Support the causes you care about most.

We unite like-minded people who want to pool their resources and make a bigger impact on our community. You can contribute to an existing fund or establish a new charitable fund through the Eau Claire Community Foundation, a tax-exempt public charity created by and for the Eau Claire community. The foundation establishes endowments that are invested to provide long-term support for a charitable purpose. As the endowment principal earns interest and dividends over time, a portion of the earnings is distributed annually to support non-profit organizations that reflect your interests and the needs of the community. We are a vehicle through which individuals, businesses, non-profit organizations, and private foundations can more effectively help non-profit groups provide much-needed services in health, education, the arts, the environment, and social services in the Eau Claire area. People do not give to the Eau Claire Community Foundation; they give through the Eau Claire Community Foundation.

Our Mission— We strengthen our community by offering donors opportunities to establish charitable legacies, by making grants, and by serving as a catalyst to address community needs.

Our Vision— The Eau Claire Community Foundation will be widely recognized in the area as the leading community resource promoting philanthropy, collaboration and innovation, and building endowments.

Board of Trustees

Guiding the Eau Claire Community Foundation is the Board of Trustees. This volunteer group is made of community leaders dedicated to making Eau Claire a better place to live. The board has the authority and responsibility to develop policies, procedures, and regulations for the operation of the foundation; to monitor the foundation’s financial health, programs, and overall performance; and to provide the Executive Director with the resources to meet the needs of those the foundation serves.

Committees

The Eau Claire Community Foundation has 10 volunteer committees. Each committee is self-governing under the supervision of the Foundation's Board of Trustees. For more information about becoming involved on a committee, contact the foundation at or at 715-552-3801.

Communications Committee— Maintains and reinforces the Eau Claire Community Foundation brand among its target constituencies

Development Committee— Oversees donor recognition; educates professional advisers, donors, and non-profit organizations; and coordinates marketing plans with staff and committees

Grant Committee— Evaluates grant requests and responsibly distribute available funds

Investment Committee— Expresses the objectives of the managers’ portfolio and establishes investment policies

Operations Committee— OAdopts good and sound business practices that maintain low cost but efficient operations

Audit Report and 990 Tax Returns

View our reports:
    2011Form 990
    2011 Audited Financials
    2010 Audited Financials
    2010 Form 990
    2009 Audited Financials
    2009 Form 990
    2008 Audited Financials
    2008 Form 990
    View our public disclosure policy.

Our History

For several years, members of the community of Eau Claire discussed the need for a foundation in Eau Claire to provide a vehicle for financial planning for charitable donors and recipients. Their vision was an organization that would work through other community non-profit organizations without competing with them for funds. Two key events served as a catalyst for the formation of the foundation:

The Hobbs Foundation— Over a 35-year period, the Hobbs Foundation gave more than $5 million to local charities, youth groups and municipal projects. In 1995 the Hobbs Foundation gave its final donation.

An Eau Claire couple offered to make a significant gift if a community foundation was in place. The couple, aware of the value of foundations, wanted to see their gift have the impact they knew it could have as part of a community foundation.

In January 1997, the Board of Trustees established a goal of finding 25 individuals by December 31, 1998 to become members of the Society of Founders. Each member was asked to give a $10,000 (or more) unrestricted contribution, payable over five years, without reducing their prior community support. A total of 64 members made total pledges of over one million dollars, and the Eau Claire Community Foundation became a reality.

Society of Founders members include: