Donors are “Making the Match” for county 4-H programs

Lois M. Beal has established the Montcalm County 4-H Endowment Fund in memory of her late husband, Victor C. Beal.

“My husband was a county agricultural agent in Montcalm County and started his career as a 4-H agent years ago,” Lois Beal said. “Even as a boy he was in 4-H. He loved it! “I know the extension service is not as strong as it once was and thought that this
fund may be helpful to the county. I’m sure my husband would appreciate it as well.”

Beal began his career with MSU Extension in 1936 as Montcalm County agricultural agent. After 22 years in that role, he became the Montcalm County Extension director in 1958, and then served Montcalm, Ionia and Kent counties as district agricultural agent
from 1962 until he retired in 1964.

While this new endowment fund provides memorial recognition to Victor Beal it also provides perpetual support for the Montcalm County 4-H program. An endowment is a fund that is permanently restricted. The corpus of the fund is invested and held intact, and the earnings from the fund are used for program support.

Professional managers oversee endowment funds, investing the money in stocks, bonds and other instruments.

Annual earnings from the fund’s investment can provide annual support for current 4-H program delivery, including scholarships for 4-H youth out-of-county experiences and participation fees, purchase of or development of new program and learning materials,
or any future areas of great need to advance the county 4-H program.

Because this gift funded a general 4-H county endowment fund, it will be matched 1:1 by the Make the Match county 4-H endowment match fund, thus doubling its impact for 4-H. Additional donations are welcome to the Montcalm County 4-H Endowment
Fund and will qualify for match funds.

The Make the Match Campaign match fund is made possible by grants from the Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation, the Rollin M. Gerstacker Foundation, and individual leadership gifts from Gary and Eiko Seevers and the Seevers Family Foundation, Donald and Rebecca Jost, Dale and Sally Stuby, Noel and Sandra Clarkson Stuckman, Faye and Wayne Adam, Larry and Julie Chapin, Thomas and Rhonda Coon, and Lowell and Marilyn Rothert.

Additional counties currently participating in the Make the Match campaign to build endowments are Chippewa, Clare, Eaton, Gratiot, Houghton/Keweenaw, Kalkaska, Mason, Midland, Sanilac, St. Joseph and Washtenaw.

Kent, Osceola and Shiawassee counties have already met the maximum match. For more information on how you can help Make the Match for your county 4-H program, visit www.mi4hfdtn.org/countymatch or call the Michigan 4-H Foundation at
(517) 353-6692.