Just two weeks ago Feed Our Rural Kids (FORK) announced that it was embarking on a $1,000,000 capital campaign through its Tomorrow’s Kids Endowment Fund.
Margaret Baack and Mike McAdams
“Today we are pleased to announce that FORK has received a $50,000 Matching Grant challenge to double the impact of our 2021 endowment fundraising efforts,” announced Fund committee chairman Keith Kentala .“Thanks to the generosity and foresight of Margaret Baack and Mike McAdams of Land O Lakes, the first $50,000 of community donations made to the fund this year will be matched.”
“We have seen the difference FORK is making for children today, and Mike and I want to ensure that effort continues for years to come,” offered donor Margaret Baack.
“Our family feels that FORK defines the very essence of what best defines community,” explained Mike McAdams. “As we see it, community is when people come together for the benefit of each other. FORK is bringing our communities together to ensure the success of children from food insecure homes. That is why they earned our support.”
“We are grateful to Mike and Margaret for the kindness of their words and generosity of their hearts,” continued Kentala. “Their pledge of support demonstrates the keen judgement we hope others in the community will share regarding FORK and all that we endeavor to accomplish over the coming years.”
The need for the endowment was first envisioned last year, as a necessary element of organizational longevity, through FORK’s long term planning efforts. Through that discerning process, FORK leadership realized the urgency of the organization to focus not only on the critical needs of today’s children, but also to establish a financial infrastructure that would sustain the funding to address the chronic issue of childhood food insecurity into the future.
“I think it’s really simple to understand”, explained Tomorrow’s Kid Endowment Fund Committee member Nancy Schuler. “FORK stands for food security for children, the Tomorrow’s Kids Endowment Fund will stand as financial security for FORK.”
“Nancy is right,” offered FORK president Perry Pokrandt, “The wonderful thing about the Tomorrow’s Kids Endowment Fund is that we will one day be able to support the immediate needs of our communities’ children through annual distribution of fund assets into FORK programs. While at the same time, the Fund is creating a financial legacy that will mitigate childhood food insecurity, secured by the growth of the fund portfolio assets conservatively invested over time.”
Committee member Ben Hauser offered this perspective. “A key element of financial planning is the efforts we make to secure the future. Whether for families, individuals, or organizations like FORK, a financially secure future provides the opportunity to live every today without compromise. The Tomorrow’s Kids Endowment Fund will provide this community and it’s children the best possible future.”
Individuals who would like to learn how their family can be part of this legacy built for the children of this community, can contact Keith Kentala at tomorrowskids@feedourruralkids.org.
The Tomorrow’s Kids Endowment Fund is a financial planning component of FORK, a registered 501c3 nonprofit organization.
Donations can be made directly to the endowment at feedourruralkids.org/tomorrowskids.
