Rio Salado Foundation
Former Mayor Neil Giuliano formed the Rio Salado Town Lake Foundation in 2001, and remained in charge of it for four years.
The idea was to solicit donations in exchange for naming rights to buildings, parks and lake features. Interest income would fund operational and maintenance costs of Town Lake.
In 2005, Mayor Hugh Hallman took the helm of the fundraising campaign and its advisory board. He raised the original fundraising goal to $20 million from $16 million and widened the scope so that the endowment would also raise money for the restoration of the historic Eisendrath House in Tempe's portion of Papago Park, one of his pet projects. He also had the name shortened to "Rio Salado Foundation" to reflect the scope change.
Since 2001, the endowment has acquired $1.7 million in assets, according to the group's most recent tax forms, from 2005. It has paid out hundreds of thousands in fundraising costs, along with an $83,568 annual salary to executive director Stacey Pawlowski.
Fundraising had been stalled in the past year because of serious illnesses within the core group leaders, including Pawlowski, city officials said.
But Hallman reports movement in the fundraising process that could bring the group close to its $20 million goal. After about 60 percent of the goal is reached through private fundraising, the foundation will make the fundraising process more public, he said.
"I'll know whether or not we'll have firm commitments within 60 days," Hallman said. "We're in the quiet phase right now, but I firmly believe we're gaining critical momentum."
Tempe Community Foundation
The Tempe Community Council has taken over responsibility for the Tempe Community Foundation, which raises funds for grants that help social service needs within the city.
The Tempe Community Foundation was formed in 1992 with a 16-member board. Two of those members were council members. The remainder were community leaders. It was created under the umbrella of the Arizona Community Foundation, a statewide philanthropic investment group that for a fee invests the funds raised by the Tempe foundation and others.
Since 1996, fundraising for the Tempe foundation has waned. Even so, the original pot of money has more than doubled due to matching funds from the Arizona foundation and by accruing interest. The Tempe foundation's current balance is about $138,000.
Seeing Tempe individuals donate large sums of money to organizations outside Tempe at least partially prompted TCC to take on the challenge, said Kate Hanley, Community Council executive director.
"Maybe if Tempe Community Foundation had been more visible and available, the money would have stayed in the community," Hanley said.
The Tempe Community Council plans to oversee fundraising for the Tempe Community Foundation for a few years, then will set up a new board. The TCC is currently in the process of setting fundraising goals and will be the organization that funnels the money to worthy human services organizations.
