Incourage Community Foundation Inc

What it reported doing in 2024

Alignment of community capitals: recognizing that grants alone cannot support the needs of an innovative, emerging economy, incourage has committed to align and leverage all of its capitals, including moral, human, social, intellectual, reputational, natural, and financial, to advance its mission. Incourage operates with a strategy that embraces intentional further development and deployment of values-aligned, place-based investments of its financial assets, sometimes referred to as mission, impact, or community investing. Current mission aligned investments include insured deposits in local banks and credit unions, and fixed income investments in regional high-performing community development financial institutions (cdfi's) that provide financing to regional businesses, health and human services organizations, and affordable housing. Starting in 2017, incourage developed and launched a passive equity index fund called the Wisconsin shared stewardship equities fund ("wssef"). It includes a customized portfolio of publicly traded companies that tilts toward companies that are based in, or employ people in, Wisconsin. In addition, the wssef allows for proxy voting and shareholder dialogue to encourage responsible practices and business growth in Wisconsin. Starting in 2018, incourage, along with five other foundations, founded the Wisconsin impact investing collaborative, an effort to help a wide variety of investors learn about and join with others in investing in inclusive, vibrant, and environmentally sustainable communities throughout Wisconsin's urban, rural and tribal areas. Learn more about the collaborative at www.wi3c.org and at wiphilanthropy.org/impact-investing/.tribune building - an economic and community hub for southern wood county and central Wisconsin: incourage's commitment to place-based investing and user-centered decision making for southern wood county's future is symbolized by the continuing redevelopment of the former daily tribune newspaper and wfhr radio building, which incourage purchased through its supporting organization, community property, inc., in december of 2012. From the beginning, the tribune building (the "tribune"), a historic local mid-century property located on the banks of the Wisconsin river in downtown Wisconsin rapids, Wisconsin, has been about much more than redeveloping a building. It is a demonstration of a user-centered process toward realizing incourage's vision of partnering with residents, businesses, and civic leaders in rural central Wisconsin to co-create an inclusive, adaptive, and sustainable community that works well for all people. Incourage has engaged over 2,000 residents in the planning and decision-making process so far. The tribune is being designed to reflect resident priorities and capitalize on community and regional assets. The redeveloped facility will be an economic and community hub for southern wood county and central Wisconsin, with a particular focus on the needs of rural communities. It will serve as an entrepreneurial support center, a focal point of regional collaboration and innovation, and a dynamic community place for work, play, and commerce.as a recap of the multi-year journey so far, phase one in 2013 and 2014 consisted of four public meetings where everyone in the community was invited to share their ideas for the future use of the space, including encouraging residents to shift their thinking from "me" to "we". Phase two in 2014, consisted of seven public meetings whereby the community was invited to participate in activities related to the potential design and sustainability of the facility. Phase three in 2015 and 2016, consisted of ten public meetings in which participants focused on deepening relationships, further defining potential programming within the facility, and developing resident-led fundraising opportunities to help realize the building. In 2017 and 2018 community members explored how similar projects in other regions developed,

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 83.2%; rating input score 83
• Program expense ratio: 85.5%; rating input score 86
• Fundraising efficiency: $41.18 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 75; 75th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 88.2%; rating input score 88; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: Limited
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: 90.3%; rating input score 90; 26th percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Yes; rating input score 100

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 8 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 100
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 49.8%; rating input score 92; 92nd percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 23.6; rating input score 97; 97th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.05; rating input score 70; 70th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 10%; rating input score 30; 30th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: -9.4% per year; rating input score 0; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: -9.3% per year; rating input score 0; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 0.1% per year; rating input score 100; 13th percentile among comparable filings