Community Fund Designed to Support Unmet Needs in Lake Forest

By David A. F. Sweet A few years ago, Bruce Grieve shared an idea with his friend Bill Andersen. Over coffee in Market Square, Grieve – who’s been involved with non-profit causes for decades, from the Foundation Fighting Blindness to Landmarks Illinois to Writers Theatre – suggested Lake Forest would benefit from a community fund. With so many charitable ventures carrying sizable expenses and fixed costs, ranging from building rents to employees, Grieve thought an endowment fund with no office and a volunteer staff would help reduce that burden. The fund could make annual distributions in perpetuity to a host of qualified charities, allowing them to better focus on their respective missions to support unmet needs in Lake Forest.

"We’ll spread the wealth around,” says Bruce Grieve about the Community Fund of Lake Forest.

Andersen agreed. Today, Grieve is the board chair of the Community Fund of Lake Forest, and Andersen serves on the board, along with former Mayor George Pandaleon and Marleana Cross, program director of philanthropy for the Northwestern Memorial Foundation. They hope to raise several million dollars and distribute 5 percent to 7 percent of the endowment each year “to improve the quality of life in Lake Forest by providing long-term support to charitable organizations that are addressing important needs and challenges in our community,” according to its mission. LEAD, Lake Forest-Lake Bluff Senior Citizens Foundation, Paws for Patrick, A Safe Place, and many others are non-profits whose goals are in sync with that mission. Grieve pointed out that non-profits are sometimes overwhelmed by fundraising needs. Money from the Community Fund would help alleviate that challenge. “The boards of so many charities are asked to individually sponsor events, to ask companies to support them, to have golf tournaments and so on to raise money,” Grieve said. “Executive directors didn’t sign up to spend half of their time fundraising and meeting with donors. The Community Fund can help them and their staffs focus more on their mission and less on finding donors.” Grants from Lake Forest non-profits are submitted to the fund. They need to describe how the grant will help the health and well-being of the community. “There will be a maximum percentage we’ll give out to any organization,” he said. “We’ll spread the wealth around.” Some tell Grieve that Lake Forest is a wealthy town with few issues; why would we need this fund? “I say, ‘That’s a fair point, but just because we have fewer people in need, it doesn’t make their need any less deserving,’” said Grieve, who noted nearby Highland Park – also an affluent North Shore city – launched a community foundation which has distributed grants for years. “Mental illness and alcoholism aren’t better in Lake Forest because you live here – in fact, because of the social stigma, it may be worse. Lake Forest doesn’t protect you from the ills that may afflict any community.”

The Community Fund of Lake Forest has partnered with the Lake County Community Foundation, an arrangement which provides various benefits; the foundation can offer administrative support, and the fund’s endowment can be part of LCCF’s $25 plus million investment portfolio.

The Community Fund of Lake Forest is designed to help non-profits.

“We’ll be conservative investors over time,” said Grieve, a long-time Lake Forest resident who formerly chaired the Historic Preservation Committee. Overall, Grieve is excited about what the fund can accomplish. And he’s thankful for the giving spirit of Lake Foresters. Said he, “In our community, we have some very generous people.” To learn more about the Community Fund of Lake Forest, please visit https://lakecountycf.org/community-fund-of-lake-forest or search CFLAKEFOREST.ORG