Successful Match of Inspiring Community’s $20,000 PCA Endowment Challenge

Pictured left to right: Alice Rekstad, Barb Daus, Ruth Hinzmann, Eileen Nickels, Angie Wright, Cindy Tang, Mike Penn, Gene Weber and Ron Weier.

“In October 2017, Inspiring Community, a local non-profit group that helps in many ways to improve the quality of life in Platteville, offered a $20,000 match to any and all donations to the PCA Endowment.  This fantastic incentive resulted in new gifts, from residents and businesses, of $32,000 – exceeding the required match by over 50%.” shared Mike Penn, Platteville Community Arboretum board president.

This increases the PCA endowment by $52,000 and means that PCA will meet its commitment to the City of Platteville to match up to $2,500, annually, for trail paving maintenance.  PCA made this promise to help assure that the David Canny Rountree Branch Trail would be maintained in part through volunteerism and donations rather than taxpayer funds.

“Building the PCA Endowment ensures that the money for PCA's annual commitment to the City will be self-sustaining and not a liability for future PCA members or the Platteville community.  As a community, we should be proud of this accomplishment,” noted Gene Weber, PCA. 

PCA’s Bob Hundhausen, fundraising chair, commented that “$45,500 of the $52,000 contributed came from our residential sector and Inspiring Community.”                                     

PCA finance committee member Ron Weier added, “Offering the opportunity for donor recognition or memorials such as benches, trees, and light poles along the trail provided a significant incentive for donors.  It allowed many of our trail enthusiasts the opportunity to leave a legacy on the trail they love.”

Cindy Tang of Inspiring Community shared:  “It is important for our non-profits to build endowments, like PCA has done.  They provide our residents an opportunity to designate these endowments as beneficiaries to their life insurance, IRAs, stocks and bonds, annuities, real estate, and estates as they do their personal estate planning.  Legacy gifts can help support the things in Platteville residents have grown to love and projects and initiatives they have invested their time and talent in, whether it be the trail, scholarships, library and many other good causes.”

If you would like more information about the Platteville Community Arboretum and its work, contact Gene Weber or any PCA board member.  To make a donation to the endowment, make checks payable to PCA Endowment and send to PO Box 302, Platteville, WI 53818.