FOR THE LOVE OF COMMUNITY

FOR THE LOVE OF COMMUNITY

OUR HISTORY In 1999, a group of concerned citizens launched an effort to create a community foundation in Renton. But they needed seed money. So, they changed the name of the Renton Chamber Foundation, which had just two funds and $257,000, and the Renton Community Foundation was born. Founding board members celebrate 10-year anniversary!

So what is the Renton Community Foundation? And how do we actually make a difference in the community?

RCF helps donors support the causes they care about most. As the band leader and music instructor for Renton High School, Randy Rockhill loved to inspire kids. In 2007, Randy established a donor-advised fund to help low-income students in the Renton School District who couldn t afford to play a musical instrument. Randy died shortly after the fund was created. Over the years, the fund has provided grants to allow a number of students to attend band camps or take classes. And in 2013, the fund made a $14,000 grant to the Renton School District to repair every instrument in every high school, guaranteeing that any student would have the opportunity to learn. Randy would be proud to know that the fund he created continues to support a cause so near to his heart. Budkis was a big,ugly bulldog who was loved by the entire community. Each year, Mij & Chuck Charbonneau held a birthday party for Budkis, when friends would bring him presents. Once he had all the dog toys he could use, the Charbonneaus turned the parties into fundraisers, eventually creating the Budkis Fund within the community foundation. They partnered with veterinarians to develop a program for low-income seniors who faced the very real possibility of losing the only companion they had,because they couldn t pay their vet bills. Today, the fund works with over 30 veterinarians throughout the Puget Sound area for a cause that means a lot to the Charbonneaus and would have meant a lot to Budkis.

RCF helps emerging charitable groups get on their feet. When a group of citizens banded together to bring the first off-leash dog park to Renton, they realized they needed help. They were collecting donations, but didn t have their 501C3 status. Yet, donors were asking for a tax deduction. So they came to the community foundation and filled out a Fiscal Sponsorship Application. The board approved their application, extending its tax umbrella over the new organization. RUFF s donors got a tax write-off, and the volunteers became a part of a larger organization that could provide networking, education and support. FRIENDS OF RENTON SCHOOLS FUND A group of educators and citizens wanted to create a charitable foundation to help the Renton School District boost academic achievement. Because the group could do everything through the community foundation without any cost to get started and with immediate benefits they established a fund with RCF. Today, Friends of Renton Schools has branded themselves as their own entity, while operating under RCF s tax umbrella, taking advantage of a variety of services the Foundation provides. This arrangement gives them the flexibility to focus on their fundraising priorities, rather than back office management.

RCF provides the opportunity to be remembered. THE HELEN DYRDAL MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP FUND When Helen Dyrdal met with her attorney to complete her will, she made the comment that she wanted to be remembered as a good person. She had no family and had never volunteered or been involved in the community. So, her attorney suggested a number of charities, one of which was RCF. Ms. Dyrdal left $466,000 to RCF to begin a scholarship program. Today, RCF gives out more than $25,000 in scholarship awards each year in her name. The Helen Dyrdal Memorial Scholarship Fund will live on for a very long time, reminding everyone, not only what a good person Helen was, but what someone like her can do for the community. Jeremy Gidlund was a loving son who struggled with a learning disability. He graduated from Lindbergh High School in 2005 and went on to Renton Technical College to study welding. In 2007, Jeremy was killed in a car accident, breaking the hearts of all who knew him. But his mother, Pam, wanted his legacy to live on. She took the donations given in his memory and started the Jeremy Gidlund Memorial Scholarship Fund to help special-needs students go on to college just as Jeremy had done. Special needs students often can t compete for traditional scholarships because of their disabilities. Having one dedicated to them and the unique struggles they face is inspiring. Jeremy s legacy will live on in the kids who use this money to help create a bright future for themselves.

RCF helps other nonprofits preserve capital and build capacity. RUDOLPH BUNDAS FUND Rudy Bundas was an accomplished artist. When he died, he left a sizable bequest to the Puget Sound Group of Northwest Painters. But the PSGNP didn t want to invest that money alone and came to RCF for help. They created a fund in Rudy s name to honor his wish to provide annual art scholarships. That money was pooled with the rest of the Foundation s money, boosting its investment power. As a Foundation fund, PSGNWP has also benefitted from exposure through the Foundation s website and newsletter. In addition, their board members have attended some of the Foundation s investment and educational events. As a result, they have now voted to open a second fund to be used for the general benefit of their organization. CIRCLE OF GIVING Each year, the Foundation actually raises money through individual donations of $1,000 or more for the Circle of Giving program. Those donors come to the table to decide how to disburse that money. In a few short weeks, thousands of dollars are awarded back to the school district and local nonprofits to work on behalf of the community. The grants are presented at a large community event, bringing attention not only to the agencies receiving the grants, but to the entire field of philanthropy.

RCF is the philanthropic anchor in the community. RCF builds for the future.

SO WHO IS THE RENTON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION? RCF IS A RESOURCE TO DONORS: We help them connect to the philanthropic community and a broader family of donors; We give them an alternative to establishing their own nonprofit foundation; We give them the opportunity to stay involved and be a grant maker; We help them with complicated estate plans or tax situations when they want to make a large charitable gift; And we provide them a means to leave a legacy after they die, or to honor someone else in the same way. RCF IS A RESOURCE TO NONPROFITS: We boost their earning power by providing a pooled investment fund; We connect them to something larger than themselves; We give them networking opportunities with the Foundation s board, staff, donors and other fund holders; We give them more visibility through foundation events, the Foundation s newsletter and the website; We help to build capacity by providing free education on board development, fundraising, and planned giving.

RCF IS A RESOURCE TO THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY: RCF doesn t champion one cause over another. We work to bring exposure to all philanthropic efforts in the community; We participate in community discussions; We provide leadership and expertise; We provide grants to nonprofits; We provide education and exposure on priority topics. Education Pets Seniors The Disabled Healthcare Children & Families

We are the Renton Community Foundation. Not every community has one but we do. We change lives and build community, we foster art, and work towards the future. We do this through charitable funds established by people who care.

P.O. Box 820 Renton, WA 98057 (425) 282-5199 www.rentonfoundation.org JOIN US! Volunteer Make a Contribution Establish a charitable fund