Pictured: Cindy Khatri, Executive Director, Midwest Museum of Natural History, holding a Golden Pheasant.

Through shared experiences, the Midwest Museum of Natural History encourages community appreciation of natural history through collections, exhibits, and education. Located on Main Street in downtown Sycamore, the Museum is a unique, hands-on learning experience for visitors of all ages.

The partnership between the DeKalb County Community Foundation and Midwest Museum of Natural History began even before the museum doors opened in 2004. The first grant from the Community Foundation came by way of support for the Sycamore Community Center renovation, now the home of the Midwest Museum of Natural History. Since then, the partnership has grown as the museum has made a positive impact on the overall community. Through gifts from donors, the Community Foundation has awarded grants to the museum for a variety of projects through the Community Needs Grant Program, Donor Advised Fund Grants, and Give Local DeKalb County. Midwest Museum’s projects, funded in part by Community Needs grants, include programming support, touch screen kiosks, development of resource boxes, renovation of existing spaces, automatic door openers, a family changing table, seating improvements and more. Because of donor support, the Community Foundation has granted over $74,000 to the Midwest Museum of Natural History.

 “Last year, the Community Needs Grant helped the Museum’s 140 year-old building become more accessible for the public with ADA compliant seating and automatic door openers. By taking down the barriers of something as simple as opening a door, the Museum can now share its mission with a wider community,” said Cindy Khatri, Midwest Museum of Natural History Executive Director. “Because of ongoing partnership with the Community Foundation, we are given the opportunity to extend our mission beyond our walls.”

In 2006, Yvonne Johnson, then Board Member and on-going supporter of the Museum, created the Midwest Museum of Natural History Endowment Fund at the DeKalb County Community Foundation. The donor’s forward thinking benefits the museum both now and in the future by providing ongoing annual support for the Museum to carry out its role and mission.

To make an undesignated gift to the DeKalb County Community Foundation for use in our Community Needs or another grantmaking intiative or a gift to the Midwest Museum of Natural History Endowment Fund, please contact Dan Templin, Executive Director, at 815-748-5383 or dan@dekalbccf.org.

Strength Through Partnership!