The Bryan Area Foundation members gathered at the Dean L. Spangler Conference Center at Spangler Candy Company on Wednesday, October 16, 2024, to celebrate and share the work of the Foundation from the past fiscal year, and to review the goals and objectives of the current fiscal year.
Bryan Area Foundation Chair, Stephen Hess welcomed all attendees and thanked them for their collaborative work and the many ways they had worked together to bring success to the Foundation in the past year.
Bryan Area Foundation President/CEO Amy Miller then presented the highlights of those achievements including investments in downtown Bryan buildings, successful fundraising and opening of the Lincoln Park Inclusive Playground, grants and scholarships totaling more than $2 million being distributed, and moving the Foundation office to its permanent home on Bryan’s square.
Miller then pivoted to the work of the new fiscal year 2025 which began on July 1, 2024. The goals and objectives for this year were identified and solidified by the Board of Trustees in June, with the adoption of a newly revised strategic plan. Taking the plan into account the various standing committee chairs each presented their reports and projects.
Among those, Audit Chair Jack Brace alongside, Tyson Stuckey of Shultz-Huber & Associates presented the results of the Fiscal Year 2024 audit and financial statements.
Stuckey highlighted the financial position of the Bryan Area Foundation as of June 30, 2024, with assets of the Foundation being $42.1 million up from $38.6 million the year prior.
Stuckey shared the results of their independent audit of the Foundation’s financial statements to be “clean” finding no material deficiencies and congratulated the Foundation on another great year.
Development Chair McKenzie Nau and Amy Miller presented the Bryan Area Foundation theme for the fiscal year, “Planting Trees.” Nau shared the inspiration for the theme to be the Nelson Henderson quote, “The true meaning of life is to plant trees under whose shade you do not expect to sit.”
Bryan Area Foundation members have often recited the quote throughout the years as an apt way to express the work of the Foundation, especially through the creation, investment, and distribution of grants made possible by the endowment.
Miller shared that to increase endowed assets, the Bryan Area Foundation recently launched a Community Fund Matching Campaign. Donations of $50 or more to a new or existing community fund are being matched by 25% until June 30, 2025, or until the $50,000 allocated by the Bryan Area Foundation Trustees has been exhausted.
A successful matching campaign will increase endowed community fund assets by $200,000, thereby increasing community fund grant dollars available for perpetuity. Nau then shared another “Planting Trees” project, the Bryan Area Foundation Festival of Trees.
The Festival of Trees will open after Thanksgiving on Friday, November 29, 2024, in conjunction with the Christkindl Market and the annual Santa Parade.
The entire community is invited to visit the Bryan Area Foundation, located at 124 S. Lynn St. to view a variety of beautifully and professionally decorated Christmas trees.
Miller noted that trees will be offered via silent auction in person and online, and two of the trees will be “won” by tickets for sale at just $5 each, or 5 for $25.
Proceeds from the Bryan Area Foundation Festival of Trees will benefit the funds of the Bryan Area Foundation that grant money back to the community each year.
Nau said the Festival of Trees will conclude with a Progressive Holiday Party on Saturday, December 7, 2024, from 4-9 pm. Attendees will enjoy holiday cocktails, appetizers, and desserts at four stops on Bryan’s historic square. Those interested in purchasing tickets should visit the Bryan Area Foundation website under the events tab.
To round out the holiday season, Miller shared that Bryan, Ohio commemorative ornaments would be available to purchase at the Foundation office and the Christkindl Market information booth. Ornaments are $15 each, or $40 for a set of three (one of each design).
Nau shared that to increase traffic to downtown merchants, spread holiday cheer, and create additional awareness about the Festival of Trees, the Foundation is also hosting a Christmas Tree decorating contest for downtown Bryan merchants.
Competing merchants each purchased an identical tree and will have signage with a QR code encouraging the community to vote for their favorite decorated tree. The winning downtown merchant will receive $1,000 to invest in their building courtesy of the Bryan Area Foundation Community Impact Project Fund.
Hess and Miller ended the annual meeting by challenging all members to help the Foundation grow by participating in the matching campaign and upcoming Festival of Trees.
By working together and inviting others in the community to get involved, we can cultivate “financial seeds” and develop potential leaders who will assist in “planting a garden and believing in tomorrow”, creating resources for future generations.
