bi pet een Sn an nT oy tsWe Change Lives! E ee MOU Name ek eee ny (Oommaraiacye enim eee coe Ta Eevee eae E Uhr. the Foundati cea) helped area non-profits s that help families and individu- eee eeu ee a ce Benet Deemer eon naan) ee Aaa ry What is a Community Foundation? A community foundation is a public, non-profit orga- nization created by donors and governed by local volunteers who manage a permanent pool of funds. These funds are used to provide grants for initiatives and programs that address current and emerging needs in a specific geographic area. The EPCF has awarded grants totaling nearly $1.6 million to 60-plus organizations serving Eden Prairie Here are a few recent grantees: Cornerstone THe Prop SHOP 4% TSG PROP > GbR reopie”® Ment “ae NO) page True FRIENDS = CHOICE a! FOR GOOD. FOR EDEN PRAIRIE. FOREVER. Ra eae I emreal hats Rae Me eau reflecti RUNS Pear eae OM eM ae med) eee curiae Five Ways to Give Back to EP Establish a Fund — One easy way for you to become your own grant maker's to becomea "Donor Advised Giver.” Start a donor advised fund with $10,000 or more, then recommend grants to causes important to you. Contribute to a Fund ~ Give to one of the many Designated Funds that benefit a specific cause, in areas such as social services, education, recreation, and more. ifts Other Than Cash ~ While most donations nationwide are cash, there are other options that may be far more advantageous tax-wise, and a bet- ter fit for you — including a donation of stock. Or, make the Foundation a beneficiary in your will. Make a Major Donation - An unrestricted donation helps the Community Foundation operate its pro- grams, including the annual, competitive grants cycle. Become a Century Giver - Giving levels begin with your charitable gift of $100 a year, which makes you ‘one of our “Century Givers.” Give $1,000 a year and be recognized as one of our “Patron Givers” or “Benefactor Givers.” www.EPCommunityFoundation.orgExamples of EP Community Foundation Grants and Their Impact Helping Immigrants Learn English The story of Eden Prarie cover the last 40 years is one of tremendous change, with garden farms and gravel pits transformed almost over: right into neighborhoods, shopping centers, and office parks. Laptops funded in part by EPCF ae used! The other dramatic teach English to local immigrants change isn't to the land- scape but to the populace. Once predominantly white and English-speaking, Eden Prairie is now much more diverse — wath 70 languages spoken in its public schools. Helping immigrant students and adults adapt to.a new way of life is @ priority for the Eden Prairie Community Foundation, evi- denced by two years of granting to the adult basic-education classes offered at Hennepin Technical College in Eden Prairie. ‘The $6,000 granted by the Community Foundation has helped Metro South Adult Basic Education leverage the purchase of ‘approximately 45 Chromebook laptop computers used in HTC classes that help teach English to mostly adult immigrants who live in Eden Prairie and nearby. “I don't believe that we would have had Chromebooks at HTC without the Foundation’s support,” seid Mike Larson, Metro South's technology coordinator. “We wouldn't have been able to achieve the critical mass we needed to begin this project ‘without it. The Foundation’s support in beginning and continuing this project will directly touch many hundreds of students, and indirectly will positively impact hundreds of families.” Fitness Help for People with Disabilities Health and wellness haven't always been top priorities for busy and financially strapped organizations that serve intellectuelly disabled persons and their fami lies. But i's become a goal for Eden Prairie- based CHOICE, Inc., and the Eden Praide Com- munity Foundation has (CHOICE cients ight obesity and work foward fines with equipment pataly Junded by EPO played a part in working toward that goal. Thanks in part to 9 2015 grant of $2,500 from the Foundation, CHOICE has built and opened a fitness center at its Executive www.EPCo. TTC Cy Drive facility, where clients and their families are invited to use the treadmills, elliptical machines, weights and other equipment to ight obesity, get more fit, and just fee! better overall CHOICE Executive Director Michael Kraines said the Eden Prairie fitness center ~ and another slated to open at their new Maple Grove facility ~ responds to growing evidence that cis: abled persons need more help to get fit. “People with intellectual disabilities are suffering from chronic diseases because of the sedentary lifestyle,” he stated. “We said, "You know what? We can do better!" The Foundation grant was a small part of the $23,000 needed to construct and equip the CHOICE fitness center, but as is true with any big goal - including better fitness — every little bit helps. Supporting EP's Young People : What are the biggest needs in Eden Prairie and how can the Eden Prairie Community Foun: dation rally the resources to meet those needs? The Foundation put that quastion to Eden Prairie leaders in fll 2014, and what bubbled to the top was this: We need to do more to make our young people better citizens and Young people are sspported though the future workplace stars. Foundation's new Youth Inatve, As a result, the Eden Prairie Community Foundation has launched the *Youth Initiative,” and for the next couple of years willbe helping find fong-term funding for two existing programs that have a big impact on kids. One is the Hazelden-designed CounterAct program taught by the Police Department tofifth-graders to help them make better decisions when faced with issues like chemical use or bullying The otheris the after-school ectivity scholarships that PROP pro- Vides to needy families so their kids can enroll in sports, theater, swimming lessons, driver's education, and more. With a kick-start from the Thomson Reuters Corp. and people who attended the 2015 EP Gives event, the Foundation has or ganized funds to help both these programs. Through October 2015, the Community Foundation has given nearly $10,000 to these two programs so they may continue But the campaign continues, and we need YOUR help!Spring Event: EP Gives, a Celebration of Grantees and Philanthropy We gathor to colabrate ging and granting at EP Gives. EP Gives is a more relaxed and intimate gathering than the original Eden Prairie Foundation Balls, but, the purpose is very much the same: recognize our grant recipients and celebrate the work of donors, sponsors, volunteers, fund holders, and all the fami- lies and friends who care about Eden Prairie. Our 2016 EP Gives event will be held the evening of April 30 at a familiar venue: the Green Acres Event Center, also known as the 70-year-old Goodrich-Ra- mus barn lovingly restored by owner Steve Schussler. Come celebrate with us, and help us in our mission to change lives in Eden Prairie. Watch for details on cour website, www.epcommunityfoundation.org. Fall Event: Prairie Brewfest, a Chance to Sample Craft Beer and Have Fun Sample craft beer, listen to live music, and enjoy good food and good company on a beautiful fall day = that's Prairie Brewfest. More than a dozen breweries from the Twin Cities and beyond provide samples of their various beers, 80 come and enjoy the atmosphere ~ which on Sept 10, 2016 means the beautiful Purgatory Creek Park, ‘our new location. More information is at www.epcommunityfoundation org and www. prairiebrewfest.com. How can | help you? eam hel ence. RTM tre ome Bele M Ula awe eee icecream rout MANOR enue Nolo here in 1979. | look forward to telling De eam eats aoe ome Gita yc Inuen nM ela cn urman illu: and making Eden Prairie better. If that's something Me era cere Tmer) ann Ce ee eee eee Te ee eae CONTACT US ‘rainio Browtest san outdoor event combining craft beer and phianthropy. BR eel Cac cy ory Seeerer) Aaland seem metal oURe ela Oke eee Cm fea ROU aged Ere Moma lel Eden Prairie, MN 55344 Pane at