October Newsletter
How your giving has helped make a difference in your community.
Heather Pancratz Memorial Scholarship at Faith Christian Preschool
Congratulations Wesley! Wesley is the first recipient of the Heather Pancratz Memorial Scholarship at Faith Christian Preschool. The fund was started in memory of a beloved educator from the southern Kenai Peninsula, Heather Pancratz. Wesley’s mom, Alyssa shared the following: “We are happy to accept this generous donation toward Wesley’s first year with Homer Faith Christian Preschool. We are truly grateful to be part of furthering Heather’s commitment to youth, community and family. We look forward to the 2023-2024 school year with excitement and anticipation for all that’s to come.”
ALASKA WARRIOR PARTNERSHIP
The Alaska Warrior Partnership has been awarded a $5,000 grant from the Community Grants Committee and Opportunity Fund in support of the AKWP Veteran Outreach and Engagement to Combat Isolation in Homer project. Over the next year, AKWP will host quarterly convenings to assist the Homer veteran community. Image: Alaska Warrior Project.
DAVID & MARY SCHROER FUND AWARDS $24k
The David & Mary Schroer Fund has designated 11 area schools and community organizations to receive a total of $24K: Homer Middle School, Homer Foundation Youth Advisory Committee, Homer High School Booster Club, KBBI Radio, Homer Community Food Pantry, Homer Mariner Softball, West Homer Elementary, Paul Banks Elementary, McNeil Canyon Elementary, Homer High School and Homer Flex School.
GUIDING GROWTH CONVERSATION
Homer’s Guiding Growth conversation series received a $2,050 grant from the Willow Fund to support a comprehensive community conversation training led by the Alaska Humanities Forum. Through civic discourse, good conversation, and relevant resources, Guiding Growth’s purpose is to empower diverse participation in the vision of how the Homer community develops.
To find out more, contact mercedesharness@gmail.com.
Update from the Executive Director
A good fall goes a long way to make up for a wet summer.
In honor of October being National Estate Planning Awareness Month, the Homer Foundation wants to honor our Legacy Society members (both named and anonymous). These are individuals who have included gifts to the community through a Homer Foundation fund in their estate plans. Whether it be a gift via a Will to establish a scholarship, provide a steady income to one of our area nonprofits, or provide funding for an area you were passionate about in your life, legacy gifts have become an important way for people to continue in death what they loved in life.
Your dream matters and your gift counts. Legacy gifts help the foundation fulfill its mission of connecting generosity to community needs. We can work with you and your estate representative to ensure your gift makes the impact you wanted it to make, while at the same time working to minimize tax impacts so more of your estate does what you intended it to do.
If you’re not satisfied with your estate plans (will, trust, beneficiary designations), or your life situation has changed, please take time this month to schedule a time with your estate planner. At the same time, connect with me at the Homer Foundation and we can help you find the right place to give. mmiller@homerfoundation.org or 907-235-0551.
If you want to know more about the Foundation’s Legacy giving follow this link: https://www.homerfoundation.org/homer-foundation-legacy-society/
Philanthropy Fact of the Month
The five pillars of philanthropy: inclusion, transparency, empowerment, collaboration and celebration.