ACF of Yavapai County Elects Board of Advisors
The Arizona Community Foundation of Yavapai County’s Board of Advisors recently elected William Arnold, Lorna Galeano, and Mark Kille to the board. Current board of advisor Jenna James was elected Chair and current board of advisor Dawn Wasowicz was elected Vice Chair. New advisors and officers began their term on April 1, 2019.
“We are delighted to have such a depth of experience and knowledge on our Board of Advisors and we welcome our new members to this great body,” said Jenna James, newly-elected Chair of the ACF of Yavapai County Board of Advisors.
William Arnold, PhD is a retired communications professor from Arizona State University, where he also served as the Director of Gerontology. An author and mentor, William currently serves as Chair of the Friends of the Prescott Public Library Board of Directors. William holds a PhD in communication from Penn State University. He and his wife are retired and live in Prescott.
Lorna Galeano is a Senior Administrator for Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe (YPIT). A Prescott native, she has worked for the Tribe in various administrative roles over the past 20 years and recently served on the YPIT Board of Directors. Lorna was awarded the Tom Bragg Memorial Achievement Award for her volunteer work with the National Diabetes Association.
Mark Kille owns and operates Mingus Mountain Law Group PLLC. He is an injury lawyer and has experience in all types of litigation, including arbitration, mediation, and trial. As a member of the Volunteer Attorney Program, he provides legal guidance to those who are unable to afford an attorney. Mark is also a former member of the Prescott Habitat for Humanity Board of Directors. He holds a JD from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
Jenna James is the Executive Director of the Harold James Family Trust and serves on the board for the Prescott Unified School District Education Foundation. She was a middle- and high-school English teacher for six years, and received a bachelor’s degree in secondary education from University of Redlands.
Dawn Wasowicz was born and raised in Prescott and is from a fifth-generation ranching family in Yavapai County. She owns Rafter Eleven, a local tasting experience that serves wine, coffee, olive oil, and spices. Dawn has been involved in United Families for six years, served on a Business Board for Fain Signature Group for ten years, and has been a member of Prescott’s chapter of P.E.O. for over 20 years.
Annual Cash for College Scholarship Awareness Night Attracts 350 Local Students
The Annual Cash for College Scholarship Awareness Night brought together 39 scholarship providers and over 350 Yavapai County high school students, college students, and their families to learn about local scholarship opportunities. The event, hosted by the Arizona Community Foundation of Yavapai County and sponsored by Yavapai College, is part of an ongoing effort to increase awareness about financial support for higher education available to high school students.
The need for a skilled labor workforce is increasing in Yavapai County. The Sunup Rotary Club, Southwest District Kiwanis, Prescott Valley Early Bird Lions Club, and St. Luke’s Episcopal Church were present to educate students on the scholarships available for vocational and trade schools. Additionally, environment and sustainability is a focus area for Yavapai County’s future. The Prescott Audubon Society highlighted their scholarship opportunity for an existing college student whose field of study will benefit the environment.
The Arizona Community Foundation was also present, sharing information about scholarship opportunities available to Yavapai County students and their unique online application portal that automatically matches students with more than 100 scholarships for which they qualify. ACF is the largest private provider of scholarships in the state and the application portal will open on January 3, 2019.
Many of the scholarship opportunities presented at Cash for College have application deadlines in early spring. To receive a digital copy of the local scholarship booklet provided at the event, click here.
Arizona Community Foundation of Yavapai County's Joy of Giving Honored Local Philanthropists and Nonprofit Organizations
The Arizona Community Foundation of Yavapai County announced the recipients of its 2018 Joy of Giving Awards at the annual luncheon on Friday, August 10. The awards pay tribute to the contributions of individuals and organizations who make Yavapai County a great place to live
Local resident Mike Fann was recognized as Philanthropist of the Year for his long history of supporting community development and nonprofit organizations in Yavapai County. His company’s employee giving program, Fann Employees Making a Difference (FEMAD) enables Mike to share his philanthropic commitment to the community with his employees. The program was recognized by ACF’s Pakis Center for Business Philanthropy in 2017, when Fann Contracting received a $40,000 BOOST! Prize. Mike used the prize money to give eight other local companies the opportunity to develop their own employee giving programs. Since its inception, FEMAD has given nearly $500,000 to local nonprofits.
“Mike Fann is a true philanthropist,” said Carol Chamberlain, Regional Director of ACF of Yavapai County. “His footprint is on just about every civic and nonprofit organization in this county. He is humble, caring and truly deserving of this great honor.”
The Community Leadership Award was presented to Prescott Frontier Rotary for their summer reading and math program offered to Kindergarten through fourth grade students in the Prescott Unified School District. The program, now known as the 21st Century Grant Summer Program, was used as an example of community philanthropy by Rotary International.
Gerda Samuels was the recipient of the Power of You Award for the impact she has made voluntarily assisting military personnel. Gerda is the humble powerhouse behind “From Home with Love,” an initiative that sends packages to American soldiers overseas. Gerda and her group of volunteers send over 100 packages every month, symbolizing the “Power of You” in our community and in the lives of each soldier who receives one of her packages.
Through the 2018 competitive grants process, ACF of Yavapai County awarded nearly $500,000 to 60 local community projects. Nonprofit organizations of all kinds serving Yavapai County residents were invited to submit proposals, which were vetted by local volunteers through grant panels.
“We are delighted the grants made to local nonprofit organizations will help meet community needs,” said Dawn Wasowicz, Vice Chair of ACF of Yavapai County’s Board of Advisors. “The process used to make these decisions is well-thought-out. The funded projects will make our county a better place and I am proud to be part of this great organization.”
To learn more about the organizations and projects supported through the 2018 competitive grants process, contact Regional Philanthropic Advisor Lisa Sahady at LSahady@azfoundation.org or call 928.583.7815. To establish a named fund or contribute your own assets to annual grant making efforts, contact Regional Director, Carol Chamberlain, at CChamberlain@azfoundation.org or call 928.583.7816.