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Community Foundation for the Land
of Lincoln Celebrates a Century of Philanthropy
Announces $100,000 in grants to Eight
County Fairs and the Illinois State Fair
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 [November 20, 2024]
Springfield, IL – Most organizations only have
one birthday, but the Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln
celebrates two.
This year, the Community Foundation’s predecessor organization, the
Sangamon County Fuondation, is celebrating its 100th anniversary.
With roots tracing back to 1924, the Sangamon County Foundation was
established by three local banks, when they joined forces to create
a philanthropic organization to provide financial resources to local
charitable causes.
The original Foundation was formed by notable Springfieldians who
were leaders at Ridgely-Farmers State Bank, Marine Bank, and First
State Trust and Savings Bank, including Jacob Bunn, R.C. Lanphier,
George W. Bunn, John G. Oglesby, George Pasfield, Jr., Joseph F.
Bunn, and George F. Reisch.
Grant Announcement – 100 for 100
To mark the 100th anniversary of the Sangamon County Foundation and
its legacy of philanthropy in Central Illinois, the Community
Foundation is deploying $100,000 in grants to the eight county fairs
in its service area, including Cass, Christian, Logan, Macoupin,
Menard, Montgomery, Morgan, and Sangamon counties, as well as the
Illinois State Fair.
“We are awarding $10,000 to each of the eight county fairs in our
region and a $20,000 grant to the Illinois State Fair as a way to
celebrate philanthropy and help festivals that our communities enjoy
every year,” says Community Foundation President and CEO John
Stremsterfer. “In making these grants, we are asking organizers to
think of ways these funds can make their fairs more accessible to
all citizens.”
The announcement of the grant awards coincides with Community
Foundation Week, an annual, nationwide celebration that recognizes
the increasingly important role that community foundations play in
strengthening local regions. More than 900 community foundations
currently operate in urban and rural areas in every state in the
United States.
History of the Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln
According to the April 27, 1927, Illinois State Register, the first
Foundation was formed “by trust companies and banks having trust
departments in Springfield for handling charitable bequests
efficiently and in a business-like manner, to protect the
principal.”
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The Sangamon County Foundation had no money to grant for 52
years until Lucy S. Shepherd of Springfield changed that. When
she died in 1975, she left the Foundation $140,000 in her will.
According to local newspapers, after Shepherd’s bequeathment,
the Foundation began making annual grants to a variety of
charitable groups.
Years later, recognizing the need to serve the region better and
broaden its impact, Foundation leaders legally transitioned the
organization from a private foundation to a community foundation
in 2002, renaming it the Sangamon County Community Foundation.
This organization would ultimately evolve into what we know
today as the Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln,
carrying forward the legacy of connecting people who care with
causes that matter throughout Central Illinois.
“In 2011, we changed our name to the Community Foundation for
the Land of Lincoln to reflect that we now serve an eight-county
region,” said Stremsterfer.
As the Foundation celebrates its 100-year history, it reflects
on a legacy of growth and generosity that has strengthened
communities across the region. Today, the Foundation has grown
to approximately $85 million in assets, administers more than
300 charitable funds, and it has distributed more than $32
million in grants and scholarships.
This century-long journey reflects a deep commitment to
fostering positive change and support for our community.
Through philanthropic services, strategic grantmaking and
community leadership, the
Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln “connects
people who care with causes that matter.”
[Text received from Stacy Reed]
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