With the flexibility of unrestricted giving, funds such as the Bob & Ann Tompert Endowment Fund are helping to ensure that the ever-changing needs of their community are provided for now and forever.
“Ann trusted the Foundation not only to support opportunities that are important today but those in the future as well,” said Jackie Hanton, vice president of the Community Foundation. “Years from now we will be prepared to meet emerging needs and exciting opportunities that may be different from today because of gifts such as these.”
During their lives, Robert “Bob” worked at Mueller Brass and Anna “Ann” was an elementary school teacher who became an acclaimed children’s book author creating well-known works such as Harry’s Hats and Little Fox Goes to the End of the World. Preceded in death by Bob, Ann gifted their estate to the Community Foundation upon her passing from which a fund was established.
In the past two years, nearly $100,000 has been granted from the Bob & Ann Tompert Endowment Fund to 12 different organizations benefiting education and literacy as well as other initiatives such as art and recreation.
The Bob & Ann Tompert Endowment Fund is one of 18 funds at the Community Foundation that supports unrestricted giving. Through unrestricted funds, the Community Foundation can use its expertise to determine which endeavors will have the greatest impact while remaining flexible in responding to community needs as they change over time.
To date, the Community Foundation has granted a total of $9.2 million through unrestricted funds to support initiatives like improvements to local parks, trail planning across St. Clair County or key programs such as the Blue Water River Walk.
Since 1944, thousands of donors have made unrestricted gifts, combining their resources through the Community Foundation’s Community Investment Fund to make a real impact by supporting urgent needs and initiatives in our region. To learn more about philanthropic opportunities with the Community Foundation or setting up a fund, visit stclairfoundation.org/giving-center.