Foundation Charter Members Honored With Emeritus Status

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Conrad & Meyer honored by the Elk County Community Foundation

At the November Board of Directors meeting of the Elk County Community Foundation Attorney Jake Meyer and Dr. Bill Conrad, retiring Stackpole-Hall Foundation Executive Director, were awarded Emeritus Status in recognition of their visionary leadership in the establishment and growth of the Foundation.

More than 20 years ago, Jake and Bill discussed the possibility of establishing a community foundation in Elk County. They were aware of successful area individuals who could be philanthropists while at the same time Stackpole Hall Foundation was being inundated with requests from community non-profits.

Jake and Bill were joined by Stackpole Hall Board Members Doug Dobson and Ham Johnson and other community leaders to lay the foundation for a Community Foundation.  A Steering Committee was formed which included geographic representatives, influential leaders, legal and financial experts, civic leaders, entrepreneurs, and people who knew the community well.

On March 1, 1999, Attorney Richard A. Masson, the Community Foundation’s first chairman, led the initial Steering Committee meeting and charged the group to move forward with a feasibility study by forming three committees:

Attorney Jake Meyer was charged with examining the organizational legal structure, how a Board might be elected and how the Foundation might be administered leading his committee of Ham Johnson, Judith Manno Stager and 5 others.

Doug Dobson chaired his committee of Don Valone, Bud Brazinski, Dick Wolfe and 7 others to analyze the feasibility of creating a $5MM foundation in the next 5 to 10 years.

Bill Conrad and his committee investigated whether or not Elk County should affiliate with an existing community foundation and whether to include other contiguous counties.   His committee consisted of Don Fleming, John Fernan, Bea Terbovich and Sam Guaglianone.

Soon, by-laws were written and legalities were in place under the diligence and expertise of Jake Meyer. The first Board of Directors was selected and the Elk County Community Foundation was established.

Doug Dobson’s group and the Board began to realize their goal with the Stackpole Hall Foundation contributing start up money to hire an executive director, rent an office and begin educating the community.

After evaluating the structure and pros and cons about the feasibility of joining another community foundation, the committee under Bill Conrad’s leadership and the Board eventually established the Elk County Community Foundation without limiting expansion.

Now, nearly 20 years later, with a new name and the Elk County Community Foundation under its umbrella, and managing more than $12MM, the two key Elk County Community Foundation founders Jake Meyer, Esq. and Bill Conrad PhD were recognized and both agreed to continue their involvement and share their wisdom with the Elk County Community Foundation as Emeritus Status.

ECCF open grant applications due January 15

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ECCF open grant application are due January 15

The Elk County Community Foundation (ECCF) is accepting grant applications through January 15 from 501c3 organizations who wish to apply for funding from The Harrison and Muriel Dauer Stackpole Family Fund, the Elk County Society for Special Services Fund, or the Elk County Development Fund and Fund of the Future.

The Harrison and Muriel Dauer Stackpole Family Fund is an open grant that supports worthy projects that provide services for the residents of our communities. Their goal is to ensure that the Fund continues the good works that both Mr. & Mrs. Stackpole had done in our community during their lifetime and to support the philanthropic causes that were important to both of them

The Elk County Society for Special Services fund is designated for any nonprofit agency which provides services for the purposes of providing Pre-K education. The application should improve programs that are already established or develop new programs. This fund will not cover direct operating expenses of an agency, rather it hopes to enhance already established programs.

The Elk County Development Fund and Fund of the Future generally look to support community development initiatives that will enhance the economic and community wellbeing of Elk County. Projects should include activities that are innovative and have a plan to sustain themselves.

For instructions on how to apply for a grant please go to our new website at www.elkcountyfoundation.org. Please call our office at 834-2125 with any questions. ECCF is a non-profit organization that strives to strengthen our region through development, stewardship and grant making as it works with donors to achieve their philanthropic goals.

PHOTO: The St. Marys Heritage Preservation Group received a 2018 grant from The Harrison and Muriel Dauer Stackpole Foundation for flower pots throughout the downtown area.

Pay It Forward event to address tax laws, estate planning, charitable giving

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The Elk County Community Foundation (ECCF) welcomes featured speakers, Padraic McGrath of McGrath CPA, LLC, on left, and Thomas C. Hoffman, II, Esq. of Knox McLaughlin Gornall & Sennett to its Pay It Forward event on Monday, November 19 from 2 to 7 pm at the ECCF office and lobby of the Franklin Center on South St. Marys Street. This Open House event is an opportunity for all community minded individuals to learn how you can make your resources, large or small, work for both you and your community.

McGrath will present on the 2018 tax law changes and strategies on how to maximize charitable giving. He will also explain charitable IRA’s and how clients can still benefit from them. Also speaking will be Thomas C. Hoffman, II, Esq. of Knox McLaughlin Gornall & Sennett, who will share information on creating wills and estate plans and incorporating charitable giving into your plans. Hoffman will speak at both 3 pm and 5 pm, while McGrath will present at 4 pm and 6 pm. Reservations are not necessary.

The educational event will also feature informative table displays by area non-profit organizations that have Endowment Funds at the Foundation. Come learn more about ways, large and small, that you can help organizations like the Christian Food Bank, CAPSEA, Boys and Girls Club of St. Marys, Dickinson Center, St. Marys Library, Elk Co. Catholic School System, Ridgway Library, Oak Manor and ECCOTA. Chat with their representatives and enjoy appetizers, beverages, and door prizes including a TV. The public is invited to stop by anytime between 2 and 7 p.m. For more information contact ECCF at eccf@elkcountyfoundation.org or call 834.2125.

Community Foundation’s Ridgway Borough Charitable Fund awards $18,950 in grants

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Community Foundation’s Ridgway Borough Charitable Fund awards $18,950 in grants

The Ridgway Borough Charitable Fund, under the management of the Elk County Community Foundation (ECCF), recently awarded $18,950 in grants to eight non-profit organizations, municipalities and schools. The Ridgway Borough Charitable Fund is an endowed fund established from a gift received from the estate of Sara-Jane Stackpole. The purpose of the fund is to provide support to organizations who contribute to the quality of life of the residents of the Borough of Ridgway. An advisory committee made up of Ridgway community leaders and residents is appointed by the Board of Directors of ECCF to review grant applications and distribute grants each year.

The Guardian Angel Center seeks to supplement the clothing needs of children from the Ridgway area that they serve. They received $4400.

The Elk County Historical Society received a check for $4000 to help with the conversion of 333 reels of microfilm containing Elk County Newspapers dating back to 1885. The film will be made into digital images which will be stored on an external hard drive. The data will be searchable using optical character recognition. (OCR)

The Knights of Colunbus#1064 plans to purchase audio/visual equipment including a PA system and projector with the $2,180 that they received.  This funding will allow them to grow their community events which currently include a weekly public movie night during the summer, open mic nights at the Christopher Club, etc.

Project Gifts for Elk County hopes to provide eligible children with new toys at Christmas and other times of need such as Fires, Domestics etc. with the $1000 grant they received

The Master Gardener’s program through the Penn State Extension Office is planning to establish a Ridgway Community Demonstration Garden to educate the community on the best horticulture/gardening methods and practices. With the $1500 they received they also hope to supply garden produce to those in need.

Ridgway Animal Haven is building a new holding facility for the stray and abused animals in the Ridgway borough and township and will use the $2500 grant they received.

The Ridgway Heritage Council is re-printing the Walking Tour of Historic Homes Brochure along with its complimenting Historic Interpretive Signs Booklet. The original printing was in 2005 with 10,300 copies printed and only 50 of them remaining at the Ridgway-Elk County Welcome Center. Their grant of $1870 will be used for this purpose.

The Ridgway Free Library Association’s goal is to be able to secure enough craft supplies to offer an excellent weekly story time this fall through next spring. The $1500 will also help to fund the craft supplies, themed books, and some prizes necessary for their Summer Reading Program in 2019.

This year grant application requests totaled over $63,870. Grant monies were available to fund $18,950 of these requests. The Elk County Community Foundation encourages local residents and businesses to consider making a tax-deductible donation to help grow this community-oriented fund and increase the granting dollars available each year. Donations to the Ridgway Charitable Fund can be sent in care of the Elk County Community Foundation at PO Box 934 in St. Marys. For more information, visit the Community Foundation’s new website at www.elkcountyfoundation.org or contact ECCF at 834-2125. ECCF is a non-profit organization that strives to strengthen our region through development, stewardship and grant making as it works with donors to achieve their philanthropic goals.

St. Marys Sons of the American Legion establishes scholarship fund

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The Board of Directors of the Elk County Community Foundation (ECCF) is exited to announce a new scholarship fund established by the St. Marys Sons of the American Legion Post 103 to recognize and create awareness among our youth of what the military has done for our country. The scholarship will be open to graduating seniors who are attend either St. Marys Area High School or Elk County Catholic High School. Along with other criteria, students must complete an essay about, who through the military, has had influenced their life.

The Sons of the Legion join both the St. Marys Legion Post 103 and the St. Marys American Legion Auxiliary in creating a scholarship through the Elk County Community Foundation.  A complete list of the 94 scholarships, available for area students, administered by the Foundation is available on their new website at www.elkcountyfoundation.org.

In addition to the $500 award by the Sons of the Legion, the Community Foundation is one of 38 state wide partners with PATH (Partners for Access to Higher Education). Students who receive a scholarship award from the Community Foundation may qualify for matching dollars through PHEAA and the PATH program. In 2018 nearly $70,000 was matched to our local students.

The Elk County Community Foundation is a non-profit organization that strives to strengthen our region through development, stewardship and grant making as it works with donors to achieve their philanthropic goals. For more information contact ECCF at 834-2125 or by email at eccf@windstream.net.

Pictured left to right in photo: Front: Paula Eddy, Elk County Community Foundation Executive Director and Dennis Haberberger, President of the St. Marys Sons of the American Legion; back: Michael Pollick, Pete Fledderman, Stacy Wegemer and Ken Gnan, all members of the St. Marys Sons of the American Legion