Our History
We saw that it needed to be done, so some of us just started meeting.
Delores Dalke (Founding HCF Board member)
In the early 2000s, a series of informal conversations among a small group of civic and business leaders led to a plan to establish a charitable community foundation in Hillsboro.
Building upon the pioneering vision that had shaped the Hillsboro community, they saw the foundation as a way for private donations to invest in the betterment of the community. A community foundation would provide “a vehicle to give back to the community” and a “tax-free method of funding community projects.”
These discussions led to the creation of the Hillsboro Community Foundation on April 12, 2004. To provide direction and oversight, an initial five-person board of directors was installed, comprised of those leaders involved in the planning.
The first public presentation to launch the foundation was held May 4, 2004 at the Hillsboro High School. From that meeting, nineteen households contributed startup seed money of $2,250 which was used to fund brochures and promotional materials.
Key Milestones and Events in HCF’s History
As I work with other small communities across central Kansas, I often use the Hillsboro Community Foundation as a great example of what a small community and a dedicated group of volunteers ‘with a little persistence and patience’ can accomplish.
Dennis Lefevre (Former Director, Central Kansas Community Foundation)