Matching Grant. December 31, 2013 at the Paramount Theatre marked the kick-off of a yearlong initiative between the Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley and the Dunham Fund. Guests were invited to participate in the initiative’s kick-off and also to ring in the New Year with a Paramount performance of “Piano Men: A Tribute to Elton & Billy.”
The foundations’ initiative, Doing Our Part, will strategically support some of the Aurora area’s most pressing issues. Coordinated by both foundations, fields-of-interest will be identified by area experts, nonprofit organizations, and community leaders as priority issues to be addressed in the future. Early in 2014, one field will be identified and will become a focus of collaboration and fundraising efforts throughout the year.
A Field-of-Interest Fund will be established at the Community Foundation to accommodate the fundraising efforts. To establish the fund, the Dunham Fund has made a $250,000 challenge grant matching $1 for every $1 raised from other sources. The Community Foundation and the Dunham Fund will cultivate new donors to the fund and will collaborate with nonprofit organizations working within the identified field-of-interest to select funding opportunities that will provide specific, measurable results. Those in attendance at the celebration were asked to fill out a card identifying their personal thoughts on the top three most pressing issues facing communities in the Aurora area. Additional focus groups will be held to identify the critical fields-of-interest.