Cardinal Center has been selected to receive a $509,000 grant from the Dekko Foundation.
"This is a thrilling opportunity for us and one for which we are so grateful to the Dekko Foundation," said Jane Greene, Cardinal Center CEO.The funds will be dispersed over 3 years and will match dollars raised in specific Cardinal fundraising efforts.
The fundraisers that will be matched are the Cardinal Duck Race, the annual fund letter and the fall "Cardinal Call" luncheon.
The grant is retroactive, beginning with the 2007 events. This year, the Cardinal Center duck race raised $40,000, which was matched by the Dekko Foundation with $80,000.
In 2008 and 2009, the challenge match will be 75 percent and 50 percent, allowing donations to continue raising significant additional dollars, up to the $509,000 total.
Cardinal Center serves more than 3,000 children and adults each year and is dependent on state and federal tax dollars.
The Cardinal Center board of directors has directed money from the Dekko Foundation Challenge to build the endowment and ensure services can be provided in the future.
"An endowment is one way for Cardinal Center to proactively assure that services are always available to those in need," Greene said.
People who would like to donate to the Cardinal Center annual fund can call Leslie Petko at 574-371-1331 or Candace Townsend at 574-371-1344.
