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Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley
The Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley is a collection of individual funds and resources given by local citizens to enhance and support the quality of life in the Fox River Valley of Illinois.
We are a tax-exempt public charity that allows individuals, businesses, and non-profit organizations to establish permanent endowments and temporary funds within the confines of one large foundation.
Foundation funds are used to provide grants to non-profit organizations and scholarships to area students. The Foundation also hosts a Youth Engagement in Philanthropy (YEP) program, which helps high school students learn more about philanthropy and empowers them to make a difference in the community.
The Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley serves the City of Aurora, Kane County, and Kendall County within the State of Illinois.
Scholarship Program
Scholarships are available to local students who will attend an accredited post-secondary institution within the United States of America on a full-time basis.
Richard E. & Ann R. McWethy Scholarship Endowment Fund
This fund provides scholarships for residents of Kendall County, Illinois.
Ann Riford McWethy (1919-2019) was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1919 to Lulu and Otis Riford. She grew up in Canton, south of Boston.
After four years at prep school at Northfield, Massachusetts, Mrs. McWethy graduated from Green Mountain College in Vermont.
As a youth, she played tennis and taught swimming and canoeing as a counselor at Camp Waukeela in New Hampshire. She enjoyed other sports as well, including downhill and cross-country skiing.
After college she worked as a legal secretary in Boston.
She met her future husband Richard E. McWethy at a naval officers’ dance at Harvard University. He knew that “she was the one” right away. They were married a few months later in January of 1944 in her home.
Richard (Dick) McWethy (1921-2014) was born and raised in Aurora, Illinois. He spent his summers at the family cottage near South Haven on Lake Michigan enjoying swimming, sailing and tennis.
He graduated first in his class from West Aurora High School in 1939. He then enrolled at Caltech in Pasadena, majoring in engineering.
Mr. McWethy was on active duty with the Naval Reserve when school was not in session. He spent one summer aboard the 110-foot schooner “Volador,” sailing patrol one hundred to one hundred-fifty miles offshore watching for Japanese submarines.
After graduation, he was called for active duty in the Navy and was sent to Harvard University for communications training.
Eventually, he served on Attu, at the end of the Aleutian Island chain in Alaska. There he worked in communications with code machines while they launched bombing runs over northern Japan. He noted that the weather reports on Attu ended every day with “wind gusts to 60k.”
The couple had three children – Merrill, Peggy and Lee.
Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley
The Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley is a collection of individual funds and resources given by local citizens to enhance and support the quality of life in the Fox River Valley of Illinois.
We are a tax-exempt public charity that allows individuals, businesses, and non-profit organizations to establish permanent endowments and temporary funds within the confines of one large foundation.
Foundation funds are used to provide grants to non-profit organizations and scholarships to area students. The Foundation also hosts a Youth Engagement in Philanthropy (YEP) program, which helps high school students learn more about philanthropy and empowers them to make a difference in the community.
The Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley serves the City of Aurora, Kane County, and Kendall County within the State of Illinois.
Louise G. & Margaret E. Lane Scholarship Endowment Fund
This fund provides income to students graduating from Aurora Christian, East Aurora or West Aurora High School for attendance at a college or university located within the State of Illinois.
Margaret Lane (1906-1993) was a graduate of West Aurora High School. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois and a graduate degree from Northwestern University.
Her sister Louise Lane (1907-2003) also received her undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois and a graduate degree from Northwestern University. She taught in the West Aurora School System at Greenman and Freeman Elementary Schools, as well as West Aurora High School.
Both women maintained memberships in numerous community organizations including the American Association of University Women, the Aurora Area Retired Teacher’s Association and New England Congregational Church.
The monetary value of each scholarship award varies depending upon the amount available in each individual scholarship fund. The most common scholarship award amount is $1,000 for a single year. Scholarships are designated as non-renewable one-year awards or renewable multi-year awards depending upon the scholarship fund criteria, as established by the donor of the scholarship fund.
Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley
The Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley is a collection of individual funds and resources given by local citizens to enhance and support the quality of life in the Fox River Valley of Illinois.
We are a tax-exempt public charity that allows individuals, businesses, and non-profit organizations to establish permanent endowments and temporary funds within the confines of one large foundation.
Foundation funds are used to provide grants to non-profit organizations and scholarships to area students. The Foundation also hosts a Youth Engagement in Philanthropy (YEP) program, which helps high school students learn more about philanthropy and empowers them to make a difference in the community.
The Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley serves the City of Aurora, Kane County, and Kendall County within the State of Illinois.
Scholarship Program
Scholarships are available to local students who will attend an accredited post-secondary institution within the United States of America on a full-time basis.
Drs. Sara & Daniel Susmano Scholarship Fund
In 1989 Aurora physicians, Dr. Sara and Dr. Daniel Susmano, created a scholarship fund within the Community Foundation to assist area Hispanic students entering vocational fields of study.
Dr. Daniel Susmano was an urologist at Dreyer Medical Clinic. He is now retired.
Dr. Sara Susmano was a pediatrician and chief of medical staff at Northern Illinois University Health Services. Sara passed away on October 9, 2013.
Students graduating from East Aurora, West Aurora, or Waubonsie Valley High Schools are eligible for these scholarships.
In establishing this award, the Susmanos were primarily interested in encouraging students to enter vocations related to the field of health care.
Examples of such vocations include service and long-term care workers, physical therapists, medical records administrators and technicians, occupational therapists, and radiologists.
Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley
The Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley is a collection of individual funds and resources given by local citizens to enhance and support the quality of life in the Fox River Valley of Illinois.
We are a tax-exempt public charity that allows individuals, businesses, and non-profit organizations to establish permanent endowments and temporary funds within the confines of one large foundation.
Foundation funds are used to provide grants to non-profit organizations and scholarships to area students. The Foundation also hosts a Youth Engagement in Philanthropy (YEP) program, which helps high school students learn more about philanthropy and empowers them to make a difference in the community.
The Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley serves the City of Aurora, Kane County, and Kendall County within the State of Illinois.
Scholarship Program
Scholarships are available to local students who will attend an accredited post-secondary institution within the United States of America on a full-time basis.
Louis Vago Scholarship Fund
This fund was created by Louis N. Vago (1925-2015) to provide scholarships to students in the Fox River Valley Area.
These scholarships are reserved for graduates of Aurora Central Catholic, Aurora Christian, East Aurora, Marmion, Metea Valley, Rosary, Waubonsie Valley or West Aurora High School.
Students must attend Aurora University, DePaul University or Hillsdale College.
Mr. Vago received his law degree from DePaul University.
He was a certified public accountant and an agent for the Internal Revenue Service.
He then founded and was president of General Aluminum Corporation from 1960-1986.
Louis Vago was a director of the Community Foundation for twenty-two years.
He also maintained memberships in numerous professional and civic organizations including the Illinois Bar Association, Kane County Bar Association, Elks Lodge and the Knights of Columbus.
Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley
The Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley is a collection of individual funds and resources given by local citizens to enhance and support the quality of life in the Fox River Valley of Illinois.
We are a tax-exempt public charity that allows individuals, businesses, and non-profit organizations to establish permanent endowments and temporary funds within the confines of one large foundation.
Foundation funds are used to provide grants to non-profit organizations and scholarships to area students. The Foundation also hosts a Youth Engagement in Philanthropy (YEP) program, which helps high school students learn more about philanthropy and empowers them to make a difference in the community.
The Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley serves the City of Aurora, Kane County, and Kendall County within the State of Illinois.
Scholarship Program
Scholarships are available to local students who will attend an accredited post-secondary institution within the United States of America on a full-time basis.
Simons-Minkler Scholarship Endowment Fund
This endowment was created upon receipt of a bequest from Katharyn Simons.
Miss Simons (1885-1969) lived her early years in Yorkville. Upon graduation from Beloit College, she taught at Morton High School in Cicero for thirty-six years.
After her retirement, she returned to Yorkville. Her maternal grandfather was an early settler of Kendall County and developed the famous “Minkler Apple.”
Simons bequeathed a large portion of her estate to the Foundation in honor of her family.
The Simons-Minkler Fund provides income for scholarships to graduates of East Aurora, West Aurora or Yorkville High School.
Created in 1970, the fund was established as an endowment in 1989.
Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley
The Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley is a collection of individual funds and resources given by local citizens to enhance and support the quality of life in the Fox River Valley of Illinois.
We are a tax-exempt public charity that allows individuals, businesses, and non-profit organizations to establish permanent endowments and temporary funds within the confines of one large foundation.
Foundation funds are used to provide grants to non-profit organizations and scholarships to area students. The Foundation also hosts a Youth Engagement in Philanthropy (YEP) program, which helps high school students learn more about philanthropy and empowers them to make a difference in the community.
The Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley serves the City of Aurora, Kane County, and Kendall County within the State of Illinois.
Scholarship Program
Scholarships are available to local students who will attend an accredited post-secondary institution within the United States of America on a full-time basis.
Thorium Action Group/Kerr-McGee Chemical Corporation Scholarship Endowment Fund
This fund provides scholarships to graduating high school seniors who reside within West Chicago Community High School District 94 in the State of Illinois.
It is a living legacy that symbolizes the joint effort of the Thorium Action Group, the people of the City of West Chicago, Illinois, their elected representatives, and the Kerr-McGee Chemical Corporation to remove the radioactive thorium contamination from the community.
This fund was established on September 17, 1997 with a generous donation from the Kerr-McGee Chemical Corporation. Kerr-McGee made the donation in the name of the Thorium Action Group because of the group’s fight to clean up the city.
Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley
The Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley is a collection of individual funds and resources given by local citizens to enhance and support the quality of life in the Fox River Valley of Illinois.
We are a tax-exempt public charity that allows individuals, businesses, and non-profit organizations to establish permanent endowments and temporary funds within the confines of one large foundation.
Foundation funds are used to provide grants to non-profit organizations and scholarships to area students. The Foundation also hosts a Youth Engagement in Philanthropy (YEP) program, which helps high school students learn more about philanthropy and empowers them to make a difference in the community.
The Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley serves the City of Aurora, Kane County, and Kendall County within the State of Illinois.
Scholarship Program
Scholarships are available to local students who will attend an accredited post-secondary institution within the United States of America on a full-time basis.
Trembacki & Hultgren Families Scholarship Endowment Fund
This fund provides scholarships to students graduating from East Aurora or West Aurora High School who will be entering the field of teaching.
Raymond Trembacki (1925-2000) was a teacher in the West Aurora School System from 1952 to 1959.
He then moved to East Aurora High School to develop the photography curriculum. In 1983, he continued his teaching career at the College of DuPage.
Janice Trembacki (1927-1997) was an English teacher in the West Aurora School System. She taught at Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson Junior High Schools. She retired in 1990.
Mr. and Mrs. Trembacki were graduates of Illinois State University (BA) and Colorado State College (MA).
Dale and Rae Jean Hultgren also had long and distinguished careers as educators for the Aurora schools.
In 1953, Dale Hultgren joined his sister Janice Trembacki in the West Aurora School System. He taught at Freeman Elementary School and later he taught science at Thomas Jefferson Junior High School.
Mr. Hultgren is a graduate of Illinois State University (BS) and the University of Colorado (MS).
Rae Jean Hultgren (1935-2008) taught in the Business Education Department at West Aurora High School, where she later became the department chairperson.
She also taught at East Aurora High School in the Business Education Department until her retirement in 2000. Mrs. Hultgren is a graduate of the University of Iowa (BBA and MA).
Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley
The Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley is a collection of individual funds and resources given by local citizens to enhance and support the quality of life in the Fox River Valley of Illinois.
We are a tax-exempt public charity that allows individuals, businesses, and non-profit organizations to establish permanent endowments and temporary funds within the confines of one large foundation.
Foundation funds are used to provide grants to non-profit organizations and scholarships to area students. The Foundation also hosts a Youth Engagement in Philanthropy (YEP) program, which helps high school students learn more about philanthropy and empowers them to make a difference in the community.
The Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley serves the City of Aurora, Kane County, and Kendall County within the State of Illinois.
Scholarship Program
Scholarships are available to local students who will attend an accredited post-secondary institution within the United States of America on a full-time basis.
Walter A. Sperry Scholarship Endowment Fund
Students entering post-graduate studies in the fields of dentistry or engineering are eligible to apply for scholarships from the Walter A. Sperry Scholarship Endowment Fund.
This fund was established as a memorial to Walter A. Sperry, Sr. (1882-1981) and Walter A. Sperry, Jr. (1922-1995).
Walter A. Sperry, Sr. received a degree in chemical engineering from Ohio State University in 1907.
He was a chemist in Columbus, Ohio and Grand Rapids, Michigan before his appointment as superintendent of the Aurora Sanitary District, a position he held from 1930 to 1958.
His son Walter A. Sperry, Jr. was a graduate of the University of Illinois Dental School and practiced in Aurora from 1947 to 1988.
In addition, he taught at the College of Dentistry at the University of Illinois-Chicago for twenty-five years.
Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley
The Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley is a collection of individual funds and resources given by local citizens to enhance and support the quality of life in the Fox River Valley of Illinois.
We are a tax-exempt public charity that allows individuals, businesses, and non-profit organizations to establish permanent endowments and temporary funds within the confines of one large foundation.
Foundation funds are used to provide grants to non-profit organizations and scholarships to area students. The Foundation also hosts a Youth Engagement in Philanthropy (YEP) program, which helps high school students learn more about philanthropy and empowers them to make a difference in the community.
The Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley serves the City of Aurora, Kane County, and Kendall County within the State of Illinois.
Scholarship Program
Scholarships are available to local students who will attend an accredited post-secondary institution within the United States of America on a full-time basis.
Albert M. Zari Scholarship Fund
The Albert M. Zari Scholarship Fund was established by the Albert M. Zari Foundation to provide scholarships to students who are pursuing an undergraduate degree from a college or university in accounting, aeronautics/aerospace science, agriculture, business, communications, computer science, electronics, engineering, finance, information systems, medicine, or pharmacy.
Students continuing their studies in trade schools are also eligible for these scholarships.
Eligibility is reserved for students graduating from public high schools located within the following Illinois School Districts: Batavia, Geneva, St. Charles, Oswego, Sycamore, DeKalb, Kaneland, Yorkville or Plano.
Albert M. Zari directed that these scholarships be created from his estate to reflect his belief in the power of education.
With an eighth grade education, and after completing an electricians’ apprenticeship program, Mr. Zari became a successful businessman.
He was the founder of A.M. Zari Construction Company and was very proud of the work that his company did on the runways at O’Hare Airport.
Mr. Zari spent his free time as a woodworker at his home in St. Charles, Illinois producing exquisite works of art.
A native of Chicago, he was the son of Peter and Delfina Zari and husband to Carole.
Mr. Zari served his country in the Navy in World War II. He passed away on February 2, 2014 at the age of 94.
Recreational Corridor Greenways and Trails Planning
State funding for intergovernmental agreements and grant agreements that support specific projects identified as high priority a Recreational Corridor for repurposing the abandoned railroads. These are non-competitive grants that fund the specific miscellaneous purposes to manage, conserve and protect Illinois' natural, recreational and cultural resources, further the public's understanding and appreciation of those resources, and promote the education, science and public safety of Illinois' natural resources for present and future generations.
This is the third phase of the DNR-assisted program.
Counties that have not already participated in DNR-assisted Northeastern Illinois or downstate metro-area greenway and trail planning. These counties may participate in the program individually, or in cooperation with one or more other eligible counties. Two or more northeastern Illinois and downstate metro-area coalitions that have (1) completed regional plans (under earlier Phases and (2) demonstrated significant progress in implementing portions of their plans. The goal for this planning is to connect metro-area networks. Interstate coalitions. The goal for this planning is to connect greenways and trails within Illinois to greenways and trails within adjacent states.
Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley
The Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley is a collection of individual funds and resources given by local citizens to enhance and support the quality of life in the Fox River Valley of Illinois.
We are a tax-exempt public charity that allows individuals, businesses, and non-profit organizations to establish permanent endowments and temporary funds within the confines of one large foundation.
Foundation funds are used to provide grants to non-profit organizations and scholarships to area students. The Foundation also hosts a Youth Engagement in Philanthropy (YEP) program, which helps high school students learn more about philanthropy and empowers them to make a difference in the community.
The Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley serves the City of Aurora, Kane County, and Kendall County within the State of Illinois.
Scholarship Program
Scholarships are available to local students who will attend an accredited post-secondary institution within the United States of America on a full-time basis.
Jack Desha Witt Education Endowment Fund
This endowment was created by a bequest received from the estate of Jack Desha Witt (1907-1990) as a memorial to his father Dr. John D. Witt (1874-1938). Dr. Witt was a physician and surgeon who practiced in Aurora during the early 1900’s.
The Jack Desha Witt Education Endowment Fund provides income to Aurora students entering a pre-medicine course of study, including nursing. Mr. Witt chose the Foundation as a meaningful and permanent way to honor the memory of his father.
Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley
The Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley is a collection of individual funds and resources given by local citizens to enhance and support the quality of life in the Fox River Valley of Illinois.
We are a tax-exempt public charity that allows individuals, businesses, and non-profit organizations to establish permanent endowments and temporary funds within the confines of one large foundation.
Foundation funds are used to provide grants to non-profit organizations and scholarships to area students. The Foundation also hosts a Youth Engagement in Philanthropy (YEP) program, which helps high school students learn more about philanthropy and empowers them to make a difference in the community.
The Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley serves the City of Aurora, Kane County, and Kendall County within the State of Illinois.
Scholarship Program
Scholarships are available to local students who will attend an accredited post-secondary institution within the United States of America on a full-time basis.
John V. and Carol E. Winkle Scholarship Foundation Endowment Fund
The John V. and Carol E. Winkle Scholarship Foundation Endowment Fund was created to provide scholarships to high school graduates located within the Community Foundation’s service area. Graduates of Hinckley-Big Rock High School and home-schooled students are also eligible for these awards if they reside within the Community Foundation’s service area.
John (1938-2010) and Carol (Crishal) Winkle (1937-2023) of Batavia and then Aurora were born in Youngstown, Ohio. They were graduates of Ursuline High School and Youngstown State University.
In 1969, the Winkles moved to Illinois where John joined and would later acquire the Weldstar Company in Aurora.
“Wink” and Carol touched many lives through their philanthropic endeavors and in their service to various organizations, including the Association for Individual Development, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Hesed House, Tri-City Family Services, area schools, and their churches (Holy Cross Parish and then Annunciation BVM).
Scholarships from their foundation will continue their belief in the potential of every human being and their sense of commitment to one’s community.
Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley
The Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley is a collection of individual funds and resources given by local citizens to enhance and support the quality of life in the Fox River Valley of Illinois.
We are a tax-exempt public charity that allows individuals, businesses, and non-profit organizations to establish permanent endowments and temporary funds within the confines of one large foundation.
Foundation funds are used to provide grants to non-profit organizations and scholarships to area students. The Foundation also hosts a Youth Engagement in Philanthropy (YEP) program, which helps high school students learn more about philanthropy and empowers them to make a difference in the community.
The Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley serves the City of Aurora, Kane County, and Kendall County within the State of Illinois.
Scholarship Program
Scholarships are available to local students who will attend an accredited post-secondary institution within the United States of America on a full-time basis.
Judy Whinfrey Memorial Nursing Scholarship Fund
The Judy Whinfrey Memorial Nursing Scholarship Fund was created to honor the life of Judy Whinfrey, a well-known civic leader in the Fox Valley Area.
The fund has been launched with a generous gift from the Central DuPage Hospital Foundation (now known as Northwestern Medicine Foundation), which partnered with Hewitt Associates of Lincolnshire and Mrs. Whinfrey’s husband, Peter Whinfrey, to establish a significant endowment within the hospital foundation in Mrs. Whinfrey’s name.
Judy Whinfrey (1949-2010) was born in Evanston, Illinois. After graduation from the University of Illinois, she joined Hewitt Associates, a global human resources consulting and outsourcing company, where she spent more than thirty years as a principal and managing consultant.
As one of the first women to become an account executive in the mid-1970s, she co-founded Hewitt’s Women in Leadership initiative. She also served on the Hewitt executive committee and was a past member of the company’s board of directors.
Mrs. Whinfrey was a member of the board of directors of Benedictine University in Lisle, Illinois and Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield, Illinois. She served as chairman of the board of the hospital from 2004 to 2008.
She was the first female certificate member of the Chicago Golf Club and was a member of the Secession Golf Club in Beaufort, South Carolina, where she was the first female to play in the annual Blue-Grey matches.
Judy Whinfrey lived life to its fullest and was an inspiration to those whose lives she touched. It is in this spirit that a nursing scholarship was created with the Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley.
Scholarships in Mrs. Whinfrey’s name will be awarded to graduates of East Aurora or West Aurora High School who are studying within the field of nursing to obtain an Associate Degree in Nursing, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing or a Master of Science in Nursing.
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How common are grants in this category?
Common — grants in this category appear regularly across funding sources.
Over the past year, when are grant deadlines typically due for grants for Museums in Illinois?
Most grants are due in the second quarter.
What's the typical amount funded for Illinois?
Grants are most commonly $104,222.
What's the total number of grants in Grants for Museums in Illinois year over year?
In 2024, funders in Illinois awarded a total of 104,158 grants.
Among all the Grants for Museums in Illinois given out in Illinois, the most popular focus areas that receive funding are Education, Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Foundations, and Human Services.
1. Education
2. Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Foundations
3. Human Services
How is funding for Grants for Museums in Illinois changing over time?
Funding has increased by 16.08%.
How does grant funding vary by county?
Cook County, Lake County, and Macon County receive the most funding.
| County | Total Grant Funding in 2024 |
|---|---|
| Cook County | $6,893,460,213 |
| Lake County | $720,580,526 |
| Macon County | $544,478,272 |
| Champaign County | $541,704,331 |
| Dupage County | $496,099,366 |