Current News

Foundation Celebrates its 30th Anniversary

On February 2, 2010 the Fremont Area Community Foundation participated in the ribbon cutting ceremony celebrating the second floor renovation of the Historic Visitors Center Building. The Foundation awarded a $50,000 grant toward the project and is one of the many organizations that have offices in the building. The Foundation also kicked off its 30th Anniversary at that event. The Foundation was established in 1980 with a bequest of $53,000 from Ethel Whalen, a retired school teacher. What would Ethel think about the Foundation being valued at over $10 million in assets just 30 years later? Not to mention that since 1980, the Foundation has awarded 970 grants in the Fremont Area totaling over $7 Million. Every gift does make a difference and the Foundation has grown through the years thanks to hundreds of generous individuals.

We have some special plans to celebrate our 30 years and to help us continue to make a difference 30 years in the future. This spring as part of the Arbor Day celebration, the Foundation will plant 30 new trees at Christensen Field. Each tree represents the growth we have already achieved and is symbolic of our investment in the future. It fits well with our motto at FACF which is “Give to Grow”.

As the needs in our community grow, the Foundation also needs to grow. We are working to add 30 new businesses to our Business Supporter list. We appreciate the continued support of local businesses to the Foundation and hope to build an even broader base. We also will ask our very generous Sustaining Members to consider an extra gift of $30 this year to help celebrate this milestone. Business Supporters and Sustaining Members help to support the Foundation operations so that our unrestricted endowment fund can be used to award grants in the community.

Our Legacy Society members assist the Foundation with long-term growth. Their gifts of all sizes, through bequests and estate planning, help to build the overall assets of the Foundation. It is our goal to begin discussions with 15 new couples or ultimately welcome 30 new members to the Legacy Society this year.

The Foundation plans to start five new Field of Interest endowment funds within the Foundation in the areas of Arts and Culture, Education, Health and Recreation, Civic Improvement and Social Services. These are endowed funds set up to support a specific area of interest in our community. The Foundation will be soliciting contributions toward these funds and will match those contributions dollar for dollar up to $30,000. Grants will be made to local 501(c)(3) organizations for programs or activities within the area of support from these five new funds. These grants will be in addition to the competitive grants already given four times a year to the community. Enclosed in this newsletter is an envelope to help you to send a contribution for this matching campaign. You may select which fund your contribution will support.

Finally, in November 2010, the Foundation will hold a special annual dinner honoring Marv Welstead. Marv has been actively involved with the Foundation since 1980. Many of the milestones of our historic timeline are personally attributed to the dedication and hard work of Marv Welstead. We hope you see the many ways the Foundation is able to make a difference in our community and will join in our 30th Anniversary Celebration.

FACF Offers Additional Scholarships in 2010

The Fremont Area Community Foundation is pleased to announce three new scholarships which will be available in 2010.

The Dodge County Humane Society will provide two $1,000.00 scholarships to be awarded each year to students who will be studying in the areas of veterinary or animal science. One of these scholarships will be awarded to a Fremont High School graduate and one to a senior graduating from Bergan High School. The students receiving these scholarships may attend any two or four year college. These scholarships are funded each year from the Dodge County Humane Society Endowment Fund which is held at the Fremont Area Community Foundation. “We are excited to have these new scholarships to award this year. These are the first offered in the specific area of veterinary and animal science which is a growing field and essential in the State of Nebraska. It is wonderful that the Dodge County Humane Society decided to establish these scholarships,” said Kristine Gale, Executive Director of the FACF.

In addition, a scholarship has been established by the family of Jack R. Bryant, a past head football coach at Fremont High School. This scholarship will be in the amount of $1,000.00 and will be awarded each year to a graduating senior football player from Fremont High School who has shown the most improvement scholastically and athletically during his high school career. The student may attend a two or four year college. “Scholarships can be a great way to honor a loved one especially if they were involved in the lives of our youth. We appreciate Jack Bryant and his family for setting up the scholarship as part of a planned gift to the community,” said Gale. “It is a wonderful way to continue making a difference.”

The Fremont Area Community Foundation is proud to administer and in many cases award scholarships to students in Fremont and the surrounding area. In 2009 the Foundation awarded 40 scholarships totaling $24,350. Scholarships are available in all different areas of study and most are available for students attending two or four year colleges or universities. Some of these scholarships focus on academic achievement , some on community activities, and others are based on financial need. Forms are available online. “We have a variety of scholarships available. There really is something for everyone. We even have a few scholarships for non-traditional or continuing education students, “ said Gale. For more information about the scholarship funds held at the Fremont Area Community Foundation, visit the scholarships section of our website.