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History
What can one person do to bring about significant, positive change?
In a complicated world, the answer to this question seems not so simple. But sometimes it starts with a visionary individual, a spark of an idea and a support team to realize the dream. With this as a background, we celebrate the Stoughton Area community Foundation’s 20th Anniversary in 2018 with a look back to it inception and the people that have helped it thrive.
As a self-made successful businessman, Paul Sundby wanted to leave a legacy from his estate to benefit Stoughton, the city he loved. His idea was to help fund programs that needed a little extra financial backing to reach their goals. The primary focus was to be on areas close to his heart: natural resources and the environment. Rather than simply donate a single sum to the city, he wanted to find a way to build an ongoing benefit to the community.
His financial advisor, Kent Knutson, recommended that the first step was to establish an endowment in Paul’s name with a controlled amount paid out each year. The rest of the funds would be invested for the lone-term so that worthy programs and projects would be helped for years to come.
Early Days
A governing board was then established to solicit and determine projects which might be considered for funding. This first board was: Andy Arians, Dick Ilenfeldt, Mayor Helen Johnson, Kent Knutson, Tom Fendrick, Terry Brenny, Carol Wahlin and Mike Bemis. This group of community leaders from business, school and government ensured that a comprehensive perspective would be given to all projects considered. For the next twenty years, the board has continued to function in the same manner with each member from a variety of backgrounds serving a six-year term.
During the first year, committees were established for the following: standard operating procedures; benchmarking against other similar programs in the state; fund-raising to enable more funding for a broader range of projects; marketing to encourage others to include Stoughton Area Community Foundation in their estate planning and planned giving.
One decision made in the early days was to limit the area covered to those programs helping people within the Stoughton School District borders. Madison has a similar program and organizations like United Way and others cover a broad spectrum of needs throughout a large geography. SACF is for and about the needs of Stoughton and its people. Those who contribute to these funds are often people who feel a deep appreciation for our city and want to celebrate this unique connection by helping it improve.
In a complicated world, the answer to this question seems not so simple. But sometimes it starts with a visionary individual, a spark of an idea and a support team to realize the dream. With this as a background, we celebrate the Stoughton Area community Foundation’s 20th Anniversary in 2018 with a look back to it inception and the people that have helped it thrive.
As a self-made successful businessman, Paul Sundby wanted to leave a legacy from his estate to benefit Stoughton, the city he loved. His idea was to help fund programs that needed a little extra financial backing to reach their goals. The primary focus was to be on areas close to his heart: natural resources and the environment. Rather than simply donate a single sum to the city, he wanted to find a way to build an ongoing benefit to the community.
His financial advisor, Kent Knutson, recommended that the first step was to establish an endowment in Paul’s name with a controlled amount paid out each year. The rest of the funds would be invested for the lone-term so that worthy programs and projects would be helped for years to come.
Early Days
A governing board was then established to solicit and determine projects which might be considered for funding. This first board was: Andy Arians, Dick Ilenfeldt, Mayor Helen Johnson, Kent Knutson, Tom Fendrick, Terry Brenny, Carol Wahlin and Mike Bemis. This group of community leaders from business, school and government ensured that a comprehensive perspective would be given to all projects considered. For the next twenty years, the board has continued to function in the same manner with each member from a variety of backgrounds serving a six-year term.
During the first year, committees were established for the following: standard operating procedures; benchmarking against other similar programs in the state; fund-raising to enable more funding for a broader range of projects; marketing to encourage others to include Stoughton Area Community Foundation in their estate planning and planned giving.
One decision made in the early days was to limit the area covered to those programs helping people within the Stoughton School District borders. Madison has a similar program and organizations like United Way and others cover a broad spectrum of needs throughout a large geography. SACF is for and about the needs of Stoughton and its people. Those who contribute to these funds are often people who feel a deep appreciation for our city and want to celebrate this unique connection by helping it improve.
What can one person do to bring about significant, positive change?
In a complicated world, the answer to this question seems not so simple. But sometimes it starts with a visionary individual, a spark of an idea and a support team to realize the dream. With this as a background, we celebrate the Stoughton Area community Foundation’s 20th Anniversary in 2018 with a look back to it inception and the people that have helped it thrive.
As a self-made successful businessman, Paul Sundby wanted to leave a legacy from his estate to benefit Stoughton, the city he loved. His idea was to help fund programs that needed a little extra financial backing to reach their goals. The primary focus was to be on areas close to his heart: natural resources and the environment. Rather than simply donate a single sum to the city, he wanted to find a way to build an ongoing benefit to the community.
His financial advisor, Kent Knutson, recommended that the first step was to establish an endowment in Paul’s name with a controlled amount paid out each year. The rest of the funds would be invested for the lone-term so that worthy programs and projects would be helped for years to come.
Early Days
A governing board was then established to solicit and determine projects which might be considered for funding. This first board was: Andy Arians, Dick Ilenfeldt, Mayor Helen Johnson, Kent Knutson, Tom Fendrick, Terry Brenny, Carol Wahlin and Mike Bemis. This group of community leaders from business, school and government ensured that a comprehensive perspective would be given to all projects considered. For the next twenty years, the board has continued to function in the same manner with each member from a variety of backgrounds serving a six-year term.
During the first year, committees were established for the following: standard operating procedures; benchmarking against other similar programs in the state; fund-raising to enable more funding for a broader range of projects; marketing to encourage others to include Stoughton Area Community Foundation in their estate planning and planned giving.
One decision made in the early days was to limit the area covered to those programs helping people within the Stoughton School District borders. Madison has a similar program and organizations like United Way and others cover a broad spectrum of needs throughout a large geography. SACF is for and about the needs of Stoughton and its people. Those who contribute to these funds are often people who feel a deep appreciation for our city and want to celebrate this unique connection by helping it improve.
In a complicated world, the answer to this question seems not so simple. But sometimes it starts with a visionary individual, a spark of an idea and a support team to realize the dream. With this as a background, we celebrate the Stoughton Area community Foundation’s 20th Anniversary in 2018 with a look back to it inception and the people that have helped it thrive.
As a self-made successful businessman, Paul Sundby wanted to leave a legacy from his estate to benefit Stoughton, the city he loved. His idea was to help fund programs that needed a little extra financial backing to reach their goals. The primary focus was to be on areas close to his heart: natural resources and the environment. Rather than simply donate a single sum to the city, he wanted to find a way to build an ongoing benefit to the community.
His financial advisor, Kent Knutson, recommended that the first step was to establish an endowment in Paul’s name with a controlled amount paid out each year. The rest of the funds would be invested for the lone-term so that worthy programs and projects would be helped for years to come.
Early Days
A governing board was then established to solicit and determine projects which might be considered for funding. This first board was: Andy Arians, Dick Ilenfeldt, Mayor Helen Johnson, Kent Knutson, Tom Fendrick, Terry Brenny, Carol Wahlin and Mike Bemis. This group of community leaders from business, school and government ensured that a comprehensive perspective would be given to all projects considered. For the next twenty years, the board has continued to function in the same manner with each member from a variety of backgrounds serving a six-year term.
During the first year, committees were established for the following: standard operating procedures; benchmarking against other similar programs in the state; fund-raising to enable more funding for a broader range of projects; marketing to encourage others to include Stoughton Area Community Foundation in their estate planning and planned giving.
One decision made in the early days was to limit the area covered to those programs helping people within the Stoughton School District borders. Madison has a similar program and organizations like United Way and others cover a broad spectrum of needs throughout a large geography. SACF is for and about the needs of Stoughton and its people. Those who contribute to these funds are often people who feel a deep appreciation for our city and want to celebrate this unique connection by helping it improve.
