New Hope for Families sets $25,000 fundraising goal for matching funds from the Community Foundation to help ensure their work continues in perpetuity

New Hope for Families is pleased to announce a dollar-for-dollar match of gifts to an endowed fund benefiting New Hope, through a new initiative sponsored by the Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County.

“We are so pleased to participate in the Community Foundation’s generous matching program,” said New Hope’s Executive Director Emily Pike. “We are particularly excited for this opportunity to welcome more members of our community into the mission of making sure every child in every family has a safe place to sleep and a pathway toward stability, not just tonight but long into the future.”

The Roland E. Kohr Fund for New Hope Family Shelter, named in honor of one of New Hope’s founders, is managed on New Hope’s behalf by the Community Foundation. According to the terms of the match, new gifts to the Kohr Fund received between January 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025, will be matched 1:1 when New Hope reaches its fundraising goal of $25,000. In addition to matching endowment funds, New Hope was awarded a $10,000 capacity-building operational grant to address immediate needs.

The Kohr Fund operates as an endowment in which the principle (or seed) grows over time (like a mighty oak) to ensure long-term health and stability. Proceeds from the endowed fund are distributed annually to support the many important services that New Hope provides. As of December 31, 2023, the Kohr Fund had a market value of $87,236.82.

“It's not just about the dollars,” explained New Hope’s Development Director Jim Olsen. “A gift to New Hope’s endowed fund is a commitment to the future of our community. Your contribution helps to ensure that your values will continue to be expressed in the years ahead, as the endowed fund interest benefits children and families year after year.”

Donors can donate to the Kohr Fund in the form of cash, securities, or irrecoverable planned or estate gifts, and all will count toward New Hope’s endowment match goal of $25,000.

The Community Foundation opened this matching fundraising opportunity to nonprofits serving Monroe County in December 2023. New Hope is one of 18 local non-profit organizations who will benefit from this initiative.

“It was a difficult selection process for the committee and Board of Directors, but we are thrilled to be able to extend this opportunity to a total of 18 organizations,” said Community Foundation President and CEO Tina Peterson. “The Foundation is proud to be able to deploy our flexible funding at this time to enable these nonprofits to grow their endowments and strengthen their future impact with a permanent source of revenue that will benefit their organizations and Monroe County residents for years to come.”

Understanding Endowments graphic courtesy of Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County

About Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County

Created by individuals, families, and businesses who share a passion for Monroe County and a vision for its future, the Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County has granted $30 million to more than 400 local nonprofit organizations since its incorporation in 1990. With a growing $45 million endowment, the Foundation makes a difference by connecting caring people, important causes, and community resources. Today, more than 50 local nonprofits benefit from agency or designated funds at the Community Foundation.

About New Hope for Families

New Hope for Families has emerged as a community leader in social services for families in crisis. New Hope is the only place in Monroe County where families with children can find emergency shelter together. New Hope also offers high quality childcare and early learning programs to enable parents to get back to work and to prepare children for success in school.

In 2022, New Hope completed work on a new campus at 1140 S. Morton Street. The new facility increased New Hope’s in-house shelter capacity to a total of 12 families at a time, a 70% increase over its current limit of 7 families at a time. The newly-expanded Early Learning Center has a capacity of 48 children, birth to age 5, representing a 200% increase.

Between July 1, 2011 and April 1, 2023, New Hope provided emergency shelter for 519 children, including 300 school age youth, along with their parents and caregivers.

Gift matching campaign to grow endowment of New Hope for Families