"I love Homer, Alaska. I love the natural beauty and wildlife. I love the fishing. I love the people. I love the arts. It has provided me with a livelihood for the last 25 years. It has educated my children. It has provided my wife and me with so many wonderful friends. There is no way I can adequately thank this community for the privilege of living here. But there is one way for me to give something back. I get involved with the work of the Homer Foundation. The foundation supports the local nonprofit organizations that contribute so much to the quality of life in Homer. The grants from the Foundation's Unrestricted Fund go to educate our children, beautify our nature, support the arts, and preserve our marvelous lifestyle. That's why I work for and contribute to the Homer Foundation."
Steve Yoshida - Foundation President and Founding Donor

Judy Strydom

"I am very proud to be associated, if only in a small way, with an organization that does such an excellent job in helping our community. The board and staff of the Homer Foundation are doing an excellent job." Judy Strydom (Julia Park Howard) Founding Donor

Tom Bodett

"I am happy that I got involved with the Homer Foundation from the beginning. It has been exciting and gratifying to watch it grow and become such an integral part of the Homer landscape. I've always believed that communities can look after themselves best and foundations like this one do that. There will always be need in a community and there will always be abundance and generosity. The Homer Foundation can guarantee that they continue to find each other in our little town." Tom Bodett, Founding Donor

Beth and Dave Schroer

September 6, 2001 Donors Dave and Beth Schroer stepped up to the plate in 2001 to help raise funds and visibility for the Foundation. The following Point of View Editorial appeared in the Homer News on Thursday, September 6th, which helped raise an additional $20,000 for the Foundation's Unrestricted Fund.

Challenge seeks to raise funds, consciousness

The Homer Foundation recently celebrated its 10th anniversary, yet we wonder how many of the area's residents know of its existence or realize what a valuable resource this organization is to the community.

To help bring more awareness to the Homer Foundation and its good works, we are challenging the Homer community to match our contribution of $20,000. this will be our third contribution as a way of showing our appreciation to the community we have lived and worked in for many years.

By way of explaining who we are and what we do, let us say we are Dave and Beth Schroer. We both came here as single teachers, arriving in 1953 and 1962 respectively. We were married in 1966 and continued as teachers until our family began arriving in 1967. At that point Beth quit to care for the children.

The Homer community proved to be an ideal place to work and raise our children. In the intervening years Alaska and Homer have been very good to us in many ways. These certainly include a richness in the community of youth programs, cultural programs, educational opportunities, dedicated health care and sports and recreation, not to mention many friends and acquaintances of the finest caliber.

Our former businesses, Shoreline Golf and Sew and Reap, which were mainly labors of love, brought us many good, lasting memories from dealing with the community.

Over the years in Homer, we have been involved in various volunteer capacities from city council, hospital board, long term care, coaching and assisting with sports, and boy and girl scouts. Our community volunteering is now limited by our being snowbirds for the winter months so this financial commitment to the Homer Foundation helps replace that.

Our personal philosophy is that though we all hope to pass some inheritance to our children, there is possibly more value in putting some of that to work sooner, and we feel the Homer Foundation is a good agent to do it. Also, lest we give the impression of having large sums of money, there were many years of frugal living, which made it possible to invest small sums to make life easier after retirement.

So, just what is the Homer Foundation? Basically, it is a tax-exempt public charity, a community foundation that enables people to establish charitable funds. This can be done in a number of ways to meet your personal interests. The funds are managed with the interest earnings being distributed back to the community to support a wide range of charitable purposes. The city is now funneling its nonprofit funds through the Homer Foundation.

Since we have been involved in education, we have chosen to mainly support that area. However, any excess earnings go to the unrestricted fund. We and the Homer Foundation would prefer that any matching funds to our challenge go to the unrestricted fund. This allows grants to be made to wherever the board determines a need. This board and staff are made up of local citizens who know the community. You may, of course, choose your own special field of interest.

Giving to the Homer Foundation is a way for you to help make a difference for good and forever, by participating with us in the challenge to give something back to the community that helped you get where you are today. Almost any kind of asset can be used to donate, from cash to securities.

We are hoping this challenge of $20,000 can be met with funds from sources such as the tax rebate, permanent fund dividend and longevity checks between now and December 31st. Remember that all contributions are tax deductible. Your and our commitment will not only help nonprofits, but we hope, further interest in the Homer Foundation. We would rather have made this challenge anonymously, however we hope some of you will identify with our feelings about giving back and follow suit.

We are aware that many of you support other very worthwhile causes, both through volunteering and through donations, but if you are looking for a good way to give back forever please check out the Homer Foundation.

• We offer the greatest flexibility in meeting all of your philanthropic goals.



• We are locally governed.



• We are in touch with the community's needs.



• We provide prudent management of the fund.



• We are publicly accountable which assures continued use of the funds in the public interest.



• As a public charity, we provide the maximum tax deductions for income, gift and estate tax purposes (50% for cash gifts and 30% for appreciated property).



• We can work with your professional legal and financial advisors to meet your charitable and tax planning goals.



• Your gift will continue to benefit the community forever.



• You may name your fund and advise on how the dollars are distributed.

• You name your fund, typically, donors use their own name, a family name or the name of a person being honored or remembered. Some donors choose to remain anonymous. The name of your fund is absolutely up to you.



• You choose the type of fund you would like to establish.



• You may use cash, securities, real estate or other assets.



• You can establish your fund with an immediate gift, or defer your giving through a planned gift or bequest.
  
  

• The Unrestricted Fund: provides maximum flexibility for the Foundation to meet changing community needs. Income and/or principal from this fund may be disbursed at the discretion of the Board of Trustees for community grant making, special projects and the Foundation's operating expenses.



• Donor Advised Funds: permanent funds established by an individual, family or business who wish to participate as an advisor in the distribution of the fund's income.
  

  Current Donor Advised Funds at the Homer Foundation:

  • Homer Incentive Fund
  • Jack & Mary Lentfer Fund
  • Daisy Lee Bitter Marine and Coastal Education Fund
  • The KLEPS Fund
  • The Cottonwood Fund
  • Dave & Mary Schroer Fund
  • Steve & Noko Yoshida Fund
  • The Gooseberry Fund
  • The Tin Roof Fund
  • Jane Little Family Endowment Fund
  • The Jenson Fund
  • The Compass Rose Fund

  
  
• Agency Endowment Funds: permanent funds established for the benefit of 501(c)(3) charitable organizations, either by the organization or a donor. The Funds are managed by the Foundation with income distributed to the organizations annually.

Current Agency Endowment Funds:

• KBBI-Bev Munro Endowment Fund www.kbbi.org
• Kachemak Heritage Land Trust Fund www.kachemaklandtrust.org
• Hospice of Homer Fund
• Pratt Museum Fund www.prattmuseum.org
• Homer Council on the Arts Fund www.homerart.org
• Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies Fund
• Alaska Marine Conservation Council Fund www.akmarine.org
• Kachemak Bay Family Planning Clinic Fund
• Homer Animal Friends Fund
• Friends of the Homer Public Library Fund www.friendshomerlibrary.org



• Field of Interest Funds: permanent funds established to support a broad purpose or issue such as youth, arts, education or human services. Income is distributed annually in accordance with the purpose of each Fund.

Field of Interest Funds:

• Jessica Stevens Memorial Fund - supporting youth in the performing arts
• Brother Asaiah Bates Fund - supporting kids and families at risk through the Homer Head Start Program
• Kachemak Bay/Homer Rotary Club Fund - for Homer area Rotary projects
• City of Homer - supports non-profits serving the City of Homer
• Ashley J. Logan Fund - benefiting youth in the greater Homer area
• Kachemak City Fund - supports those projects and programs that benefit the residents in and around Kachemak City




• Scholarship Funds: established to benefit a particular institution or field of study. The advisory committee, candidate selection process and award use are outlined at the time the fund is set up.

Current Scholarship Funds:

• Alice Witte Memorial Scholarship - sends a Homer High School girl's volleyball player to camp based on recommendations of coaching staff
• Homer Community Science Scholarship - supports Homer High School graduating seniors continuing their education in the life sciences
• Drew Scalzi Memorial Maritime Scholarship Fund - supports students of fishing families or training / post-secondary education for Homer area graduates going into maritime related fields.
• Diane Wambach "Shoot for the Stars" scholarship Fund - supports training or post-secondary education for high school graduates, (or equivalent) who have the desire to "shoot for the stars."