Designated Funds
Designated Funds provide ongoing support to specific nonprofits, organizations, or institutions selected by the donor. At the DeKalb County Community Foundation, these Funds offer meaningful, lasting impact—providing vital resources both now and for the future.
Ready to make a difference?
Let’s talk about your charitable goals and how you can create a Fund that reflects your values and vision. Contact Executive Director Dan Templin at 815-748-5383 or dan@dekalbccf.org.
List of Designated Funds
These endowed Administrative Designated Funds provide annual operating support to the DeKalb County Community Foundation, helping to fuel its mission and strengthen its ability to serve the community.
- Administrative Endowment Fund
- Bill and Bonnie Mullins Administrative Endowment Fund
- Bob and Mary Pritchard Community Leadership Fund
- Charlie and Patty Foster Community Leadership Fund
- DCCF Leadership Administrative Fund
- Jerry Smith Community Foundation Administrative Endowment Fund
- John and Betty Roberts Community Foundation Administrative Fund
- Kishwaukee Kiwanis Club Community Leadership Fund
- Northern Rehabilitation & Sports Medicine DCCF Administrative Fund
- Old National Bank Administrative Endowment Fund
- Robert and Norma Wildenradt Community Leadership Fund
- Tim Dunlop Administrative Endowment Fund
- Tony and Micki Chulick Community Leadership Fund
Please visit the alphabetical Fund listing below to donate to a specific Administrative Designated Fund.
This Fund was started in 2007 by local residents Jerry and Annette Johns, in tandem with Janet Aikins Yount, the latter of whom is the daughter of Harold and Lucille Aikins, long-time DeKalb citizens and strong supporters of local theatre. Grants from this Fund provide scholarship to a female enrolled in the Theatre Arts program at Northern Illinois University.
Created in memory of Caryl Steimel, this Fund makes an annual distribution to St. Mary's School in DeKalb for the purpose of funding a scholarship award program for its students. Learn more about this Fund >
Created through the generosity of Bud and Debra Burgin, this Fund will provide ongoing support to Cornerstone Christian Academy to continue their mission of providing each student a comprehensive education, based on God’s truth, while building stronger relationships among parents, staff, and students. Learn more about this Fund >
Created in 2023 by Barbara Coward in honor of her cousins William and Wayne McWhinney, this is the first Foundation endowment Fund directly supporting the Cortland Library. The Fund's purpose is to contribute annually to needs such as shelving, books, programming, ongoing building maintenance, and future projects. Learn more about this Fund >
Long-time Sycamore teacher Yvonne Johnson established this Fund in 1999 to honor excellence in education among DeKalb County teachers, administrators, and support staff. The endowment provides five $1,000 awards annually. Recipients receive public recognition during an awards ceremony. Learn more about this Fund >
This Fund was created in 2026 by David Castro and Amanda Durik to provide enduring financial support for the DeKalb Festival Chorus. The Fund honors the memory of Amanda’s parents, Mary Rowley and George Durik, who showed their children that daily life is more joyful with a melody.
Mary was a hummer, and George was a whistler. Music regularly accompanied them through daily activities and projects, filling their home with tunes that lifted spirits and reflected the quiet contentment found in everyday life. Community choruses offer people who love music, like Mary and George, the opportunity to come together to develop their skills and share in the joy of singing.
While there was no community chorus in the area of Kentucky where Mary and George raised their family, DeKalb is home to a chorus that provides that opportunity for others. Founded in the mid-1970s, the DeKalb Festival Chorus brings community members together to experience and share the power of choral music.
This Fund helps ensure that the enrichment and connection made possible through the DeKalb Festival Chorus will continue for generations to come. Learn more about this Fund >
A DeKalb Chamber of Commerce-sponsored program, its Leadership Academy provides young community leaders the opportunity to get involved in local charitable causes. This endowment, started in 2006, is expected to grow as each year's class contributes to its principal, providing future classes with increased grantmaking opportunities.
The Donna L. Laseman Catholic Education Fund was created by Donna Laseman to align with her passion for education. The Fund's purpose is to contribute annually to St. Mary Catholic School in Sycamore, IL, to support financial-need-based scholarship award(s) for kindergarten-8th grade students. The school administration and staff manage specific details and selections associated with the awards.
In memory of Doran and Rose Greif, this Fund provides support to the Indian Valley Vocational Center (IVVC) in Sandwich, IL, to offer scholarship awards to accomplished students studying automotive technology or the culinary arts. The desire is for the students to be successful in their studies and ‘pay it forward’. Learn more about this Fund >
This Designated Fund honors the life and legacy of Earl and Jeanne Pritchard and provides an annual scholarship award to students enrolled at Kishwaukee College pursuing a career in horticulture. Learn more about this Fund >
This Fund, endorsed by resolution from the Ellwood House Association Board of Directors, was established in honor of Gerald Brauer, the Ellwood House Association’s first Executive Director serving from 1982 through 2010. The purpose of the Fund is to provide revenue to the Ellwood House Association for educational services, museum interpretation, and programming for children, adolescents, and adults.
This endowed Designated Fund contributes to funding an annual internship opportunity at the Ellwood House Museum. The internship is exclusively for a person of color, who is a currently enrolled college student or a recent college graduate. The Fund was seeded by long-time Ellwood House supporters and local philanthropists, Jerry and Annette Johns. Learn more about this Fund >
This endowed Designated Fund supports public, historic preservation, restoration projects, and general maintenance of the Elmwood Cemetery in Sycamore, IL. Learn more about this Fund >
Created to provide ongoing support for maintenance costs of the Fairdale community septic system completed in December 2015. Learn more about this Fund >
Created by long-time NIU supporters and local philanthropists, Jerry and Annette Johns, this Fund provides annual financial support to the NIU Art Museum to further their mission of being a resource for the NIU campus, the local community, and beyond. Learn more about this Fund >
Established in early 2003, this Fund is geared to memorialize Robert Howey and James Guilinger, both former long-time ag teachers at Sycamore High School. Distributions are made to the Sycamore FFA Alumni Association who pass on the funds to benefit the Sycamore High School Agriculture Department and/or students. Such benefit may consist of awarding scholarships to FFA-involved graduates, financial assistance for students to participate in National FFA events, etc.
Honoring Jack and Norma’s unique contributions to education, this Fund provides financial support to the Indian Valley Vocational Center (IVVC) in Sandwich as well as to the Sandwich School District #430. Learn more about this Fund >
Created by friends, colleagues, and former students of James Richard Andrews, this Fund provides an annual award to a second-year graduate student in Speech-Language Pathology at Northern Illinois University. Learn more about this Fund >
The purpose of the Fund is to provide financial support to Stage Coach Players, Inc. and Children’s Community Theatre for scholarships offered to area students. The Fund helps encourage children to participate in theatre by reducing financial barriers and creating opportunities for youth to experience the performing arts.
The Fund started in 2009 provides an annual payout to the Literacy Clinic to help cover the cost of services for families with limited financial means. The endowment was started by former Clinic Director Dr. Jerry Johns and current Clinic Director Dr. Laurie Elish-Piper out of a desire to connect children in the community with literacy enhancement.
Created from the estate of Joan Hoffman, this Fund provides educational support to St. Mary School in DeKalb, IL, to offer student scholarships. Learn more about the Joan L. Hoffman St. Mary DeKalb Scholarship Fund >
Created from the estate of Joan Hoffman, this Fund honors her parents John and Katherine and provides educational support to St. Mary School in Sycamore, IL, to offer student scholarships. Learn more about the John J. and Katherine M. Hoffman Family St. Mary Sycamore Scholarship Fund >
This Fund was in the process of inception, just prior to the recent death of former DeKalb County Clerk Ralph Joiner in 2008. It was Ralph and his wife Bertha's desire to save historical artifacts during their long tenure in the Clerk's office that led to the creation of the Joiner History Room. This facility, housed in the DeKalb History Center, will benefit from the Joiners' forethought, and from this endowment partially funded by recent memorial gifts in Ralph's name. It will honor the work of Phyllis Kelley, the first appointed DeKalb County historian who began administering the Joiner History Room in 1989.
Started in 2000, this Fund is a bequest from the estate of Mrs. Boynton, a long-time Sycamore businesswoman who died in late 1998. Annual grants are distributed to Shriners Hospital, as a memorial to Mrs. Boynton’s late husband, Elmer; to Sycamore Public Library, for book purchases; to Sycamore High School, for two annual scholarships; to The Salvation Army, for utilization within DeKalb County, and to Kishwaukee Health Foundation, to be used for purchasing equipment at Kishwaukee Community Hospital.
Created in 2025, the Michael and Lana Haines Fund provides support to three local organizations: the Voluntary Action Center in DeKalb, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) in Sycamore, and the DeKalb County Forest Preserve District. Contributions to the Fund support the charitable work and missions of these organizations in alignment with the Fund’s purpose and do not provide any financial benefit to the Haines family. Learn more about this Fund >
The Rooted for Good Endowment Fund is a Designated Fund created to provide long-term support for Rooted for Good, formerly known as DeKalb County Community Gardens. The Fund helps sustain the organization’s mission to reduce food insecurity and improve access to healthy food for individuals and families across DeKalb County by providing ongoing, unrestricted support for its programs and services. The Fund was established in December 2025 by Jim and Kathy Lockard. Learn more about this Fund >
Created by the estate of Sharon Dowen, this is the very first endowed Fund benefitting Safe Passage in DeKalb. Grants provide ongoing support, where it is needed most, to Safe Passage, Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing and preventing domestic violence and sexual assault in DeKalb County. Learn more about this Fund >
Donors Ken and Kathleen Spears created this Fund to provide ongoing financial support to St. James Catholic Church in Lee, Illinois, to cover costs associated with religious education in the parish. The Fund is a tribute to William and Emiline Rood, parents of Kathy Spears. Learn more about this Fund >
Established in loving memory of Tim and the life he and Bev enjoyed together. This Fund supports organizations that serve and support people in need – which was a core value for Tim and Bev. Learn more about this Fund >
