But he really saw how GCF can impact a community when his hometown of Williamsfield wanted to build a playground at the local park.

When a small group of volunteers coordinating the project got the initial estimate for the cost of the project, Courson wasn’t sure if they could raise enough funds to complete the playground in the community of 550 residents. “We didn’t know if we’d be able to do it—at least all at once,” said Courson. By partnering with the Foundation, they received the advice and support to run a professional fundraising campaign that helped them raise $150,000 for the playground—more than Courson imagined possible.

The success of the playground project gave the community the confidence to look to the future of Williamsfield in an even bigger way by establishing of the Williamsfield Community Fund at the Galesburg Community Foundation. As an endowed fund, it will support critical community needs far into the future.

The community reached its $25,000 goal, which was matched by the Foundation. Courson is now looking to continue growing the fund. “We now have a few thousand dollars available for grantmaking but imagine decades down the road having potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars annually. For a community of our size, that will have a huge impact.”

A way to grow the fund will be through estate gifts or planned gifts, which are contributions of assets like real estate, securities, life insurance, or cash that are arranged in the present and allocated at a future date. They not only offer tax benefits but benefit the community forever.

As a member of the board, Courson plans to use his financial expertise and experience as a volunteer to show others the benefits of partnering with the Foundation. “There are a lot of charitable people out there who give randomly, but if they were to use the Community Foundation, it would be more impactful,” said Courson. “To pool their funds with somebody who is giving to the same cause will have a larger impact for that particular segment of the nonprofit community.” Courson will fulfill the term of George Peterson, who served on the board from March of 2019 until his death in February. He joins fellow board members Dr. John McClean, David Erickson, Dr. Subbia Jagannathan, Lisa Gavin, Chad Long, Dr. Brian Plattner, Carol Shaw, Cynthia Stoerzbach, Dr. Adam Welty, and Jamie Yemm.

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Galesburg Community Foundation welcomes two community leaders who understand the importance of philanthropy to the region: Carol Shaw and Dr. Adam Welty.

Both offer great perspective on how philanthropy can continue paving the path toward a bright future for the entire region.

Shaw, who grew up in Roseville and runs an insurance business in Monmouth, has a long history of serving her community through philanthropy. As a board member and recent president of Warren County United Way, Shaw was quick to see the great opportunity in working with the Community Foundation. “A light just went on in my mind when I thought about the chance to work with the Community Foundation. I could see that this could really allow me to better the community I’ve loved for so long,” she explained.

Shaw is also a member of the Roseville Community Fund advisory board, a fund of the Community Foundation. Driven by a belief in the importance of philanthropy that’s accessible to everyone, she has worked hard throughout her career to ensure that any gift, large or small, benefits the community.

“Historically, people have thought that philanthropy was only for the wealthy, but that’s just not the case. Whatever anyone can do to enhance the community is beneficial for everyone,” Shaw said.

Welty, a dentist in Galesburg, first got involved with the Community Foundation while in dental school—he was a scholarship recipient. After completing his degree, he moved back to Galesburg to begin practicing. That’s when he started giving back, which ultimately led him to join the Community Foundation’s board. “I care deeply about this community, and I want folks to know that the community cares so much about those who live here too,” said Welty.

Welty takes pride in his firm commitment to giving back to the community after benefiting so much from it himself as a scholarship recipient. Now, as one of the Community Foundation’s newest board members, he can. “It’s so important to inspire and lead by example. That’s what was shown to me when I was growing up, and that’s now what I want to show others. Our region should be a place that people are proud to come back to, and call home,” Welty said.

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Dr. Brian Plattner, Chad Long, and Jamie Yemm are new to the Community Foundation’s board of directors.

“We welcome the talent, the expertise, and the strong community partnerships that these three individuals bring to our work to positively change communities in Knox and Warren Counties,” said Josh Gibb, president and CEO. “Their willingness to serve and commitment to our mission is energizing at a time when our philanthropic work is more important than ever before.”

Dr. Plattner, an optometrist and partner at Kehoe Eye Care, lives in Knoxville and is a member of the Sunrise Rotary. He is also the weekend director of Northwoods Church Galesburg.

Long is a partner at the law firm of Statham & Long, as well as past board president of both Discovery Depot Children’s Museum and the Knox County YMCA. He grew up in Galesburg and also currently serves on the Carl Sandburg College Foundation Board of Directors.

Yemm is involved with her family’s business Yemm Automotive Group. She is an active Master Gardner and is the project co-leader for the landscaping at the Carl Sandburg Historic Site. She also is a board member of the Carl Sandburg College Foundation Board.

Yemm said she grew up in a family that focused on the importance of giving back. “We were encouraged to support the things that mattered most to us—whether that was giving our time, talents, expertise, or financially,” she said. “We have tried to instill that same belief in our children as well.”

Plattner, Long and Yemm join fellow board members:
Dr. John McClean, Chairman
David Erickson, Vice Chairman
Dr. Subbia Jagannathan, Secretary
Lisa Gavin, Treasurer
Mark Kleine
Carl Nixon
George Peterson
Cynthia Stoerzbach

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