Founded to Foster Growth
Monticello, Illinois is a vibrant town with a unique quality of life. The Monticello Community Foundation (MCF) is a philanthropic organization dedicated to preserving this quality of life by fostering economic growth that benefits everyone who calls the Sage City their home.
Our Mission
Small towns like Monticello have always faced unique economic challenges. The Monticello Community Foundation is dedicated to providing both the resources and the know-how necessary to help our town overcome these challenges and strengthen its economic viability. Here's how . . .
Frequently Asked Questions
Founding Board members, John Corley, Bill Tracy, Gary Husinga, and Keddy Hutson, spearheaded the creation of the MCF by combining the financial assets of two separate organizations that had previously been established to grow business in Monticello - the Do More Corporation and the Monticello Industrial Action Corporation.
The economic vitality of a small town like Monticello depends heavily on the success of its local businesses. The retail-sales taxes they generate, as well as the jobs they provide, are essential to a thriving community. The MCF was established to help these businesses that are the economic engine of Monticello. In addition to helping local businesses, the Foundation will also support projects and initiatives that can broaden Monticello's property tax base - another big driver of economic vitality.
The types of support the MCF provides will vary and could include anything from funding for small-business startups, to grants for local merchants who are looking to expand, to donations for community projects that encourage economic activity.
The Monticello community is blessed with a number of locally funded, philanthropic organizations that already address many of its social, educational, and health-care challenges. The MCF will be working alongside these other organizations for the common good of Monticello by addressing unique business-related challenges they cannot.
The MCF is fueled by private donations that are then made a part of the Foundation's endowment. The interest generated by this endowment is what funds any grants made by the Foundation. Management of the Foundation is conducted by a Board of Directors. The Board is made up of individuals who either live in, or have strong ties to, the Monticello community.
Prospective Board members must be nominated by one or more of the sitting Board members. Nominees will be evaluated based on their knowledge of the Monticello community and their demonstrated interest in its well-being. This could include anyone who currently resides in Monticello or someone who has resided in Monticello in the past, and continues to have strong ties to the community.
While the MCF does work alongside other philanthropic foundations for the common good of Monticello, it is an independent, 501(c)(3) organization that is not a part of any other charitable organization or business. This independence allows the MCF to make decisions freely and fairly, without any influence other than the bylaws on which it was founded. It also ensures that we can focus our giving on projects that exclusively benefit Monticello's economic vitality.
Each request will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. The decision to award a grant will be based on a combination of criteria, including the size of the request and its potential economic-benefit to the community.
Monetary donations can be mailed to:
Monticello Community Foundation
P.O. Box 41
Monticello, IL 61856
If you would like to make a donation of an asset other than money, email us at giving@monticellocommunityfoundation.org and let us know what you have in mind.
The Monticello Community Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization, which means most monetary donations will be tax deductible. Tax deductions, however, can vary from donation to donation. Always consult a tax professional before donating if you are unsure.
Help Monticello Thrive
Become a Donor
If you are someone who shares our vision for a Monticello that thrives well into the future, there are many ways you can donate.
To get the process started, email us at giving@monticellocommunityfoundation.org and let us know what kind of donation you would like to make.
Monticello Community Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization and most donations are tax-deductible.
Meet Our Board
Mike Atwood
Mike is President of the Monticello
Community Foundation. He also serves as President and Chief Executive
Officer of First State Bancorp and First State Bank and Trust. He and
his family have been members of
the Monticello community for over 20 years. Mike sits on the board of
Kirby Medical Center and is a past president of the Monticello Chamber
of Commerce.
John Corley
John is the founder and chairman of First State Bancorp and has been a resident of Monticello, along with his wife Trixy, for more than 40 years. He is a past president of the Monticello Industrial Action Corporation, the DoMore Corporation, and a variety of other community and professional boards. It was his vision of a philanthropic foundation that could help Monticello thrive now, and into the future, that laid the groundwork for what is now the Monticello Community Foundation.
Bill Tracy
Bill and his wife Elaine have been a part of the Monticello community for more than 40 years. In addition to raising all three of their children here, Bill established a law practice in 1977 that continues to provide legal counsel to area residents and businesses to this day. Throughout his time in Monticello, Bill has served as a board member for a wide range of charities and non-profits, including the Piatt County Nursing Home Foundation, Kirby Medical Center, and the Monticello Public Building Commission.
Gary Huisinga
Gary has been the owner and manager of Heath’s Inc., the local John Deere dealership, for more than 30 years. A lifelong resident of Monticello, Gary has served on a number of community organizations including the Monticello Chamber of Commerce, the Rotary Club, the Monticello School Board, and the Kirby Medical Center Board.
Keddy Hutson
Keddy is a Monticello native and the founder of Kennedy Hutson Associates, an architectural firm based in Monticello. He also taught Architecture at the University of Illinois for over 20 years and serves on the board of Monticello Main Street. As chair of the City of Monticello Historic Preservation Commission, he spearheaded the nomination of Monticello’s three Historic Districts to the National Register of Historic Places. He also serves on the Allerton Park and Retreat Center Advisory Board.
Kelly Finet
Kelly is a longtime resident of Monticello who has lived here for more than 50 years. She is the owner of Kelly’s Accounting Service, which has provided personalized financial guidance for local
individuals and businesses since 1988. In addition to starting her own business in Monticello, she has raised four children and been very active with Monticello youth sports throughout the
years.
Steve Tenhouse
Steve and his wife, Pam, have been Monticello residents for more than 20 years and cherish the life that they’ve made here. He is the Chief Executive Officer at Kirby Medical Center and a board trustee of First State Bank and Trust of Monticello. Steve is also a past president of the Monticello Chamber of Commerce, and has served with other non-profit organizations such as the Illinois Critical Care Organization and the Illinois Rural Community Care Organization.
Ed Ewald
Ed is a long-time resident of Monticello and a graduate of Monticello High School. After earning his degree from Illinois Wesleyan University, he built a career as an investment and financial planning professional. For the last 32 years, Ed has worked for the University of Illinois Foundation in various fundraising leadership roles. Over this time he has also been involved with Monticello youth sports and served as a board member for a variety of community organizations, including the Monticello Area Education Foundation, Kirby Medical Center, Kirby Foundation, and the Monticello Golf Club.
Kevin Feeney
Kevin is a local business owner who began his career at Burgess & Cline Insurance in 2012. He became sole owner of the agency in 2020. He and his family live right off the downtown square and love the unique, small-town charm that Monticello provides. In addition to serving on this board, Kevin is a coach for the Monticello High School basketball team and plays an active role in many other community activities.
Brenda Timmons
Brenda Timmons is a CFO in the outsourcing division for CliftonLarsonAllen. Brenda has served many nonprofit organizations as a board member and enjoys giving back to the community. Brenda lives in Monticello with her husband, Jay. They have one son, Nick, who works for RSM in Chicago. She is thrilled to be a part of the board for the Monticello Community Foundation and looks forward to giving back to the wonderful place she calls home.
Luke Feeney
Luke grew up in a farming family that has been a part of the Monticello community for generations. After graduating from Monticello High School, he earned degrees from the University of Illinois College of Agriculture and the College of Law. Today, he is a partner at Miller, Tracy, Bruan, Funk & Miller where he provides counsel for real estate, estate planning, agricultural law, and school law. He is also a partner in Plunk-Feeney Family Farms.
Larry Stephens
Larry is a freelance marketing professional who grew up in Monticello and has always thought of it as home, wherever he happened to live. His family's roots in the community go back to the late 1940s when his grandparents, Eli and Modine, moved to the area from Kentucky in search of work. He looks forward to working with the Foundation to help Monticello remain the vibrant, small town it has always been.
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