If social media is any indication, there was a collective “Awwww” on December 31st when the world learned of the death of celebrity Betty White.
What is fantastic since then is the (equally global) idea to give to a local animal rescue/shelter program on January 17th, which would have been Betty’s 100th birthday.
Two things: 1) here’s a list of the animal rescue/shelter programs in Grundy County, and 2) let’s talk about legacy.
In Grundy County, we have four (4) options for helping animals: Grundy County Animal Control, Just Animals, All Those Left Behind, and the pet food micro pantry at We Care of Grundy County.
310 Dupont Rd, Morris, IL 60450
Phone – (815) 942-9214
Needs as of January 2022:
- Cash (donate online available)
- Kitten chow
- Paper towels
- Bleach and general cleaning supplies
- Cat litter
P.O. Box 275
505 Depot St.
Mazon, IL 60444
In need of:
- Cash
- Cat supplies
- Cleaning supplies
- Office supplies
- Detailed list plus online donations at https://justanimals.org/donate/
PO Box 363
Morris, IL 60450
http://atlbrescue.org/
In need of:
- Cash
- Pet supplies
- Building supplies
Pet Food Micro Pantry
Behind We Care of Grundy County
Michael Drive, Morris
Across from the Tag-A-Long Dog Park
Need:
- Pet food and supplies
“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are” – including the animals!
Secondly, let’s talk legacy. It’s too soon to know whether Betty White left provisions in her will for animal care and rescue. But that’s a bit moot as her life and consistent messaging about caring for animals is her legacy. The two shall remain linked forever.
You can do the same here in Grundy County. Regardless of the causes and charities that you care about, you can use the services of the Community Foundation of Grundy County to create a legacy that remains linked to your name and family forever.
Donor Advised Funds (DAF) here allow you to name successor advisors, usually children and grandchildren. This is a great opportunity to rally your family around issues you care about, teach them why you care, and listen to why they might care about something different. Then make a plan for how your family will make grants from your DAF over the generations.
Donors can design other types of funds to meet their charitable goals. Designated Funds are for one specific charity and we cut the grant check to the charity automatically once a year. Field of Interest Funds are a pool of monies from donors who care about the same issue. Scholarship Funds prepare our next generation of learners and workers.
If you’re not into naming things after yourself, you can do it anonymously. We have a number of anonymous funds here – where the donor gave the fund a name other than their own. These include the Golimowski Scouting Fund, the Twilight Fund, and the Minooka Education Fund.
And you don’t have to be wealthy to design a fund here at the Community Foundation. Endowments can be started with just $1 – although the grantmaking won’t be impactful until the Fund has grown. Non-endowed Funds can be started with any amount and have a 2% annual administrative fee, including investment fees.
We accept a variety of assets to start and grow donor-designed funds, including cash, stock, real estate, and farmland. Your fund can also be the recipient of your qualified accounts, such as IRAs, or can be the beneficiary of the insurance policy you no longer need. Call us or visit our website to learn the details!
Whenever an elder such as Betty White dies at a ripe old age, it is a celebration of life and appreciation for a life well-lived. We invite you to use our services to design a charitable life well-lived and a legacy that serves Grundy County for now and always.
Remember, you don’t give TO a community foundation, you give THROUGH it.