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Jim McCarville never gave up on his determination to develop a foundation in the Chisago Lakes area, knowing it could help fund projects in all areas of the community.

His drive to start a foundation is finally coming to fruition, as the Chisago Lakes Area Community Foundation officially started last month.

McCarville started considering establishing a foundation five years ago, knowing the successes realized by community foundations in the metro area and elsewhere across the state.

At the time, he started calling bankers, investors and others in the financial sector. He received a lot of encouragement to start the foundation, but for a variety of reasons, it didn't get off the ground at the time.

McCarville said when local residents and others started looking for a way to donate to preserve Camp Ojiketa in Chisago City, there was a renewed interest in creating a foundation that could handle such donations.

McCarville spent time talking with the outgoing president of the St. Croix Valley Community Foundation, which was established 10 years ago to serve the counties of Chisago, Washington, Polk, Pierce and St. Croix.

The Chisago Lakes Area Community Foundation was soon created under the St. Croix Valley Community Foundation.

"At this time, there were more people willing to help establish a foundation," McCarville said. The St. Croix Valley group didn't have a foundation affiliation in Chisago County, and had been looking to expand its presence in the area, McCarville said.

The foundation will serve as an endowment fund, accepting monetary gifts from private individuals and estates.

The Chisago Lakes Area Community Foundation will serve Center City, Lindstrom, Shafer, Taylors Falls, and the townships of Franconia, Chisago Lake and Shafer. A Chisago Lakes School Endowment Fund will also be established within the foundation.

This will enable donors to specifically designate funds to be used in Chisago Lakes schools, board member Noel Stensrud said.

The foundation started with a steering committee, which met and recently identified members as its Board of Directors. They are: Loretta Anderson, David Dobosenski, Tom Hallberg, Don Bungum, George McMahon, Craig Lindstrom, Stensrud and McCarville.

The Chisago Lakes Rotary Club agreed to give $5,000 as start-up money for the foundation, and the local Lions Club has also been approached for a donation. The St. Croix Valley group will provide matching start-up funds to the Chisago Lakes Foundation.

Stensrud, who was involved with the Chisago Lakes Athletic Fund that raised money to buy new bleachers at the high school football field, said that group is also willing to put money into the fund.

The group has $5,000 in interest accrued from a CD purchased with its $39,000 in donations toward the seats. The $5,000 will go into the Chisago Lakes Area Community Fund and specifically, the school endowment fund.

Stensrud said the group will be talking with other community groups and local businesses to help provide start-up funds for the foundation.

McCarville said the philosophy of fundraising for the foundation won't be going door-to-door gathering donations, or selling anything to raise money.

"We're talking about asset building, and if someone wants to leave a legacy in the form of a gift to the community or their city, this is the vehicle in which to do so," he said.

"We envision yearly donations. We'll be trying to reach people who are looking for ways to give back."

The funds from the foundation will then be awarded as grants to applicants. Each year, the board will be able to decide how much can be given in grants, and to whom.

The ultimate goal is to keep a balance in the endowment fund that will earn enough interest to cover yearly grants given by the foundation.

Under its agreement with the St. Croix Valley Community Foundation, the Chisago Lakes Area Community Foundation will give 1.5 percent of its annual returns back to the St. Croix Valley Foundation, keep 5 percent and the rest will go back into the fund.

McCarville said establishing the Chisago Lakes Foundation under the St. Croix Valley umbrella made sound financial sense.

"St. Croix Valley has typically received 10 percent returns on its investments since starting," he said.

It was also much easier to start the foundation under an existing one that is already functioning as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, he said.

Money donated to the Chisago Lakes Area Community Foundation will be controlled by its own Board of Directors, but will have the assets of the St. Croix Valley Foundation behind the investments.

The St. Croix Valley Foundation has quickly built its assets to more than $16 million, and gave $2.1 million to charitable and civic needs in 2007.

Although the goal is to establish a consistent source of donations through annual giving or as part of estate planning, the board of directors is planning a kick-off event to bring in more start-up money while getting information to the community about the foundation.

McCarville said the possible list of grant recipients is endless, including schools and school groups, civic clubs and organizations, and parks and rec programs.

The $2.1 million distributed by the St. Croix Valley Foundation in 2007 highlights the areas where the money can be used. Grants were given to music, theater and arts programs, schools, churches, humane societies, libraries, food shelves and health services.

As the Foundation grows, donors will be able to specifically designate their gift to an area of interest, as new "sub-funds" are set up under the Community Foundation. This could mean an elementary school fund set up for new playground equipment at a certain school, or a city park fund to raise money for a gazebo or bandshell, for instance.

Other communities in the five-county area served by the St. Croix Valley Community Foundation have also established their own foundation under the St. Croix Valley umbrella: Amery, Baldwin, Dresser, Hudson, New Richmond, Prescott, River Falls and Stillwater.

Stensrud said they have met with a group from the North Branch Schools who are interested in establishing an endowment fund in that community too.

The Board of Directors is looking for more people from the community to join the board, especially residents in the Taylors Falls and Center City areas. The board would like all geographic and demographic areas represented in its membership.

McCarville said the Foundation will help the Chisago Lakes area in so many ways.

Donors will have the satisfaction of knowing their money is going to support causes and organizations important to them. Grant recipients will be able to complete projects or expand services that benefit more people.

And the bigger picture, more money being given to community enhancement - whether through the arts, education, health and human services, or civic projects - will enhance the overall quality of life in the community, McCarville said.

"We are trying to develop things that are going to make people want to live and work here," he said.

For more information on donating to the Chisago Lakes Area Community Foundation, or serving on its Board of Directors, contact McCarville at: (651) 257-8939 or email: [email protected].

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