DeForest Area Foundation president Mary Christianson, left, poses with one of the 20 new waders the organization provided a grant to the Friends of the Yahara River Headwaters to purchase. The environmental org's president Dan Jardine was on hand to receive the waders, which were purchased from Fleet Farm in DeForest.
DeForest Area Foundation president Mary Christianson, left, poses with one of the 20 new waders the organization provided a grant to the Friends of the Yahara River Headwaters to purchase. The environmental org's president Dan Jardine was on hand to receive the waders, which were purchased from Fleet Farm in DeForest.
DeForest Area Foundation president Mary Christianson, left, poses with one of the 20 new waders the organization provided a grant to the Friends of the Yahara River Headwaters to purchase. The environmental org's president Dan Jardine was on hand to receive the waders, which were purchased from Fleet Farm in DeForest.
DeForest Area Foundation president Mary Christianson, left, poses with one of the 20 new waders the organization provided a grant to the Friends of the Yahara River Headwaters to purchase. The environmental org's president Dan Jardine was on hand to receive the waders, which were purchased from Fleet Farm in DeForest.
The DeForest Area Foundation has launched a website and wants the community to know it’s still here, ready to help fund the needs of local nonprofits and charitable organizations.
In autumn 2021, Mary Christianson became president of the foundation, after retiring from her career and having previously stepped away from the organization for five years. She had formerly been a member for 20 years and had served as president before.
Under her leadership over the past year, she helped the foundation get a website for the first time, making it easier for DeForest nonprofits and philanthropic organizations to apply for grant money. The website went live in February at deforestareafoundation.org.
Any 501c3 organization located within the DeForest Area School District is eligible to apply.
“We’re working on getting our name out there,” she said. “I encourage everyone to please apply, because I feel like we keep giving money to the same organizations over and over. Even kids’ sports teams could apply.”
Now there's an online grant application form, whereas before everything was done on paper. Though, people can still submit a printed application if they prefer.
The foundation has application processes every March and September, and money is typically distributed within two weeks after requests are approved.
Over the years it has supported efforts such as building monuments at Veterans Memorial Park, helping DeForest Area Needs Network buy shelving, helping the DeForest Area Community and Senior Center install touchless faucets and automatic doors during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as fulfilling various public library and school district requests.
It just supplied the Friends of the Yahara River Headwaters with twenty new waders to help volunteers keep dry and clean during river cleanup efforts.
“When we started out, we didn't have that much money, but we're expanding now, we have money that we want to give away,” Christianson said.
The foundation gives tens of thousands of dollars annually, but the exact amount fluctuates depending upon the grant requests.
Most requests are approved, though just not always in the full amount, she said.
“I like to see the money being used for good,” she said.
A lot of the funding for the foundation comes from people donating in their trusts or wills when they die. Though, people can donate at any time, and Christianson reminds them it’s a “nice tax write-off.”
Donations can be sent to P.O. Box 177 in DeForest, 53532.
Apart from her rejoining the board, it has also gotten three new members recently after some long-time members passed away, who are bringing a lot of new ideas to the group, she said.
“It’s really exciting, I've got a great board,” she said. “The board members are comfortable with each other and feel they can express opinions.”
Those new members include local realtor Mary Schultz, Dan Paulson of Paulson and Associates land surveying company, and lawyer Marsha Tesar.
“People from the community know them, they have always been very generous with their time,” Christianson said.
