COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
OF JO DAVIESS COUNTY

Help grow YOUR Community Foundation. This fund will support the operations of the

Community Foundation allowing us to keep our costs low and focus resources on needs

in the community. the community.

The Future Fund supports future needs in Jo Daviess County in areas of need such as family economic security, education, and community development. Each year, the Future Fund provides grants to nonprofits and charitable causes that serve Jo Daviess County communities.

The Jo Daviess County Youth Fund was started with a $50,000 gift from an anonymous donor in 2019.  The fund supports efforts to ensure children and youth are healthy, ready to learn, succeeding in school, and empowered to contribute to the growth and vitality of our communities in Jo Daviess County. 

The Food Insecurity Fund was started with a gift from and anonymous donor. The fund supports the work of the Community Foundation to eliminate hunger in Jo Daviess County. The Community Foundation began work on food insecurity during the pandemic and continues to work on building capacity among organizations that work to end hunger and support families in need.    

The Jo Daviess County Water Resource Endowment Fund was started with a gift from The League of Women Voters of Jo Daviess County. The fund supports the work of the work done by the University of Illinois Extension to support ongoing water resource management in Jo Daviess County. This will help ensure we have high-quality, clean water resources in our community.     

The Better Days Scholarship was started by Stephanie Cocagne to encourage more students to enter the counseling or social work fields. This fund provides educational scholarships for students graduating from any high school in Jo Daviess County with an interest in pursuing the counseling or social work fields.

The Black Hawk Park District Foundation is raising funds to replace the pool. The fund will also ensure needed funding is in place for park improvements and, recreation and leisure activities now and in the future for the communities served by the Black Hawk Park District.

The CTE Academy Foundation supports capital improvements to the CTE buildings and grounds located in Elizabeth, IL as well as educational programs and materials.

The Elizabeth Community Fund was started by members of the Elizabeth IL community who pooled $10,000 to start the fund.  The fund will support the charitable work of nonprofit organizations that build or expand opportunities for citizens in 5 areas of focus: education, family economic security, community development, recreation & play, and the arts, in order to improve the lives of people in Elizabeth, IL.

The Elizabeth Historical Society Fund was started with a $200,000 gift thanks to the generosity Virginia Klopf Holiday, a local donor and long-time supporter of the Elizabeth Historical Society. The fund will support the Elizabeth Historical Society’s preservation efforts at their two museums and programming to celebrate the history of Elizabeth

and Jo Daviess County.

The Galena-Agen Friendship Cities Fund supports the work of the Galena-Agen Friendship Cities Program. Gifts to the fund make cultural, educational, and occupational exchanges possible between Galena, Illinois, USA, and Agen, France, through Sister Cities International.

The Helping Hands Scholarship fund was started by a team at Eagle Ridge Resort & Spa. The fund provides scholarships for students pursuing their credentials for working in the spa and wellness field. Scholarship awards are given annually to students graduating from highschool in Jo Daviess County.

Harlan & Marilyn Spiroff started their own Donor Advised Fund as a way to give back to their community in Jo Daviess County.  Their Donor Advised Fund allows them to make gifts into their fund in any amount, and to make grants from their fund to causes they care about.

The JDLF Gives Fund was started with a gift from Jo Daviess County Local Foods. The fund supports the work of JDLF Gives an initiative that expands access to sustainable local food for the benefit of our community, economy, and environment. JDLF Gives envisions healthier communities by connecting residents with local food, teaching them about the benefits of nutritious food, and showing them how to prepare that food.    

This fund supports the work of the Jo Daviess County Water Resource Management Planning Committee to protect and preserve water resources in our County by updating, promoting and implementing the Jo Daviess County Water Resource Management Plan.

The Prairie Ridge of Galena Foundation Fund was started in memory of John Cooke III.  

John was the founder of Prairie Ridge of Galena. His passion for the needs of memory care patients inspired Prairie Ridge of Galena to start the foundation in his memory. This fund will support efforts to find treatments and a cure for memory-related diseases and support the education & training of caregivers for memory care patients.

Rodger L. Stoddard believed in family, fun, and helping others.  In his memory, Roger’s family and friends created a scholarship fund at the Community Foundation of Jo Daviess County to honor Rogers’s fun-loving spirit and commitment to giving back to his community.

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Scholarship Awards will be given each year to one student graduating from each of the following schools with plans to attend a technical training, trade school, community college, 4-year college, or university: River Ridge High School, Stockton High School, Warren High School, CTE Academy. A total of 4 scholarships, 1 student per school will be awarded each year.

The Russel Martin Scholarship provides educational scholarships for students graduating from River Ridge High School who are going into the education field. The fund was started by the River Ridge Education Association to encourage and support students going into the teaching field.

In December 2019, Sandra Zink passed away suddenly. Sandra taught Sciences at the Galena High School for many years helping her students not only in the Sciences but also in their everyday life to provide them a path for their future. In her memory, Sandra’s family and friends created a scholarship fund to honor Sandra’s generous nature, her kind heart, and her love for science & education. 

The scholarship fund is supported by the Galena Federation of Teachers and will provide scholarships to students graduating from Galena Highschool with an interest in pursuing the sciences or education fields.

The Warhawk Tracker Backer Fund  is raising funds for a new track in Stockton. The fund will also ensure that needed funding is in place for maintaining the track in the future. Learn more about the project on the Tracker Backer Facebook page.