For more than five decades, Jamieson Community Center has been lifting area families. They support basic needs with home-delivered meals, two food pantries, a thrift store, seasonal help with Christmas and school supplies, and emergency bill pay services. The Monmouth nonprofit also offers opportunities for growth through nutrition education, tutoring, resource referral, and personal connection.
But as Nancy Mowen enters her tenth year as executive director of the Center, Jamieson is experiencing unprecedented financial strain as the need for services continues to climb. “Seventy percent of residents qualify for food assistance and yet we are only reaching twenty percent of the population.”
To help Jamieson meet the growing needs of the region, they are working with Galesburg Community Foundation to build their endowment. The endowment provides Jamieson with a stable and reliable source of funding for the nonprofit’s ongoing initiatives. This financial security will allow the organization to plan strategically, expand its reach, and implement innovative solutions. “As the endowment grows, so does the nonprofit’s capacity to adapt to evolving community needs and create lasting change,” says Sarah Grant, Galesburg Community Foundation Director of Development.
To give Jamieson the opportunity to focus on building their endowment, the Community Foundation provided a multi-year grant to the nonprofit. The Community Foundation also produced materials that Jamieson can use to tell their story and brought them together with a cohort of four other nonprofits building their endowments who are sharing their experiences and learning from each other.
Partnering with Galesburg Community Foundation enables Jamieson to reap the benefits of the Community Foundation’s philanthropic services, expertise in charitable giving administration, and network of professional investment services, allowing Jamieson to focus on their mission.
Gifts of any kind can be made to support Jamieson’s endowment, from cash and securities to real estate or grain.
“The needs and opportunities for our neighbors are ever-present,” says Mowen. “At Jamieson Community Center, we are building an endowment fund to not only provide a permanent revenue stream so we can always deliver on our mission to increase food security and essential services, but to also ensure we can forever serve our neighbors with compassion.”
“When people feel valued,” Mowen continued, “they can move forward.”
To make a gift to the Jamieson Community Center endowment or other endowed funds at Galesburg Community Foundation, visit yourgcf.org/give. To learn more about endowments, contact Sarah Grant at info@yourgcf.org or 309.344.8898.
