Before Bob and Mary Karisny’s five grandchildren could start tearing apart their presents this past Christmas Day, they had some charitable business to attend to. This has been the routine at grandma and grandpa’s house for their two children, their spouses and the grandkids for the past 10 or so years. The Menasha couple’s Bob […]
Seven generations ago, Elisha D. Smith bought a wooden bucket factory that grew into the international packaging company Menasha Corp. Now a handful of his descendants are working to hand down a legacy of philanthropy and are finding it’s also good for business. Starting with $50,000, the group dreams of having a major impact on charities in the […]
We saw an incredible year for charitable giving in the Fox Valley region, as highlighted in our 2014 Report to the Community for the year ending June 30, 2014. Grants awarded: a record $15.9 million granted to nearly 900 nonprofits. Contributions: second-most in our 28-year history with more than $31 million given by 1,900 generous individuals, […]
A good friend and former colleague recently shared a plaque that reads: “Where there’s a will, I want to be in it.” That may have been a younger generation’s response to a bumper sticker – popular among retirees – that proclaims: “I’m spending my kids’ inheritance!” Donors to the Community Foundation have found many creative […]
In many years as a city hall and business reporter, I dealt with a lot of real estate professionals. The successful ones always presented an unwaveringly optimistic facade, no matter the reality or their actual opinions. So when I went to the offices of Coldwell Banker the Real Estate Group Inc. to interview company Chair […]
When someone plans a campaign for a community project in the Fox Valley, the list of people they’d like to champion it is certain to include Joyce Bytof. For a good cause, her answer always normally would have been yes. But a long battle with a rare form of cancer has forced Joyce, chairman 0f […]
Sarah Schmidt says the Community Foundation is so familiar, it’s almost like a part of her family. That’s why she and her partner, Julie Matthei, feel very comfortable leaving a significant portion of their estates to a family foundation established within the Foundation.“We both recognize the significant skill and experience the Foundation brings to our […]
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