New Chef in Town
Peoria’s Mt. Hawley Country Club recently announced the addition of a new executive chef. Having attended the culinary program at Joliet Junior College, Rick Bower has worked in club and fine dining restaurants for more than 17 years, including the upscale, Las Vegas-based Robuchon; celebrity chef Michael Mina’s Nobhill Tavern; and Kahill’s Steak, Fish & Chophouse in Sioux City, Iowa.
Bower’s culinary perspective focuses heavily on seasonal, sustainable, farm-to-table preparations, utilizing fresh ingredients sourced from on-site gardens as well as local produce, pork and cattle farmers. He has also successfully implemented a sea-to-table program, utilizing only line-caught fish sourced from small, dock-to-door fisheries.
With Bower’s experience, leadership and talent, Mt. Hawley is well positioned as one of the area’s unique fine dining opportunities. Club leadership believes the addition, coupled with an aggressive membership drive and other strategic improvements, will solidify Mt. Hawley as one of the region’s premier family clubs.
Volunteerism: Strength in Numbers
Did you know?
- 62.8 million Americans volunteered over 7.9 billion hours last year, contributing $184 billion in total estimated value.
- Volunteers have greater odds of getting a job after being out of work than non-volunteers.
- Volunteers are twice as likely to donate to charity as non-volunteers.
- Volunteers ages 75 and up volunteer 100 hours per year of their time, on average. Thirty percent of Generation X (ages 33-49) volunteer; and one in five millennials (ages 16-32) volunteered last year.
Source: volunteeringinamerica.gov
A $1 Million Investment
Over the next two years, WMBD/WYZZ and CI Proud has pledged to give away more than $1 million in multimedia grants to central Illinois nonprofit organizations. These organizations can then use the power of WMBD/WYZZ/CIProud.com to amplify their voices, making their work as well as their needs known. Grants can range from digital announcements to news coverage, live extended interviews and media partnerships/PSAs. The program is designed to bolster the community, bring awareness to groups that are already doing great things, and expand the station’s community service.
“One of the things we do really well is to connect people in need to people with solutions,” says Kevin Harlan, vice president and general manager. “Many of our neighbors are in need in central Illinois, and they don’t always know where to turn for help. Yet, there are already so many existing nonprofits and agencies that really can provide the help people need. This program helps to get that word out.”
To be considered for a media grant, complete the application at centralillinoisproud.com/million-dollar-community-investment.
Giving Two Cents
- • In 2014, giving to charity accounted for 2.1 percent of the national GDP.
- • Corporate giving increased 13.7 percent in 2014 to $17.77 billion.
- • Americans donated $358.4 billion in 2014, 5.4 percent more than in 2013, and more than the pre-recession record, set in 2007.
Source: charitynavigator.org
The List of Lists
Charity Navigator works to guide intelligent giving by advancing a more efficient philanthropic marketplace, in which givers and the charities they support work in tandem to overcome the world’s most persistent challenges. It is America’s largest and most influential charity evaluator, identifying the most effective—and ineffective—charities around the country.
In an effort to make the subject of charity evaluation a tad more interesting, the organization publishes a variety of lists identifying charities that meet certain patterns of performance. Below are some of these lists, which can be found in their entirety at charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=topten.
- 10 Charities with the Most Giving Basket Donations
- 10 Most Followed Charities
- 10 Celebrity-Related Charities
- 10 Super-Sized Charities
- 10 Charities Expanding in a Hurry
- 10 Most Frequently Viewed Charities
- 10 Charities Routinely in the Red
- 10 Highly Rated Charities Relying on Private Contributions
- 10 of the Best Charities Everyone’s Heard Of
- 10 Charities in Deep Financial Trouble
- 10 Charities Worth Watching
- 10 Highly Paid CEOs at Low-Rated Charities
- 10 Inefficient Fundraisers
- 10 Charities Overpaying Their For-Profit Fundraisers
- 10 Highly-Rated Charities with Low-Paid CEOs
- 10 Charities with the Most Consecutive 4-Star Ratings
- 10 Top-Notch Charities
- 10 Consistently Low-Rated Charities
United We Serve
Nearly 26 percent of Illinois residents volunteered for a nonprofit cause in 2014, ranking the state 30th in the nation. In the Peoria MSA, however, that number jumps to 31.5 percent. Here are some volunteer highlights from the Land of Lincoln:
- 2.51 million total volunteers, contributing 274.1 million hours, or $6.3 billion, in service.
- 54.8 percent of residents donate $25 or more to charity.
- 34.3 percent of residents participate in groups and/or organizations.
- 65 percent of residents engage in “informal volunteering” (like doing favors for neighbors).
Source: volunteeringinamerica.gov/IL
Funding Illinois’ Future
The Illinois Growth and Innovation Fund is now investing state funds with investment firms that will provide capital to technology businesses seeking to locate or expand in Illinois. In early April, the fund’s new website, ilgif.com, made its debut to further share information and provide a way for entrepreneurs to pitch their ideas to wider audiences. The IGIF is expected to attract more than $400 million in private-sector dollars, which would spur additional interest in the Midwest tech scene. Learn more at ilgif.com.
Best Bang for Your Buck
Technology and business continue to top USA Today’s annual list of 50 college majors that offer the best potential return on investment. However, emerging trends like geotechnical engineering and informatics also made this year’s cut. Here are the top five majors offering the best potential ROI, according to OnlineDegrees.com, using data from the National Center for Education Statistics and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Find the full list at college.usatoday.com. iBi
