CASA Kane County concludes 2-year endowment campaign

CASA Kane County concluded its two-year endowment campaign with $1.2 million in the Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley at the end of 2012.

CASA Kane County received 40 percent of every dollar donated up to $1 million from the Dunham Fund, whose grant also concluded at the end of the year.

The endowment requires that the principal remain intact in perpetuity and the income will only be used to meet the annual budget and/or emergency needs. The income earned will provide a much-needed level of annual revenue with very specific guidelines (directed by the board of directors and executive director) on how to allocate the funding.

“This endowment will allow our program to continue serving 100 percent of children in abuse/neglect and probate court (private guardianship) in the Kane County Juvenile Court system, and we are proud to be able to serve the best interests of our children in the community,” Executive Director Gloria Bunce said.

CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocate. Its community volunteers are recruited, trained and case managed by CASA Kane County to advocate for abused and neglected children in the juvenile court system.

One other area of minor maintenance will be the Grow a Healthy Child Garden at the entrance to the courthouse. The garden was made possible by generous community individuals and businesses and was 100 percent privately funded — all managed by CASA Kane County. Any additional garden donations received will be allocated to the endowment. There is still a variety of giving levels available from $150 bricks, $1,000 pavers, $5,000 garden planters, and $7,500 benches with naming opportunities for individuals or companies to purchase in memory of or in celebration of a loved one.

“Having an endowment is imperative to an organization like ours,” CASA Board Chairman Mari Pierce said. “We don’t receive state or federal funding and must rely on the generous support of the community to maintain our important child advocacy program for children who need a caring and committed adult in their lives.”

The Dunham Fund saw the need and supported this initiative with the funding to kick off CASA Kane County’s endowment campaign for the benefit of the hundreds of children who rely on their CASA volunteer.

Michael Morcos, chairman of the Dunham Fund Board of Advisors, states, “CASA Kane County volunteers fight for the most innocent and vulnerable children in society. CASA modestly refers to their volunteers as ‘ordinary people doing extraordinary things.’ The Dunham Fund is humbled by CASA and its volunteers’ dedication. These are no ordinary people. The Dunham Fund is proud to play a part in CASA’s sustainability to further John Dunham’s mission to make the world a more comfortable, safer place for mankind.”

Last year, 264 active CASA volunteers assisted 556 children on their path to a safe and permanent home.

For more information, visit the organization’s website at www.casakanecounty.org, or call the office at (630) 232-4484.