MH Community Foundation launches to serve enrichment
projects
Chagrined when they couldn’t find a local organization capable
of accepting or administering a generous cash donation to the
community, a group of Morgan Hill power brokers swore never to be
caught flat-footed again.
MH Community Foundation launches to serve enrichment projects
Chagrined when they couldn’t find a local organization capable of accepting or administering a generous cash donation to the community, a group of Morgan Hill power brokers swore never to be caught flat-footed again.
Now, after a year of almost nonstop, backstage activity, the group is ready to introduce the Morgan Hill Community Foundation, a philanthropic group that organizers say will enrich the greater Morgan Hill area.
The Foundation will make its debut Dec. 7, sharing center stage at the Mayor’s Ball with city officials who are marking the inauguration of a $17 million community/cultural center that has been a year in the making after existing as a dream for at least a decade.
While the masked ball — a black-tie affair with an Italian Carnivale theme that anticipates a sell-out crowd at $125 a ticket — will showcase the resplendent community/cultural center, the Foundation will be the recipient of the $50,000 gross earning from ticket sales.
The need for a broad-based non-profit community group that could manage sizeable donations was driven home four years ago when the community had to graciously decline a Fortune 500 company ‘s offer of $10,000 for children’s recreational programs when such an organization couldn’t be found, Mayor Dennis Kennedy said.
“It set me to thinking that we needed an umbrella group to administer such a windfall,” said Kennedy. “I brought a small group of community leaders together to discuss the matter. But unfortunately it coincided with the effort to get the school district’s bond measure approved and a lot of people were involved in that. So our effort stalled.”
Then in the summer of 2001, City Councilman Greg Sellers took charge of a renewed effort to form the non-profit corporation. Joining him were John Varela, former city mayor and now board president of the Charter School of Morgan Hill, John Horner, chief financial officer and co-owner of Thinker Toys, attorney Bruce Tichinin, vintner Gene Guglielmo and construction company owner Roger Knopf.
Meeting for the first time in September, the group got together monthly to write bylaws, lay out the geographical area to be served by the Foundation, create a permanent board of trustees whose membership fairly represents the community, write articles of incorporation, secure non-profit status from the Internal Revenue Service and select a permanent board of directors.
The founders summed up their mission: “The purpose of the Morgan Hill Community Foundation is to support efforts that enrich the lives of all those who live in the greater Morgan Hill Community through promoting, funding, administering and supporting recreation and arts programs and other programs that benefit the greater Morgan Hill community.”
With the groundwork laid, the job of running the foundation was turned over to the new nine-member board of trustee this summer.
One of the group’s first actions was to rewrite the mission statement to broaden its scope of philanthropy.
“The old wording was too confining, too restrictive,” according to board member Daryl Manning. “It focused too much on cultural and recreational activities.”
While the new board isn’t rejecting the original mission statement, Manning said, “members of the new board don’t want to limit themselves before they can assess the needs of the community.”
Board member Cecilia Clark said she doesn’t feel “limitations were placed on us.”
Clark said the new board is “looking beyond the original statement to realize other needs. They told us to take it to the next level.”
The new mission statement reads: “The Foundation is an umbrella organization, which supports efforts to enrich he greater Morgan Hill area. By linking people and resources, the Foundation’s goal is to make a positive impact on the lives of those in our community.”
Manning said that when the torch was passed, “the founders encouraged us to stand on our own feet.”
Varela said he is not concerned about the change in the mission statement.
“It seems to express the mood and vision of the founders. We launched the effort and now it’s their job to give it life,” Varela said.
Tichinin pointed out that the articles of incorporation include the words “and other programs that benefit the city of Morgan Hill.” The wording was suggested by the city council and adopted by the founding board, Tichinin said.
Beneficiaries of foundation largesse must operate within the boundaries of Morgan Hill School District, which extends from San Martin to Bernal Road in South San Jose.
Among its first efforts, Manning said, the board is turning to the Community Foundation of Silicon Valley for funding ideas and resource management. All members of the Morgan Hill Community Foundation are volunteers, she noted.
Also, Manning said, the group may well see if the earlier offer from the Fortune 500 company still stands.
The board also expects to increase its membership to 15 by March, according to Manning.
Officers of the new board of directors are president Dave Reisenauer, information technology manager for International Business Machines; secretary Lanae Bach, a registered nurse; and treasurer Jeff Perkins, senior vice president at South Valley National Bank.
The remaining board members are Manning and Clark, respectively, a marketing consultant and project manager for non-profit organizations; community volunteers Sylvia Cook and Mario Banuelos, Patti Hamaguchi, a speech pathologist; and Zoe Gustlin, a retired IBM vice president.
The inaugural ball is scheduled from 6 p.m. to midnight on Dec. 7 at the cultural center, 17000 Monterey Road. Featured will be gourmet food catered by CordeValle Country Club, dance music by the Groove Kings, the Ballet San Jose Silicon Valley, flamenco dancers, the Abhinaya Dance Company, Italian singer Pasquale Esposito, the Kavanaugh Sisters and jazz and blues pianist Steve Wood.
Also, there will be jugglers, magicians, palm readers, caricature artists and games.
Reservations at $125 a person may be made through Marilyn Librers at (408) 779-6504 or at [email protected].
