The Wish
On June 20th, 1961, a wish was granted. George B. Dedrick left one million dollars of his estate to establish The Geneseo Foundation. His hope was that others would contribute funds to benefit the community of Geneseo and surrounding area in Illinois.
Mr. Dedrick believed that by reaching out to those in need, and by supporting the search for knowledge, The Geneseo Foundation could have a positive impact on the lives of citizens in Geneseo and the surrounding areas.
The wish would allow Geneseo to become an enlightened community; one that was genuinely concerned about the less fortunate. In the process, Geneseo would become a better place to live, work, and grow.
The Purpose
- For assisting charitable, benevolent, civic or educational institutions, whether support is in whole or in part, by private donations or by taxation.
- For the care of the sick, aged, handicapped, orphaned and helpless, and the care of needy men, women, and children.
- For promoting scientific or medical research for the advancement of human knowledge and the alleviation of human suffering, or the suffering of animals.
- For such other civic or charitable purposes as the Board
of Managers of The Geneseo Foundation may select from time
to time, after determining that such purposes are within its
province.
By establishing these principles, Mr. Dedrick was able to assure growth and vitality for future generations.
A Message from the Chairman
Geneseo and the surrounding area have been blessed significantly for nearly fifty years by the annual distributions of the earnings of the Geneseo Foundation. Over the years other community-minded people have added their resources to Mr. Dedrick's original gift of $1,000,000.
The Board of Directors of Central Bank serve as the managers of the Geneseo Foundation. We take very seriously our responsibilities to monitor the performance of the invested funds and to carefully select worthy recipients of annual grants. The quality of life in Geneseo for both individuals and organizations has been enhanced tremendously as a result of these grants.
Whether you are seeking a grant, or want to make a contribution to the Geneseo Foundation, please feel free to talk with us. We would welcome the opportunity to meet your needs.