Column: Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley celebrates first stand-alone office in its 77-year history
Yes, the 4,000-square-foot space at 1971 W. Downer Place gives this community foundation far more room than the approximately 1,200-square-foot spot the group occupied for nearly four decades on the third floor of Old Second Bank.
The board can now hold its meetings on site in a large open room, as can the scholarship committee and the high school students who are part of its Youth Engagement Philanthropy program that had previously gathered at Prisco Community Center to learn all about fundraising, grant-making and how to make a difference in their communities.
More space also means this can be a collaboration hub for donors, partners and stakeholders. It can provide more opportunities for training seminars, for internships and temporary staff and allows for the option of opening this expanded area up to the community for small events, said Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley President and CEO Julie Christman.
It's also a more visitor-friendly environment in terms of parking and accessibility than the third-floor space they had outgrown, she pointed out. Which all make for great reasons to celebrate. But what the new address for the Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley also represents is a significantly larger footprint the foundation is making in our communities.
Just as need has grown, there are more generous people throughout the Fox Valley coming to this nonprofit with one main purpose in mind: Help others have a better life.
Like Hans and Ruthie Lehmann, who lost their 15-year-old daughter Kayla in 2018, and have since raised over $300,000 for suicide prevention and awareness programs, all administered through the foundation.
Or the family of Jean and Richard Cibulskis, who have a scholarship endowment fund because their parents valued love and education so highly.
Every donor seems to have a remarkable story, which Christman and her staff are honored to hear and to share.
'We see so much good in the community,' she told me before the Thursday event. 'There will be people who come in here who received a scholarship 20 years ago and now want to give back. People care so much about others.'
The foundation also works with other nonprofits making huge impacts in the lives of others. For example, CASA Kane County has partnered with the community foundation for nearly 30 years, but in 2012 that relationship hit another milestone when the group began managing CASA's endowment fund.
Currently, there are over 700 funds – big and not as big – distributed through the foundation, which is up significantly from the 660 reported a couple years ago at its 75th anniversary. That's a far cry from the handful of $150 scholarships handed out after 1948, when Beacon-News Publisher Charles Hoefer gathered a group of local leaders together to start the organization.
Since then, the foundation has awarded more than $100 million in grants and scholarships, Christman said, noting this past year alone more than $2.1 million in new grant programs were launched through the efforts of state Reps. Barbara Hernandez, D-Aurora, and Stephanie Kifowit, D-Oswego, with the state of Illinois, as well as a partnership with Microsoft; and over $3 million was awarded through the scholarship program, which 'has been at the heart of our mission from the beginning.'
But those dollars 'represent more than just financial support,' Christman told the 70-some guests, which included Aurora Mayor John Laesch and several aldermen, Kane County State's Attorney Jamie Mosser, state Sen. Karina Villa, D-West Chicago, and Hernandez.
'They stand for opportunity, impact and a deep lasting commitment to improving lives across our region,' Christman said.
What is so special about this local foundation is that it allows those who are not Bill Gates or Warren Buffett to be philanthropists by combining their own efforts with other groups that can make a bigger impact. So it's no surprise Christman and her staff were more than ready to show off their new digs and this new chapter in their compelling history.
'We do want to continue to grow,' the CEO insisted. 'More donors mean more funds, more relationships and more opportunities to engage with the community.
'We are always stronger together.'
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Chicago Tribune
5 days ago
- Chicago Tribune
Column: Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley celebrates first stand-alone office in its 77-year history
When the Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley held a ribbon-cutting Thursday afternoon, the event in Aurora was more than a celebration of the 77-year-old nonprofit's first stand-alone office. Yes, the 4,000-square-foot space at 1971 W. Downer Place gives this community foundation far more room than the approximately 1,200-square-foot spot the group occupied for nearly four decades on the third floor of Old Second Bank. The board can now hold its meetings on site in a large open room, as can the scholarship committee and the high school students who are part of its Youth Engagement Philanthropy program that had previously gathered at Prisco Community Center to learn all about fundraising, grant-making and how to make a difference in their communities. More space also means this can be a collaboration hub for donors, partners and stakeholders. It can provide more opportunities for training seminars, for internships and temporary staff and allows for the option of opening this expanded area up to the community for small events, said Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley President and CEO Julie Christman. It's also a more visitor-friendly environment in terms of parking and accessibility than the third-floor space they had outgrown, she pointed out. Which all make for great reasons to celebrate. But what the new address for the Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley also represents is a significantly larger footprint the foundation is making in our communities. Just as need has grown, there are more generous people throughout the Fox Valley coming to this nonprofit with one main purpose in mind: Help others have a better life. Like Hans and Ruthie Lehmann, who lost their 15-year-old daughter Kayla in 2018, and have since raised over $300,000 for suicide prevention and awareness programs, all administered through the foundation. Or the family of Jean and Richard Cibulskis, who have a scholarship endowment fund because their parents valued love and education so highly. Every donor seems to have a remarkable story, which Christman and her staff are honored to hear and to share. 'We see so much good in the community,' she told me before the Thursday event. 'There will be people who come in here who received a scholarship 20 years ago and now want to give back. People care so much about others.' The foundation also works with other nonprofits making huge impacts in the lives of others. For example, CASA Kane County has partnered with the community foundation for nearly 30 years, but in 2012 that relationship hit another milestone when the group began managing CASA's endowment fund. Currently, there are over 700 funds – big and not as big – distributed through the foundation, which is up significantly from the 660 reported a couple years ago at its 75th anniversary. That's a far cry from the handful of $150 scholarships handed out after 1948, when Beacon-News Publisher Charles Hoefer gathered a group of local leaders together to start the organization. Since then, the foundation has awarded more than $100 million in grants and scholarships, Christman said, noting this past year alone more than $2.1 million in new grant programs were launched through the efforts of state Reps. Barbara Hernandez, D-Aurora, and Stephanie Kifowit, D-Oswego, with the state of Illinois, as well as a partnership with Microsoft; and over $3 million was awarded through the scholarship program, which 'has been at the heart of our mission from the beginning.' But those dollars 'represent more than just financial support,' Christman told the 70-some guests, which included Aurora Mayor John Laesch and several aldermen, Kane County State's Attorney Jamie Mosser, state Sen. Karina Villa, D-West Chicago, and Hernandez. 'They stand for opportunity, impact and a deep lasting commitment to improving lives across our region,' Christman said. What is so special about this local foundation is that it allows those who are not Bill Gates or Warren Buffett to be philanthropists by combining their own efforts with other groups that can make a bigger impact. So it's no surprise Christman and her staff were more than ready to show off their new digs and this new chapter in their compelling history. 'We do want to continue to grow,' the CEO insisted. 'More donors mean more funds, more relationships and more opportunities to engage with the community. 'We are always stronger together.'
Yahoo
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Rogers County raises most money for CASA through Paper Doll Project
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Yahoo
04-06-2025
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Supreme Court Might Kill Nationwide Injunctions
The Supreme Court heard arguments this week that could reshape how federal courts block executive actions. On the surface, the justices seem prepared to rein in nationwide injunctions, the increasingly common tool used by lower courts to halt policies not only for the plaintiffs before them, but across all 50 states. In just the first five months of 2025, federal judges have issued such injunctions to block President Trumps executive order on birthright citizenship, his attempt to defund hospitals hospitals providing "gender-affirming" care to minors, and his sweeping pause on federal grants tied to diversity, equity and inclusion programs. Conservatives have long criticized the practice as lawless and unmoored from the limits of Article III of the Constitution. Progressives, now more reliant on such relief to block Trump-era policies, argue its sometimes the only way to prevent constitutional harm from spreading while litigation unfolds. Whats likely to emerge, though, is not a bold doctrinal ruling but a narrow, compromise opinion written by Chief Justice John Roberts. If that happens, the decision will offer a cautionary tale in judicial self-protection, in which institutional preservation is masked as constitutional principle, leaving the underlying structural problem untouched. The case, Trump v. CASA, centers on President Trumps executive order to limit birthright citizenship for the children of undocumented immigrants. Lower courts have blocked the policy through nationwide injunctions, prompting the administration to challenge their legitimacy. During oral argument, Roberts and several justices expressed concern about the expanding use of nationwide relief. Justice Alito called it a "disease" spreading through the federal courts. Justice Gorsuch warned about turning single judges into de facto national policymakers. But what was just as telling were the breadcrumbs dropped about a likely off-ramp: class certification. That means that instead of issuing an order that halts a federal policy "nationwide," a district judge could define a class - say, all U.S.-born children of undocumented immigrants - and enjoin enforcement of the policy against the entire group. The end result would be practically identical. If the court rules that nationwide injunctions are unconstitutional, lower courts may simply respond by certifying plaintiff classes broad enough to justify system-wide relief. In effect, judges will achieve the same outcome under a different procedural theory. Executive policies will still be blocked nationwide, but the mechanism will be dressed in new robes. Thats not judicial restraint. Thats a judicial workaround. And the impulse to allow it without acknowledging it seems likely to come from the courts center. Roberts, ever the institutionalist, is clearly sensitive to the perception that the judiciary is inserting itself into national policymaking. But his instinct is to manage appearances, not confront structure. The problem with nationwide injunctions is not just that theyre controversial. Its that they enable a single unelected district judge to dictate federal policy far beyond their jurisdiction. Thats not a political complaint; its a constitutional one. When trial courts routinely bind nonparties and issue system-wide relief, they exceed the role Article III envisions. A real ruling would address that head-on. It would clarify whether and when courts can bind the federal government outside the scope of the parties before them. It would not tinker with the tools while ignoring the incentives. Whats needed is not just a change in doctrine. Its a change in expectations. The first federal judge to issue a sweeping order shouldnt dictate national policy while appellate review drags on. A healthier structure would encourage narrow, party-specific relief until questions of law are settled by circuit courts or, ultimately, the Supreme Court. Instead, Roberts seems poised to split the baby. Hell signal disapproval of nationwide injunctions in form, while leaving the door wide open to class-wide relief that functions identically. The court will protect its image without restoring the actual boundaries of judicial power. To be clear, institutional legitimacy is worth caring about. But it doesnt come from a neutral tone or procedural sleight of hand. It comes from the courage to decide structural questions clearly, even when the result is politically uncomfortable. Roberts wants to preserve the courts reputation - but preservation isnt the mission. Judgment is. In the short term, the Trump administrations birthright order may still be blocked, just not by a "nationwide injunction." In the long term, lower courts will read between the lines. Theyll continue to halt national policy from the trial bench, using slightly different procedural tools, with a nod and a wink from the Supreme Court. The court may technically strike down nationwide injunctions. But it wont stop them. Justin Evan Smith is a law student, business strategist, and contributor with Young Voices. Follow him on X @thejustinevan.
