Giving Tuesday raised more than $47,000 for the Community Foundation of Pulaski County.
Kaye Beall chairs the foundation’s grants committee. “Many of those gifts were matched by the community foundation, with more than $33,000 going out to benefit 25 local nonprofits and their projects,” Beall reported during the foundation’s annual Celebration of Philanthropy, held virtually Thursday. She noted Giving Tuesday donations nationwide were up 25 percent from last year.
It was one of a number of accomplishments highlighted during Thursday’s event.
Executive Director Wendy Rose said the foundation recently received its largest gift ever, thanks to the Emil Smolek Endowment Fund. “Emil passed away last year at age 100, but 10 years earlier, he had worked with the community foundation to create an endowment for a bequest in his will,” Rose explained. “The estate gift was realized this fall, totaling over $1.57 million.”
The fund will support St. Luke United Church of Christ in San Pierre, four public broadcasting stations, and scholarships for Railroad Township and North Judson-San Pierre High School students majoring in agriculture-related or general studies.
Community Foundation Treasurer Gregg Malott reported that the board of directors agreed to raise the annual payout percentage to meet the needs of nonprofits this year. “This means that over $415,000 will go to support our community through scholarships and distributions to charitable agencies and organizations,” Malott said.
