Together, with the support of our donors, the DeKalb County Community Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life in DeKalb County. Grants from the Community Foundation come from a variety of grant programs. Each program is unique in how to apply, who it supports, and the impact it creates. So how do these grants impact the community in which we live? Learn more in this grant in action story below! 

Thank you to Lillian Boynton and other donors whose gifts make grants like these possible!

See this grant In action story in the 2021 Annual Report!

There’s nothing quite like a good book—one to fuel the imagination, to satisfy your curiosity or to explore distant lands without leaving your chair. With new content always on the horizon, books are a treasure of information and enjoyment.

The Lillian S. Boynton Library Book Endowment Fund was created on August 1, 2002, from the estate of Lillian S. Boynton. The Designated Fund at the Community Foundation provides a yearly distribution to the Sycamore Public Library exclusively for new book purchases. The Fund is approaching its 20th year in 2022 and has awarded more than $67,000 in grants to the library, enabling the library’s youth and teen services department to purchase over 4,600 books. Content ranges from board books and picture books for young readers to teen fiction and nonfiction for middle and high school readers.

Lillian passed away on December 20, 1998. She wanted to ensure that her “home town” would benefit from the results of her labor, so through her estate, she created two Funds at the Community Foundation. Today, the Lillian S. Boynton Memorial Fund and the Lillian S. Boynton Library Book Endowment Fund continue to honor her memory.

“The Boynton Library Book Fund continues to impact readers of all ages. Through Lillian’s generosity, we can purchase a wide variety of books, something that isn’t possible with the library’s annual book budget. It’s truly a gift that keeps on giving!” ~ Lisel Ulaszek, Youth and Teen Services Manager, Sycamore Public Library