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Foundations An Asset To Leisure Agencies,
Survey Reveals — What About Your Community?

U. of I. group surveys county level agencies and organizations on gifts, donations and foundations.

(Prepared by Tom Makowski, Graduate Student, Department of Leisure Studies, UIUC, and Robert Espeseth, Chief of Office of Recreation and Park Resources, UIUC).

The Office of Recreation and Park Resources, Department of Leisure Studies, and Cooperative Extension Service, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, recently surveyed 27 county level agencies and organizations including Conservation, Forest Preserve, Conservancy and County-wide Park Districts, a private foundation, and several county board funded agencies which provide lesiure and recreation services in Illinois, to obtain information on gifts and donations received.

The purpose of the survey was first, to find out the amount of land, money, equipment, facility and labor donations received by these agencies for 1980, 1981, and 1982. And, secondly, to find out how many agencies had established or worked with foundations, to see if there was any difference in the donations received by those with foundations in comparison to those without foundations.

Of the seventeen agencies that responded, fourteen reported they had received some type of donations. Of those fourteen agencies, seven have foundations available to them and two more are in the process of establishing foundations.

The resuts of this survey indicate that a substantial amount of land, money and other items were given over the three-year period. Approximately 69% of the land acreage do-

Table I

Donations by Land, Money, & Equipment, Facilities, Labor, Etc.

TOTAL LAND DONATIONS:

— 858.1 acres; valued at $7,455,914

— approximately 69% of the land acreage went to agencies with a foundation

— approximately 96% of the land value went to agencies with a foundation

TOTAL MONETARY DONATIONS:

— $77,791

— approximately 59% went to agencies with a foundation

TOTAL EQUIPMENT, FACILITIES, LABOR, ETC DONATIONS:

— $204,291

—approximately 92% went to agencies with a foundation

TOTAL VALUE OF ALL DONATIONS = $7,737,996

TOTAL VALUE OF ALL DONATIONS TO AGENCIES WITH A FOUNDATION = $7,310,881

TOTAL VALUE OF ALL DONATIONS TO AGENCIES WITHOUT A FOUNDATION = $ 427,115


Table 2

County Agencies or Organizations
Responding to the Survey

 
Gifts/Donations Received
Foundation Status

Boone County Conservation District

Yes

No Foundation

Macon County Conservation District

Yes

The Natural Heritage and Wildlife Foundation of Macon County 1981

McHenry County Conservation District

Yes

Works through existing 501(C) (3) organizations i.e. Historical Society, Corlands, and Nature Conservancy

Vermilion County Conservation District

Yes

No Foundation

Byron Forest Preserve District...............

Yes

No Foundation

Champaign County Forest Preserve District

Yes

Works with Champaign County Development Council Foundation (CCDC) & Harvester's

Cook County Forest Preserve District ........

Yes

Has a Foundation

DeKalb County Forest Preserve District

Yes

Considering a Foundation

DuPage County Forest Preserve District

Yes

Forest Foundation of DuPage Co., 1971

Lake County Forest Preserve District

Yes

Foundation being established

Piatt County Forest Preserve District

No

No Foundation

Rock Island Forest Preserve District .........

No

No Foundation

Will County Forest Preserve District

Yes

No Foundation

Winnebago County Forest Preserve District ...

Yes

Foundation created in 1977

Kinkaid-Reed's Creek Conservancy District.

No

No Foundation

McLean County Parks

Yes

No Foundation

Logan County Park and Trail Foundation

Yes

Is a Foundation


Illinois Parks and Recreation 14 March/April 1984


nated went to agencies with a foundation. However, it is important to note that these lands accounted for 96% of the total dollar value of the land donated. Agencies with a foundtion available to them received approximately 59% of the monetary donations. Of the total donations for equipment, facilities, labor, etc., 92% went to agencies with a foundation.

Thus, of the total donations whose dollar value equalled $7,737,996 over the three year period approximately 95% (17,310,881) went to agencies who work through a foundation, (see Tables 1 and 2 for a breakdown of the survey results).


". . . Of the total donations whose dollar value equalled $7,737,996 over the three year period approximately 95% went to agencies who work through a foundation."

Perhaps your county or community has never thought about establishing a "community" foundation to assist in securing needed open space, preserving historic buildings, improving the esthetics of a community, or for other purposes. There are some definite advantages to consider if a community foundation is being considered.

Foundations —

• can accept gifts

• can offer tax benefits

• can leverage gifts

• are not "government"

• can act without political impediments

• can operate beyond political boundaries

• can serve the needs of any constituency

• are good public relations tools

• can be confidential about their negotiations and dealings

• are flexible

• involve the public.

For further information about Foundations or this survey, contact Robert Espeseth, Chief, Office of Recreation and Park Resources, 1206 S. 4th St., 205N Huff Gym, Champaign, IL 61820.

Illinois Parks and Recreation


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