Some of the projects that will be funded include forensic science lab materials at Knoxville High School, an outdoor learning oasis at United Junior High School, and an American Sign Language Curriculum at Monmouth-Roseville High School.

“By providing flexible funding directly to educators, mini grants not only bolster classroom learning but also foster a sense of support and appreciation within the local community for the crucial work teachers do every day,” said Sarah Grant, Director of Development at the Galesburg Community Foundation.

Mini grants receive funding from Community Funds, which are funds of Galesburg Community Foundation. Each Community Fund has a local advisory board that is empowered to award grants that positively impact their community and residents. Because they are endowments, Community Funds grow forever, creating a permanent source of financial support for local needs.

To expand funding for teachers in the United School District this year, the United 304 Foundation Fund co-funded grants with the Alexis Community Fund for United North Elementary School and the United 304 Foundation Fund co-funded grants with the Becky Carlson Teacher Mini Grant Fund for grants at United West Elementary School.

“Through collaboration, these funders are amplifying their impact,” said Joshua Gibb, President and CEO of Galesburg Community Foundation. “By pooling resources and expertise, they’re not just supporting educators; they’re investing in the future of our students.”

Below is a list of teachers, schools, projects, and funders of teacher mini grants for the 2024-25 academic year.

Knoxville CUSD #202

• Jennifer Black, Knoxville High School – Forensic Science Lab Materials (Knoxville Community Fund)
• Deborah Dunlap, Knoxville High School – Start German Program (Knoxville Community Fund)
• Jolene Parrish, Mable Woolsey Elementary School – Art Supplies (Knoxville Community Fund)
• Kaelee Potter, Mable Woolsey Elementary School – Building Academic, Creativity, and Functional Skills Supports (Knoxville Community Fund)
• Katie Smith, Knoxville High School – Life Skills Enrichment (Knoxville Community Fund)
• Ellen Shrader – Mable Woolsey Elementary School, Young Students Need Keyboarding Skills (Knoxville Community Fund)
• Katie Frey, Knoxville Junior High – STEM Recharge (Knoxville Community Fund)
• Amy Hopper, Knoxville Junior High – STEM Cricut Creations (Knoxville Community Fund)
• Terrah Myers, Mable Woolsey Elementary School – Math Professional Development Book Study (Knoxville Community Fund)

United CUSD #304

• Keeley Brinkmeier, United North Elementary – Flexible Workspace for Active Learning: Enhancing Collaboration and Creativity (Alexis Community Fund, United 304 Foundation Fund)
• Lynsey Temple, United North Elementary –Classroom Library Improvements (Alexis Community Fund, United 304 Foundation Fund)
• Melinda Fry, United Junior High School – Outdoor Learning Oasis (United 304 Foundation Fund)
• Nikki Robertson, United West Elementary – Classroom Materials (Becky Carlson Teacher Mini Grant Fund, United 304 Foundation Fund)
• United North Elementary – Operation Kindergarten Success (Alexis Community Fund, United 304 Foundation Fund)
• Mindy Murray, United North Elementary – If You Build a Library, They Will Read (United 304 Foundation Fund)
• Bethany Allen, United West Elementary – Classroom Library (United 304 Foundation Fund, Becky Carlson Teacher Mini Grant Fund)
• Chelsea Logsdon, United West Elementary School – SEL Sensory Room (United 304 Foundation Fund, Becky Carlson Teacher Mini Grant Fund)
• Anna Hinton, United Junior High School – Outdoor Learning Oasis (United 304 Foundation Fund, Becky Carlson Teacher Mini Grant Fund)
• Breanna Ryner, United North Elementary – SEL Learning (United 304 Foundation Fund, Alexis Community Fund)
• Kelsi Kleine, United West Elementary – Sensory Room/Office (United 304 Foundation Fund, Becky Carlson Teacher Mini Grant Fund)

Monmouth-Roseville CUSD #238

• Cammy Davis, Central Intermediate School – Flexible Classroom Seating (Monmouth and Roseville Community Funds)
• Nicole Trego, Monmouth-Roseville High School – American Sign Language Curriculum (Monmouth and Roseville Community Funds)

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From a mini golf course upgrade to a robotics team to a summer reading program, Community Funds in Alexis, Knoxville, Monmouth, Roseville, and Williamsfield recently distributed 15 grants to organizations that serve their communities.

Community Funds, which are funds of Galesburg Community Foundation, are guided by local advisory boards that are empowered to award grants that positively impact their communities and residents. Because they are endowments, Community Funds grow forever, creating a permanent source of financial support for local needs.

This year, the Community Funds collaborated to co-fund grants to four of the organizations that provide services to multiple communities. “This collective approach to granting from multiple Community Funds offers organizations a unique opportunity to access diverse resources and expertise, amplifying the impact of their initiatives,” said Jillian Isaacson, Director of Grants & Program at Galesburg Community Foundation. “Co-granting fosters innovation, collaboration, and sustainability, empowering organizations to address complex challenges more effectively and create lasting change in our communities.”

Below is the list of organizations that received Community Grants and the Community Funds that awarded the grants.

• Buchanan Center for the Arts – Arts for All (Monmouth)
• CASA of West Central Illinois – CASA Volunteer Recruitment (Alexis, Knoxville, Monmouth)
• Knoxville Robotics Team – FIRST Tech Challenge (Knoxville)
• Junk 4 Jingles – Funding assistance for Knox County Salvation Army Angel Tree children (Knoxville)
• Knoxville United Methodist Church – Food for Knoxville Food Pantry (Knoxville)
• Loving Bottoms Diaper Bank – Diaper and Period Product Distribution (Knoxville, Monmouth)
• Roseville Kids Place – Early Childhood Operations (Roseville)
• Strom Center, Inc. – Expansion of Space for Programs (Monmouth)
• Village of Alexis – Main Street Christmas Decorations (Alexis)
• Alexis Museum – Repairs (Alexis)
• Warren County Public Library District – Summer Reading Program (Monmouth, Roseville)
• Warren Achievement Center – Achieving Greatness: slowing the progression, or onset, of dementia (Monmouth)
• Warren County YMCA – Camp Meskwaki Campus Pavilion (Alexis, Monmouth, Roseville)
• Williamsfield Area Food Pantry and Resource Center – Williamsfield Area Food Pantry (Williamsfield)
• Williamsfield Parks Association – Doubet-Benjamin Park Mini Golf Upgrade (Williamsfield)

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“When you find partners that share your passion for your community, it’s a no-brainer,” says Jeannie Weber, Executive Director of United Way of Greater Warren County. Weber found the perfect partners a few years ago in Galesburg Community Foundation and the Twomey Foundation—two organizations with a shared passion for lifting up local communities.

These three partners pooled their resources to provide matching funds for the establishment of Community Funds in Alexis, Monmouth, and Roseville. If towns could meet a $70,000 fundraising goal, that amount would be matched. “The towns were taking on an enormous challenge,” says Joshua Gibb, president and CEO of the Community Foundation. “During a pandemic, mind you! And they stepped up and did it.” 

The result is an expanded landscape of funding sources for county nonprofits and projects. “At first, we weren’t sure how this would work,” says Twomey Foundation Board Member Sarah Walters. “But working with these partners, together we figured out how we could create another important resource for Warren County—one that also advances our mission.”

The Twomey family operated a grain storage company for generations and started the Twomey Foundation more than 25 years ago to give back to the farming community and the people of Warren County.

For 50 years, the United Way of Greater Warren County has invested in local nonprofits and programming. “We see this as an investment,” says Weber. “We all want the same thing, to see our hometowns thrive.”

Even for those that move away, the love for home remains strong, and Community Funds offer a means of connecting with the communities they cherish. “In Roseville, for example, nearly half of all the initial gifts came from beyond the county, and we saw gifts from 12 different states,” says Gibb. “These funds help to keep money at home, but they also bring generosity back to the community from people who love their community but have since moved away.”

These funds are in their early stages, but already they are making a difference in each community. “Our work is long-term,” says Walters. “Because we created these partnerships, these funds are going to be sustainable and thriving for generations.”

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Last year, a project funded by the Roseville Community Fund installed planters in downtown Roseville. Like those flowers, now that the Community Fund has bloomed, Shaw says, “it has brought a lot of joy and beauty to our community, and it’s only going to continue to grow.”

In 2015, Knoxville residents worked with Galesburg Community Foundation to establish a local Community Fund. Since then, four more funds—in Alexis, Monmouth, Roseville, and Williamsfield—have been organized by local communities. Each is overseen by an advisory board made up of community residents.

“As an advisory board, our goals are to grow the fund and to make sure the money is going to local organizations making a difference,” says Toby Myers, mayor of Knoxville and Knoxville Community Fund advisory board member. “Our work is supported by Galesburg Community Foundation and the people in this town, and I’m happy to say it’s paying off.”

Local Community Funds are endowed resources that will support the community for generations. Now, Myers and his fellow board members want to make sure more people know about what the funds are doing and how to contribute. 

Donations remain in the community and go toward the projects that matter most to residents. “We try to have different perspectives on the board,” says Alexis Community Fund advisory board member John Elder. “It’s important to hear from different age groups, business owners, and people with different interests. We want the fund to serve everyone in Alexis.”

It’s working. Though it was established just two years ago, the Alexis fund is already drawing attention. “I see it as a way to maintain what we love about our hometown,” says Elder. “We have received donations from people who have moved away, we’ve received gifts as memorials, and we see gifts from people who live here now—everyone cares about the town and wants to see it thrive.”

Galesburg Community Foundation works with each local advisory board to establish the fund and offers support as needed to develop projects in each community. “The connection with the Galesburg Community Foundation is invaluable,” says Shaw. “They help us with marketing, let us know about new opportunities, and are always ready to answer questions. At the end of the day, they are there to support what we think is best for our community.”

Shaw says that support has translated into exciting developments for the Roseville community. “We’ve been able to make grants to the local food pantry and provide families with food around the holidays. We made a grant to upgrade restrooms in the Community Center to make them more accessible, and we upgraded the sound system there as well.”

This summer, the Monmouth Community Fund reached their fundraising goal to endow the fund and awarded community grants to six local nonprofits. One of those nonprofits was the Buchanan Center for the Arts for their Art Presenter Program for local grade schools. “These grants help make Monmouth a better place to live, to raise our families, and to keep people coming back here,” said Trevor Davies, Community Fund Advisory Committee Chair. “We’ve reached our first milestone, but we’re not going to stop there. We’re going to keep educating the community and letting everyone know about this fund and the great work that we’re doing with it.”

In Williamsfield, a Community Fund grant to complete a disc golf course is not only popular with residents but is bringing visitors to the community. “We’ve had clubs from Galesburg and Kewanee come use our course, which brings revenue to our other businesses,” says Williamsfield Mayor Robert Johnson. “It’s definitely been money well spent.”

Community Funds rely on gifts of all sizes, and they fund projects big and small. “We’ve made several grants to the schools here, some for classrooms and one to the music department,” says Elder. “They’re not always huge amounts, but in a small town, they can make a big difference. And the fund is growing every year, so we’ll be able to do more and more.” 

Myers says there was some skepticism when the fund was launched. “I think people weren’t sure how this would work, where the money would come from, or where it would go. But now that we’re a few years in, people are seeing the potential of this fund—it’s a real benefit for Knoxville, and it’s only going to continue to grow.” 

Photo: Grade school students in Monmouth display their artwork created through the Buchanan Center for the Arts Art Presenter Program, supported by the Monmouth Community Fund.

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“I’ve seen so many small towns that have just shriveled up,” says Roseville Community Fund advisory board chair Carol Shaw. “That could have happened when we lost our elementary school, but people rallied.”

This spring, the Roseville Community Fund granted funds for a new sound system at the Roseville Community Center. In 2021, a grant supported the installation of accessible bathrooms at the center. The fund has also provided holiday turkeys and hams for Helping Hands of Roseville and resources for Roseville Kids Place, which are both housed at the center.

In the larger community, the fund has awarded grants for speakers in the livestock show ring for the Warren County Agricultural Fair and planters for the downtown area.

The Roseville Community Fund is an endowed fund of the Galesburg Community Foundation. The principal of the fund is invested so that it continues to grow while producing a spendable balance each year that a local advisory board grants to nonprofits in the community.

The Roseville Community Fund is a way for anyone who calls Roseville “home” to support their community. Since it was established in November of 2019, the fund has received more than 550 gifts of all sizes from people in 22 states. In fact, 39% of the gifts received came from outside Roseville’s zip code.

Shaw says that some people were initially hesitant about partnering with the Galesburg Community Foundation, but now that residents are seeing the impact of the fund, it’s an argument she doesn’t hear very often. “The Foundation takes care of the administration and makes sure that the funds are invested properly, but we get to determine where to grant the funds in our community. For me, that’s a win-win.”

In addition to Roseville, community funds have been established in Knoxville, Williamsfield, Alexis, and Monmouth. “Galesburg Community Foundation is proud to partner with communities in Knox and Warren counties to help them shape a better future and promote the wellbeing of all community members,” said Joshua Gibb, President and CEO of the Foundation. “It unites the tools of community, economic, and resource development, engaging everyone to come together with their voices, ideas, strategies, talents, and giving.”

To make a gift or to learn more about the Roseville Community Fund, visit yourgcf.org/Roseville.

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“Wow, I could hear so much better!” people kept telling Carol Shaw and the other members of the Roseville Community Fund advisory board, which funded the new fairground PA system. And if attendees didn’t hear a difference over the speakers, they got the message during Thursday evening’s cookout, where the fund announced more grants to support the community and drive awareness of what residents of Roseville and its far-flung supporters could achieve.

Celebration was certainly in order. Not long before the fair, the Roseville Community Fund had reached its initial fundraising goal of $70,000, matched dollar for dollar through the Warren County Community Fund Initiative, a partnership among Galesburg Community Foundation, the Twomey Foundation, and United Way of Warren County.

“Especially after the setbacks of the pandemic, we were thrilled to see Roseville cross the line and double the Community Fund’s assets through the match,” said Joshua D. Gibb, president of the Community Foundation. “Even better, the fund is already making an impact in the community.”

“People are seeing the results,” said Shaw. Two years ago, the fund granted $500 to the Helping Hands Food Pantry at the Roseville Community Center for holiday hams and turkeys. “We had so many nice thank yous that this past Christmas, we doubled the amount we gave.”

Another organization that calls the community center home is the Roseville Kids Place daycare center, which has received Roseville Community Fund grants for new benches as well as educational programs about recycling. The fund also partnered with the community center and a local family who made a memorial to the center to install handicap-accessible bathrooms on the premises.

Back at the fairgrounds this winter, the fund provided Cub Scout Pack 336 with supplies for its annual Christmas light display. “That’s a huge draw for people from all over,” Shaw said. “Now more than ever, people are starting to see, hey, this fund is a good thing.”

That’s not to say supporters didn’t believe in the value of the fund as they made the contributions that built it up to its match goal. “No matter what the individual in our community’s budget was—a few dollars, a hundred, or even several thousand—they could be part of this,” said Shaw. So could former residents and out-of-town supporters, too. In fact, half of all donations came from outside the Roseville zip code, representing 12 states. “And every penny stayed right here in the Roseville community.”

In reaching the fund’s match goal, Shaw cites the Community Foundation as a key partner. “We had ideas, but we didn’t always know how to move forward with them, and they helped us to be successful,” she said. “I’ve had people say to me, ‘Okay, so you have a passion for this, but what happens when you’re no longer involved?’ I tell them: whether I’m on the advisory board or not, the Roseville Community Fund will be successful because of the support from the Galesburg Community Foundation.”

Today, Shaw is confident that with each new project—downtown beautification and a collaboration with the parks association are just two on a long list of ideas—the community’s enthusiasm for the fund will only grow.

She hopes the Roseville Community Fund’s success will ring loud and clear to other communities, too. Her message for those who are considering grassroots efforts to build resources for their future health and sustainability? “Everybody can give back to their community, and not just to solidify it as it is now but to make it even better for future generations,” Shaw said. “And you don’t have to start out with a big project. Believe me, people notice the little things, and that makes all the difference.”

The Roseville Community Fund is a fund of the Galesburg Community Foundation. To learn about starting a fund for your community, give us a call at 309.344.8898.

The post The Roseville Community Fund’s Impact is Loud and Clear appeared first on Galesburg Community Foundation.

Carol Shaw, a member of the Roseville Community Fund advisory board, has lived her whole life in the Roseville area. Reflecting on her lifelong home, Shaw remembers Roseville as “a community where everyone was willing to help each other…That’s one thing I’ve always respected about the community and the residents. When someone is going through a rough time, someone was willing to step up and help.”

Now, with the Roseville Community Fund, Shaw is excited about the prospects of translating what she has valued so much about her hometown into action. Shaw explains that “like every other small town, we’ve struggled with lost business. I remember growing up and there was a business in every building. However, I feel we are blessed because we still have a lot—you just don’t see that everywhere. Small communities like us need to do all we can to preserve [what we have] for the next generation.”

This desire to see Roseville continue to flourish for generations to come is what inspired Shaw to follow a postcard invitation she received in the mail to an informational meeting hosted by the Galesburg Community Foundation on the new Warren County Community Funds Initiative.

The Initiative offers challenge grants of up to $70,000 to establish a community fund for each community of Roseville, Monmouth and Alexis. By fundraising $70,000 each, these community funds would create a starting endowment of $140,000 specifically designated to support and strengthen the community.

Funds such as these are a grassroots method for ensuring that a town continues to have the resources necessary for local needs. Importantly, donating to community funds also guarantees that residents’ contributions are destined to stay local, allowing people to see the direct impact of their generosity in their own hometown. As many small towns and rural places are often those who struggle the most to uphold critical organizations and programs, having a community fund overseen by area residents funding this infrastructure with local dollars quickly becomes a source of both town pride and citizen power.

Recognizing the larger implications for building a community fund in Roseville, Shaw recalls that she was struck by “listening to the fact that Roseville was being given this amazing gift of $70,000 to give right back to the community if we could raise the funds. I began to think about things that I didn’t even consider until this meeting. I started to think about what [assets] Roseville actually had and that we should do all we can to invest in and support them.”

After hearing the offer on the table, Shaw underscored that she had to do all it took to make sure Roseville had a community fund. “How often does someone just tell you there’s $70,000 just sitting there waiting for you to do something with it,” she says, “How can you let that go? There’s so much we could do with it in the community.”

For Shaw, an important detail in setting up the fund was that the donations raised from Roseville residents stay in Roseville. She clarifies by explaining that “many times people want to do something good but don’t always know how to and they want to make sure that any financial gifts are used in the way its intended. So, even if we don’t match [the challenge grant], the funds will stay there until they’re matched.”

Excited to turn vision into reality, Shaw worked closely with another active Roseville resident, Cheryl Britt, to host an open house in Roseville to gauge the community’s interest in setting up a community fund, as well as to recruit fellow advisory board members. By the end of the meeting, Shaw recounts that people were energized at the prospects for the town, and there was no problem finding “more than enough volunteers to serve on the Community Fund committee.”

While the onset of the pandemic presented new challenges for the Roseville Community Fund, Shaw remarks that, above all, the struggles we have faced highlighted the importance of home and our desire to give back:

“People are trying to come back and reinvest in any way. You can see the community is pulling together and bringing back that spark to let everyone know that this is a great place to open your business, raise your kids, and own a home. When people come together and believe in something, it’s usually successful. In Roseville, we’ve been lucky they did that for the community center, and the Community Fund can do the same thing.”

Currently, the Roseville Community Fund is halfway to their $70,000 goal under the challenge grant and is actively working with residents and community partners to secure the remainder needed. Yet even as the Fund works to get on its feet, it has already played a major role in supporting charitable action in the Roseville community. This past holiday season, the fund provided a grant to Helping Hands Food Pantry, ensuring families in Roseville received hams and turkeys for holiday meals.

Along with continuing to support organizations like the Helping Hands Food Pantry, Shaw notes that the possibilities are practically endless for how the Roseville Community Fund can give back to the town. From helping the village by supporting the library or community center to lending a hand with the Warren County Fair, and even to beautification, business development, and community agriculture campaigns, Shaw says the Roseville Community Fund, its committee, and residents of the town are already dreaming big and eager to get to work for the home they love.

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