"It's been an awesome year to contribute to something like this," said Levi Taylor, President of the Plum Coulee Community Foundation at the organization's annual general meeting this week.
The occasion kicked off with a soup and pie fund raiser, one of two the Foundation hosts every year, which are always a success, noted Taylor, to the point where the soup pots sometimes run dry!
In 2024, $28,845 in donations came into the Foundation and its investments earned $105,368. After expenses, the organization closed out the year $91,613 ahead. Its total fund assets are now worth $833,320.12.
A new approach
With $48,156.24 in grants available for 2025, the Board announced at Wednesday's meeting that it was taking a different approach to how that money would be disbursed.
Thanks to a $20,000 grant from the Thomas Sill Foundation, which is wrapping up operations, Taylor says the Plum Coulee Foundation Board decided it was time to make an impact in the community by offering up a bigger dollar amount for a larger-scale project in the community.
"We looked at our applicants for our grants, picked the ones that are staples in our community and made sure that we took care of them, as they count of a lot of grants and donations to run. Then, we decided to take the rest of the funds, almost 40-thousand dollars, and make an Impact Grant. So, we bounced around a couple of ideas of what might be beneficial to the community."
In the end, the Board settled on installing solar streetlamps along the community's pathway network.
"They are used so much," explained Taylor. "It's just a beautiful walk along the coulee and into the park and the ball diamonds. There's no lighting right now so (it could be) a little bit dangerous, and we just want to make sure we're beautifying the community."
Shovels are expected to break ground on the project shortly, with the lights installed and turned on by mid-summer/early fall.
A few good people, with time to give
Taylor also took time to acknowledge his fellow board members, noting they all remain dedicated. At the same time, he says they are always looking to add to their ranks.
"It's not a specific skill set or anything like that," he explained when asked about what they are looking for in a board member. "People who are invested in Plum Coulee, who want to make the community better, who have some time to donate."
The Board meets once a month and hosts those semi-annual soup and pie fund raisers we mentioned earlier, all of which, noted Taylor, take up an evening here and there.
He says the only way the Foundation's good work can continue is if there's some good people willing to put in some time.