$23,000 and counting, Emerging Leaders kicks off fifth year of giving
Emerging Leaders kicked off as a Huntingburg Community Foundation initiative in 2012 with a gathering of over 50 young adults (being under 40 was a prerequisite then) at Cool Beans.
German American Bank CEO Mark Schroeder and Jasper Engines & Transmissions CEO Doug Bawel inspired the group to move forward with their goals of inciting interest and philanthropy in community organizations in Dubois County.
Since that kickoff in 2012, the group has gifted over $23,000 to area nonprofits through an endowment and the members’ annual dues.
Thursday’s kickoff for 2016 saw Schroeder returning to speak to many of the original members as well as few new members.
According to Schroeder, this group is playing a pivotal role in engaging younger members in the community and creating strong peer networks.
“We have been very impressed with how this group has managed,” he explained. “They have done a great job exploring the options and alternatives, and as a group deciding where to invest their money; which charity to do that with.”
Schroeder, who began working at German American Bank when he was 18, stated that a group like Emerging Leaders is a great resource for young adults who are seeking to become part of the community and lead the future development of the area.
“The networking piece of this is as valuable, if not more valuable, than the charitable giving component,” Schroeder said. “But the charitable giving component does send a powerful message as to how much these young people value the community and how much they want to improve the community.”
During the evening, the group was split into four tables where they answered three questions:
- What do you love about the community?
- What do you want to change about the community?
- What charity in the community would you give $1,000?
The answers to the first two questions were designed to create a conversation and break the ice among the new and old members. Once that was complete, the four tables were asked to discuss and come to a consensus on which charity named by the members they would advocate for receiving $1,000.
Afterwards, each table was asked to tell about the charity they decided to support and then a vote was taken by all the members to determine which charity would receive the money.
Mentors for Youth received the $1,000 by popular vote.
Emerging Leaders co-chair Steffi Schmücker has been a member of the group since its inception but recently decided to take a more active role in its leadership. “We all are part of this community and want it to thrive,” she said. “It is kind of mind-blowing to think that we have been able to give away over $23,000 by pooling together our monthly dues.”
Since it began, the group has asked that members donate $10 a month to the giving circle. The collected dues in addition to funds from an endowment seeded by contributions from Jasper Engines and German American Bank have allowed the group to make a grant each year to various charities in Dubois County. In 2015, The Next Act, the nonprofit group attempting to restore and reopen the Astra Theatre, received $5,000.
