Howard Hedstrom
It goes without saying that Cook County is comprised of strong, independent individuals who come together when it counts. Likewise, it was nearly a decade ago when a group of strong, independent and caring citizens joined together because they wanted to create a permanent resource for the community they love.
By 2003, they had successfully created the Cook County Community Fund. An affiliate of the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation, the Community Fund is a permanent endowment that supports nonprofits in the region through annual grant making. It also provides a way for individual residents to support the community they love forever.
What exactly does this mean? It means that today, thanks to gifts from individuals and businesses, the Cook County Community Fund has awarded over $30,000 to regional nonprofits. This year, that included funding more than a half-dozen projects such as a guest lecture series through Cook County Higher Education, an arts program for kids through the Grand Marais Art Colony, and citizen workshops through the Cook County Coalition of Lake Associations, just to name a few.
Behind the scenes, I chair a community advisory group which helps determine what organizations should be funded. The advisory committee exists because who better understands the needs of this community than those living here? But, despite the amazing efforts of current and past board members, we are finding that we still can’t meet all of the needs in this community. To do this, we need your help.
Between now and the end of the year, we’ve set a goal of building the endowment up by an additional $20,000. The earnings from this money, combined with our current endowment, will allow us to increase our grant making in 2011. Thiscomes at a time when we are seeing an increased need for support. To help jump-start our efforts, the Grand Portage Tribal Reservation Council has offered us a 1:1 match for the first $2,500 we bring in. With their help and
yours, we can address the need in Cook County.
If you’re interested in making a donation or learning more, you have several options. To make a donation online, visit www. cookcountycommunityfund.com and click on the red “donate now” button and note that you’d like the gift to go to the Community Fund. If you are interested in learning more about the Cook County Community Fund, contact Howard Hedstrom at (218) 370- 0319.
I challenge everybody in this community to do what they can. While individually it is hard to make a lasting impact, collectively we can accomplish great things.
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