HCF celebrates 60th anniversary

The Hamilton Community Foundation celebrated 60 years of generosity Thursday, tracing the history of the nonprofit organization and the impact it has had on literally thousands of lives.
A strong crowd of area residents from throughout the county, as well as board members past and present, gathered for a 60th anniversary celebration at the Aurora Community Clubhouse.
“On behalf of the board and staff, we are grateful to have you here as we celebrate our 60th anniversary, and how special to celebrate this on the cusp of Community Foundation Week,” said board president Jim Kreutz in his opening remarks. “There are actually more than 900 community foundations all across the United States, of which 92 of those are right here in our state of Nebraska.”
Kreutz noted that the Hamilton Community Foundation was just the third of its kind in the state, established in 1965 when Oscar and Louise Nielsen expressed a desire to honor their son, Timothy.
“Since 1965 we have received more than $37 million in contributions, which is amazing,” said Tammy Morris, HCF’s executive director, repeating the number several times for emphasis. “That is a real testament to this community.”
Morris reported that she and the staff spent a good deal of time over the past month reviewing newspaper clips and gathering information to document the foundation’s impact over the past 60 years. A “Book of Memory” was one of many items on display recognizing 2,650 loved ones that have been lost since the foundation’s inception.
“While these numbers are meaningful, I feel like the real impact is from what those numbers represent,” she said. “What they are representing is not only the generosity in the community, but also the impact that’s made and its people coming together to make a community stronger. When donors partner, the greatest needs in Hamilton County are met and I think the foundation is absolutely the best side of our community. We have a lot of needs in this community, but those needs are getting met, and if there is an amenity that the community decides we really want to have there, there’s a group of volunteers that steps up and say, ‘We can make that happen.’”
Morris shared with the crowd on hand that 15 funds were created in 1965, seven of which are still active grant-making funds today. The number of funds, meanwhile, has grown to 201.
“I also think that’s incredible, because it shows the value of endowment,” she said. “It shows the value of a community foundation, and that is something that can continue to perpetually provide support and impact for this community.”
Morris made repeated references to the foundation’s archives, which trace the history of donations, funds, grants and scholarships over the past 60 years. She credited Tina Larson at the Plainsman Museum, local historian Jim Koepke and the Aurora News-Register for helping document information and for helping “fill in the gaps” when needed.
“Our founders had a vision in 1965 when the foundation was started, but could they really have imagined the impact that they created?” she asked. “Our first year, we had $6,500 at the foundation, and today we have $24 million. I think about what will that look like in 60 years. Can all of us even fathom, when we don’t even know what the community will look like, what the needs will be? I think it’s a lot of fun to think about that.”

Legacy Society
Morris then tipped her hat to the foundation’s Legacy Society, which is made up of community members who have made plans for a future gift to the foundation. Several new members were presented engraved keys, which Morris said were a symbolic reminder not only of their generosity, but also for helping unlock the future in Hamilton County. New Legacy Society members recognized included Butch and Nancy Furse, Jim and Virginia Koepke, Richard Schaffert, Lori Waddell, Bob and Roberta Cool, and Jim and Tammy Morris. Other inductees who were not able to attend included Tom Budnick, Bonnie Campbell, Tom Cornwell, Murray and Diane (Waldron) Ross, Linda Ross-Happy and Genene Willis.
After showing a 10-minute video highlighting the history and impact of the foundation, Morris shared some final thoughts.
“Tonight we honor our past, we celebrate our present and then I look forward to the future that we have with confidence, knowing that the foundation is here and that things will always have an impact for years to come.”
Focusing on the future, Morris then recognized Jennie Kuehner, who will join the staff on Dec. 1 and step in as the foundation’s new executive director in January.
“Before we close, I do want to say just a sincere thank you,” Morris concluded in an emotional farewell. “Serving as the executive director has really been one of the greatest honors of my career. The generosity of this community, the trust of the donors, the dedication of the board and staff is amazing. Being a part of this mission is something that is a privilege that I’ve never taken for granted and it really means a lot to me. So here’s to 60 years of giving and many decades of generosity ahead.”