In 1996, Carol Reitan, Alan Sender and Drake Zimmerman began building their dream of a community foundation for McLean County. Mayors Judy Markowitz of Bloomington and Kent Karraker of Normal, and McLean County Board Chairperson Gary Riss agreed to serve as the first incorporating board and The Community Foundation of McLean County was officially established on November 6, 1998.
By June 2003, the Community Foundation of McLean County was serving donors and making grants in Livingston and DeWitt Counties and surrounding areas. Assets had grown to almost $600,000. To recognize that the organization was providing service beyond McLeanCounty, a name change was in order. In April, 2004, we officially became Illinois Prairie Community Foundation, Inc.
IPCF now holds more than six million dollars in over 90 funds. These funds include donor advised funds, agency and project funds, field of interest funds, and scholarship funds, many of which are endowed funds. The Community Foundation continues to work on the goal of building local philanthropy.
