DuPage Community Foundation Celebrates 25 Years of Service

Since 1986, The DuPage Community Foundation has fostered philanthropy, connected donors to area needs and built community partnerships to raise the quality of life throughout DuPage County. Over the past 25 years, the Foundation has become the go-to, reliable and unbiased resource for philanthropy in DuPage.

Its contributions to the residents of DuPage County were recognized on August 23, 2011 when The DuPage Community Foundation's President David M. McGowan accepted a proclamation commemorating the Foundation's 25th anniversary from the DuPage County Board at their monthly meeting. "The DuPage Community Foundation is a testament to the care and dedication that the residents of DuPage County have for their own," said McGowan at the time. The proclamation recognized that the founders of The DuPage Community Foundation, Brooks McCormick and Mary Eleanor Wall, had a vision in 1986 of creating a permanent endowment to assist those in need in the booming areas west of Chicago. Their initial vision has grown to a community foundation of nearly $37 million in assets invested for the benefit of DuPage residents.

Last September 2010, the Foundation kicked-off its anniversary at Glen Oak Country Club. At that event a surprise $25,000 grant was awarded to Educare of West DuPage which will provide 150 at-risk infants, toddlers and preschoolers annually with high-quality care and education. Additionally, the "25 for 25" grant program was launched and all past Foundation general grant recipients were invited to apply. Throughout the year, twenty-five $1,000 grants were awarded to local not-for-profit organizations. In May 2011, the inaugural Spirit of Volunteerism awards totaling $60,000 were presented to three local organizations, CASA of DuPage, People's Resource Center, and DuPage Senior Citizens Council, recognizing each organization's successful volunteer programs and extraordinary volunteer leadership. Finally, the Foundation surpassed 100 members of its Legacy Society this year representing people who have made a provision for the Foundation in their estate plans. Because of the commitments made by these dedicated donors, the Foundation will continue to see exceptional growth, which, in turn, leads to more support to local not-for-profit organizations.

To celebrate the close of its 25th anniversary year the Foundation hosted a cocktail reception on September 12, 2011 at Hamburger University at McDonald's Campus, 25 years to the day that The DuPage Community Foundation's General Endowment was officially created on September 12, 1986. The event was attended by nearly 100 friends of the Foundation, including current and former Board and committee members, current and former staff, donors, and representatives of its not-for-profit partners. Incoming Board Chair Dan Maguire remarked at the reception, "The DuPage Community Foundation is committed to providing leadership to ensure the opportunity to raise the quality of life in DuPage County. With pending changes in government policy and shrinking financial support from the private sector, we must be the resource that DuPage residents turn to today and into the future."