Falls and Underwood areas for generations to come.”
“The Endowment Challenge from WCI is very much appreciated. It will help the Friends continue to support the Yellow Bus Fund, the Prairie Science Class interns and other programs at the Prairie Wetlands Learning Center,” said Dave Sanderson, an advisory committee member for the Friends of the Prairie Wetlands Learning Center Foundation.
According to Jen Godzinski, interim executive director for the Fergus Falls YMCA: “The Fergus Falls YMCA Foundation was established to help provide a secure source of funding for the future development of the YMCA and WCI works with us toward this goal. We understand all too well the importance of donations and in tough economic times they are even more precious. We want the YMCA to continue to be an important community asset.”
“We were glad to have the incentive of the WCI Endowment Challenge to establish the endowment fund. We intend for the Foundation to have a lasting effect on bettering the Underwood School and community and this helps us realize that goal,” said Katrina Wass, Underwood Education/Community Foundation advisory committee chair. “I also appreciate that this award may give us some momentum as we look at the goal in 2012 of developing a plan for an Underwood fitness center.”
The Friends of the Prairie Wetlands Learning Center Fund helps enhance the programming and support the mission of the Friends of the Prairie Wetlands Learning Center. Learn more at www.friendsofprairiewetlands.com.
