Our Jackson County communities are fortunate to have so many clubs and organizations dedicated to making their communities better places to live, for us and our families.
The success of these organizations depends on hundreds of volunteers donating their time and talents to accomplish each organization’s purpose. Most of the time these volunteers accomplish their work quietly, effectively, and without any public knowledge or recognition.
One such volunteer is Bee Herzberg. When the Black River Falls Area Foundation was first organized in 1985, it had little money and no employees. All earnings were awarded in the form of grants to local organizations, so no funds were available to pay an employee. Recognizing the need for someone to handle the administrative duties of the Foundation, Bee volunteered to serve as the Foundation’s Assistant Secretary. As the Foundation grew, so did its administrative workload. While the public sees only the Foundation grants and scholarships awarded, behind the scene an immense amount of work is required.
Some of the Assistant Secretary’s duties include:
- Preparation of Trustee meeting agendas, minutes, financial reports and discussion material.
- Distribution of grant applications and scholarship information to schools. Reviewing and preparing all submitted requests for distribution to trustees. Notifying recipients, preparing and distributing grant checks. Coordinating scholarship payments to respective recipients’ colleges.
- Answering questions addressed to the Foundation.
- Keeping records of all funds received from donors; sending acknowledgements required by the IRS; distributing earnings to each individual donor or scholarship fund, sending grant requests to donors for input on selection. Acting as liaison between individual fund contacts and the Foundation.
- Working with an accounting firm to prepare annual reports required by the State of Wisconsin and the IRS, and preparation of the Foundation’s audited financial reports.
- Preparing the Annual Report.
- Working with the Friends committee on the annual banquet, including preparing and sending invitations and accepting RSVPs and donations. Maintaining records for the Friends of the Foundation Recognition Program.
- Management of the Foundation’s web site.
This is not a comprehensive list by any means, but it gives you a good idea of all the work done by Bee Herzberg for the Foundation. Through the early years, and for the majority of the years, she served without any compensation, while working at the Jackson County Bank. She served as Assistant Secretary and sole “employee” for over 20 years, from the Foundation’s start in 1985 until she retired at the end of 2007.
Volunteers are special people! Thank you Bee Herzberg, a special person! Thanks to all of the special people who volunteer to help their communities!