Jennifer’s Keynote Speech

I have been fortunate.  I’ve always had family, friends and love.  I’ve always had food and shelter.  I had parents who believed in education and believed that I would use it to create a good life.  They believed in me and these are huge advantages for anyone.  And, I have made a good life.   

I am grateful to be able to make such a donation to NACF now and to include it in my estate plans for down the road. 

 I thought long and hard about this.  Shouldn’t I leave all of my money to family?  To my nephews?  But, they, too, have had great advantages and I’d like to see them use those advantages to create their own lives.  There is tremendous satisfaction in doing so.  I’d like them to work hard and feel that pride that comes from being self-sufficient.  Too much free money can cripple.  Don’t you think? 

And there are too many people who never had the advantages that we’ve had.  Too many people who are hungry or are living in inadequate homes.  Older people struggling to maintain a modicum of independence and children struggling to maintain balance in a crazy world.   

Why make this donation to the endowment fund now?  One reason is that future grant money will come exclusively from the earnings on our endowment.   

NACF’s endowment is small and we’ll be quite restricted in the amount we can grant to our nonprofits until we grow our endowment.  The other reason is that I want the pleasure of seeing what kind of support my donation can provide in our community. 

I’m proud to have served on NACF’s board for 8 years now.  I am proud of the support that we provide to our local nonprofits, which are doing a tremendous job of easing people’s burdens; feeding and clothing and helping with shelter.  Our local nonprofits help parents be better parents and they help children feel safe.  NACF and the nonprofits are working hard to give so many people “advantages.”  We are working hard to help people so that they can make their own lives better and in so doing, we make our own lives and our communities better. 

The Northwest Alliance Community Foundation does good work.  It offers educational events for nonprofit leaders so that their nonprofits can function more effectively and efficiently.  And we give grants to nonprofits.  As an aging baby boomer, I was thrilled that we were able to award a grant to the Webster Senior Center for the installation of a handicap-accessible door.  I was deeply moved that our grant money, awarded to the Burnett County Workforce Resource and another grant to the Salvation Army, was used to help teens aging out of foster care.  We’ve helped fund Interfaith Caregivers of Burnett County so that they could help people pay utility bills.  Many grant dollars have gone to public schools to help with programs targeting the mental health of students and staff. 

 We can all offer “advantages” to our neighbors and communities.  We can make sure that parents have food to put on the table and that they have books to read to their children.  We can help provide transportation to doctors’ appointments and ramps to get into homes.  We all can help.  We can all do more.  I’m putting my money where my mouth is and I invite all of you to join me in supporting NACF’s work by making a donation now and considering including this organization in your estate plans.