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Monday 8:30am - 4:30pm Tuesday 8:30am - 4:30pm Wednesday 8:30am - 4:30pm Thursday 8:30am - 4:30pm Friday 8:30am - 4:30pm

The Community Foundation for McHenry County

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The Community Foundation for McHenry County

Philanthropically addressing the needs of McHenry County by providing leadership, granting resources, stewarding assets and fostering awareness.

Based in Crystal Lake, Illinois, the Community Foundation for McHenry County (The Foundation) is a public foundation established in 2001 by a group of community minded individuals. The Foundation provides philanthropic-minded citizens and charitable organizations with a central, locally administered foundation. The Foundation accepts donor-directed funds and unrestricted endowments to grant seed o

r expansion money for unmet social, cultural, educational, and charitable needs throughout McHenry County. The donations that The Foundation receives go back into the community through grants and scholarships. Area residents can guide their own philanthropy through The Foundation by establishing a donor advised fund, legacy gift or other planned giving.

08/27/2026

We are honored to announce the establishment of the Beth O’Hagan Ryan Memorial Scholarship, created in partnership with Beth’s family and her friends and colleagues Maggie Crane, Martha Hansen, and Carrie Zamorano, with the Woodstock Public Library (Woodstock, IL).

Beth dedicated her career to libraries, learning, service and ensuring that everyone felt welcome. This scholarship will carry that legacy forward by supporting individuals working in McHenry County libraries as they pursue graduate education in library and information science.

We are especially grateful to those who came together to create this meaningful and lasting tribute to Beth.

Learn more about Beth’s story, the scholarship, and how to contribute: https://cfmchenrycounty.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/fund?funit_id=2420

08/26/2026

Today, we join so many in mourning the loss of Dolly Parton, a cultural icon and an extraordinary philanthropist.

Dolly’s generosity reached far beyond Tennessee, all the way to children and families right here in McHenry County. Locally, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is made possible through a partnership with United Way of Greater McHenry County, helping bring free books directly into the homes of young children across our community. Nationwide, the program has reached millions of children, inspiring a love of reading and opening doors to bigger dreams. The Imagination Library is just one example of the remarkable philanthropic impact Dolly made throughout her life.

In her own words, “I'm just so proud to have been a part of anything that's good, and that's making life a little better for people.”

We are grateful for Dolly’s example of generosity, compassion, and belief in the potential of others. Her music will be remembered, but so too will the countless lives made better because she chose to give. ❤️

08/25/2026

Congratulations to our own Jake Schlicht, Manager of Grants & Scholarships, on his recent appointment to the Crystal Lake Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors!

Jake brings a strong commitment to community and service to everything he does, and we’re excited to see him bring that same energy to the Chamber board. Congratulations, Jake!

08/21/2026

This year, The Community Foundation for McHenry County awarded more than $1.5 million in Foundation-directed grants and scholarships to local nonprofits and students!💙

Behind every award is a nonprofit strengthening our community, a student building their future, donors who believe deeply in McHenry County, and volunteers who help make thoughtful grantmaking possible.

We are grateful for the opportunity to bring generosity and community needs together and we look forward to growing our ability to say “yes” to even more local impact in the years ahead.

Full list of Grant Recipients - https://thecfmc.org/receive/grants/recipients/

Full list of Scholarship Recipients - https://thecfmc.org/receive/scholarships/recipients/

This summer, we gathered to celebrate our grant and scholarship recipients and what a wonderful morning of celebration it was! Thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make the day so special. We’re excited to share a few photos from the celebration below!

07/31/2026

Did you catch us in The Land Conservancy of McHenry County's 2025 Gratitude Report? 🌿

It's been an honor to partner with The Land Conservancy and their generous donors to build a strong permanent endowment, all while taking advantage of the Illinois Gives Tax Credit.

Through the Illinois Gives Tax Credit Act, donors who contribute to permanent endowment funds at The Community Foundation for McHenry County can receive a 25% state tax credit on qualified gifts, up to $100,000 per taxpayer, per year.

Why it matters:
🌱 Your gift grows a permanent endowment, invested for the long term, so it keeps giving for generations and builds long-term sustainability for local nonprofits, like The Land Conservancy.
🤝 Earnings support grants exclusively for Illinois and McHenry County causes and nonprofits

Credits are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis and are limited statewide, so don't wait. Ready to give or learn more? Reach out to The Community Foundation for McHenry County today.

Email at [email protected], call at 815-338-4483, or visit https://thecfmc.org/give/illinois-gives-tax-credit-program/

07/09/2026

Earlier this year, we were proud to share The Community Foundation for McHenry County’s 2025 Annual Report.

Last year’s report reflects the power of local generosity and the lasting impact made possible by donors, fundholders, nonprofit partners, and community leaders across McHenry County.

In FY 2025, The Community Foundation managed $55.3 million in assets across 108 charitable funds, with 88% of assets permanently endowed. Together, these funds helped award more than $1.3 million through 168 grants and scholarships supporting local nonprofits, students, programs, and community initiatives.

Read the full report and see how local philanthropy continues to strengthen our community today and for generations to come.

https://thecfmc.org/2026/07/09/2025-annual-report-for-mchenry-county-forever/

06/24/2026

We had a wonderful time on Saturday, welcoming guests to our office as a stop on the Downtown Crystal Lake / Main Street Midsummer Wine Walk!

We loved opening our doors, connecting with local residents, and sharing more about the work of The Community Foundation. A special thank you to 1776 Restaurant for the delicious food and for pouring and educating guests about their wine.

And to Nancy Merkling of NMP Productions for curating a beautiful exhibit throughout our office, showcasing talented local artists.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by, asked questions, and celebrated community with us. We had so much fun and hope to see everyone again next year!

A big thank-you to Downtown Crystal Lake for bringing so many people into Crystal Lake and organizing a wonderful community event.

06/09/2026

Friday was a special day! We were honored to award a $50,000 grant to the Woodstock Fire/Rescue District to support a firefighter training facility in collaboration with the City of Woodstock.

Investments like these help ensure our local firefighters have access to the training and resources they need to serve our community safely and effectively for years to come.

This grant came from the T. Thornton Family Fund, a donor advised fund at The Community Foundation for McHenry County. We thank the Thornton family for their generous grant and their commitment to bettering McHenry County.

We are honored to work alongside donors through donor advised funds, helping them support the causes and issues they care about throughout McHenry County.

06/04/2026

The Community Foundation for McHenry County recently hosted Giving Your Way, a Women in Philanthropy gathering designed to help women reflect on their personal approach to giving and the impact they hope to make.

Presented in partnership with the Institute on Generosity and Stanford University, the evening explored innovative approaches to philanthropy, including Giving 2.0, AI’s role in donor learning and connection, and inspiring stories from local women making a difference.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this meaningful evening possible. Together, we’re strengthening McHenry County through generosity, conversation, and thoughtful action.

Read More on Women in Philanthropy - https://thecfmc.org/initiatives/women-in-philanthropy/

Learn about the Institute on Generosity - https://www.instituteongenerosity.org/

05/25/2026

A couple starting locations for the Downtown Crystal Lake Midsummer Wine Walk have sold out, but there are still tickets available to start at The Community Foundation for McHenry County! Here are some of the great perks of selecting it as a starting location🍷 Get tickets at: downtowncl.org/wine-walk.

Address

33 E Woodstock Street
Crystal Lake, IL
60014

Opening Hours

Monday	8:30am - 4:30pm
Tuesday	8:30am - 4:30pm
Wednesday	8:30am - 4:30pm
Thursday	8:30am - 4:30pm
Friday	8:30am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+18153384483

Website

http://www.thecfmc.org/

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