The Idyllwild Community Fund Advisory Board begins 2014 with five new members, new officers and an energized commitment to serve the needs of the community by making grants to local non-profits – assisting those local organizations in accomplishing their missions. In newsletters to come, we’ll profile last year’s grantees, their roles in the community and how they plan to use their grants. In awarding grants, the board strives to engage with the community, understand its needs, and review and respond to grant requests as the original Idyllwild donors intended.

Established in 1996 by a local couple whose mission it was to provide, in perpetuity, a fund and legacy to be used in the wider Idyllwild community for general charitable purposes, the fund or endowment is administered by the ICF Advisory Board operating under the umbrella of The Community Foundation, headquartered in Riverside.

Both the ICF and The Community Foundation are charged with increasing their founding endowments through marketing and fundraising so that those endowments grow. Grants are then made from interest on the principal. From 1999 through 2013, ICF grants to Idyllwild non profits totaled $171,000.

The 2014 ICF board is already planning new fundraising programs to engage, entertain and enroll the community in joining hands to bring a better quality of life to our neighbors and friends.

Current board members are Summer Brown, Mary Collier, Jeri Sue Haney, Gigi Kramer, Ron Krull, Marshall Smith, Bill Sperling Trish Tulley and Adele Voell. Our five new members are:

Jayne Davis, native New Englander, retired teacher and current Idyllwild Master Chorale librarian and vocalist, brings a strong history of volunteering, deep knowledge of the community and excellent organizational skills to the board;

Local realtor Steve Taylor has lived in Idyllwild for nearly 19 years and both through his work and volunteer activities – with the Help Center Board and the Art Alliance of Idyllwild – has developed a nuanced understanding of what he calls, “this very special little town.” Steve has also served as president of the local Board of Realtors;

Mary Morse, current Director of Resource Development for EXCEED, a Hemet based non profit providing vocational training to adults with disabilities, is a Pine Cove resident who brings her experience in non profit administration, teaching, counseling and marketing to the board;

Kathy Harmon-Luber, 11 year Idyllwild resident and previous Director of Development for the Idyllwild Arts Foundation, is an experienced fundraiser, having raised over $100 million for organizations advocating the arts, education, children, health and social services and political change in both Southern California and Washington D.C. Kathy also currently serves on the boards of the Art Alliance of Idyllwild and the Associates of Idyllwild Arts;

Jim Nutter, current Vice President of the Idyllwild Master Chorale, 24 year member and five time president of the Idyllwild Lions Club, current adjutant of the Sons of the American Legion, post 800 and Post Honor Guard member, brings dedication and discipline and a reputation for hard work to the board. Jim is currently employed with the Fern Valley Water District.

New ICF Advisory Board officers are Marshall Smith, President, Ron Krull, Vice President, and Summer Brown, Corresponding Secretary. Unfortunately for us, Dianne Suechika, a most vibrant and engaged board member and current Recording Secretary, had to resign because of family issues. Her board seat and officer position are now open.

Our year will be exciting and we will keep you informed. Thanks for making this journey with us.

Grant applications open on March 10th and remain open through May 5. We conduct our site visits to potential grantees from June 2nd through 6th, make our decisions in August and have our annual reception, awards ceremony and gala on September 25.

Keep an eye out for our new fundraising events which, given the character of this board, should be fun and entertaining.