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We’re here For Good. And we’re here Forever.

From 2011 to 2013, the Community Foundation quietly worked to secure $2.5 million in contributions to launch the For Good Forever Fund – our general endowment for Door County. This permanent pool of money is a flexible resource to fund our community impact grant program, invest in community projects, and support future programs of the Community Foundation.

This effort also ensured the financial viability of the Community Foundation forevermore. As a result of these gifts, along with our other sources of earned revenue, the Community Foundation has no need to ask the people of Door County to make gifts to support our administrative operations. Henceforth, all gifts are entirely used to support charitable work in the community.

While we are grateful for all the donors who contributed to this effort, the Community Foundation would like to extend a special word of thanks to those who made truly exceptional gifts:

We deeply appreciate the wonderful generosity of these great Door County philanthropists. As a result of their generosity, the Community Foundation is here For Good. And we’re here Forever.

To minimize costs and maximize the amount available to be granted to the community, the Community Foundation contracts for its investment, accounting and bookkeeping services. We do have a small professional staff in Door County that interacts with our donor clients, local non-profits, and the community at large.

Bret Bicoy, President & CEO

Bret Bicoy joined the Community Foundation in 2008 having previously served as President of the Nevada Community Foundation and President & CEO of the Marietta Community Foundation.  He was also named a Fellow of the Council on Foundations in Washington, D.C. for his work promoting philanthropy in diverse communities.  He also writes a regular column in the Peninsula Pulse.

Bret was named a Person of Influence by In Business Las Vegas magazine as one of the “men and women who make things happen” in Nevada. The Marietta Chamber of Commerce honored him as the Telesis Community Leader of the Year as “a believer in impossible things, whose vision, enthusiasm and dedication have unquestionably made their mark on our community.” Back in the days when he could still be considered young, Bret was presented the Young Alumni Achievement Award by Tufts University as one “whose distinguished accomplishments bring credit to his community, his profession, and Tufts University.”

In the 1990s, Bret was the Senior Foundation Officer of the Green Bay Community Foundation during which time he helped launch the Door County Community Foundation. While living in Green Bay, Bret served one term on the Brown County Board of Supervisors and was twice elected to the Green Bay City Council.

Bret is a long-time Rotarian and attends Hope United Church of Christ. He also serves as Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Wisconsin Conference United Church of Christ and is one of the founders of the United Church of Christ Foundation of Wisconsin.

Born and raised in Aiea, Hawaii, Bret is married to Cari and together they raised six children in their beloved Door County.  Contact Bret.

A fourth-generation Door County resident, volunteerism is a core family value. Inspired by her late father’s Masonic involvement, her passion for helping others is reflected in her fundraising for the Sevastopol Education Foundation, the Music, Art and Theater Guild, and the Shrine Hospitals.

Julie raised two strong confident daughters, and a kind-hearted outgoing son. Between learning to crochet, and wrangling her dogs Remi and Toby, she finds peace camping, hiking, and kayaking Door County’s beauty.

Julie’s love for Door County translates to a deep appreciation for the Foundation’s impact on its land and people.

Julie brings her professional expertise to the Community Foundation, where she leads a team responsible for the meticulous processing, disbursement, and reconciliation of funds across the organization’s diverse portfolio.  Contact Julie.

Growing up in Sturgeon Bay, Kali has always felt a deep connection to Door County’s natural beauty and close-knit community. Her passion for helping those around her drives everything she does at the Community Foundation. Eager to give back to the place she loves, Kali works with donors and local charities to support the causes that make Door County so special.

With a background in communication from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and professional experiences in hospitality and caregiving, Kali understands the importance of building strong relationships and offering genuine, compassionate service. She’s committed to enhancing the quality of life for everyone in the community.

Outside of work, you can find Kali exploring the great outdoors, catching a live theater performance, or visiting family. At home, she cherishes time with her two beloved cats, Monty and Rocky.  Contact Kali.

Adam started his career as an Exercise Physiologist, where he developed a strong commitment to improving the well-being of others. This early experience sparked his interest in community outreach, leading him to transition into roles where he could contribute to broader social change.

Over the years, Adam has led various initiatives that have enhanced access to vital resources and opportunities for diverse populations to thrive. His dedication to community and innovation continues to drive him as he works with donors, local charities, and community members to create meaningful and lasting connections throughout the Door Peninsula.

Giving back has always been central to Adam’s life. He actively volunteers as a coach for Special Olympics and volunteers with several organizations, including the Algoma Venture Academy, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Wisconsin, The Ridges Sanctuary, and the Canary Fund. These roles allow him to blend his passion for service with his professional expertise, continually seeking out new ways to positively impact his community.

Adam grew up on his great uncle’s small dairy farm in Casco, where he learned the value of hard work and the importance of community from an early age. Today, he enjoys the natural beauty of Door County through activities like hiking, kayaking, and rock climbing. Whether collaborating with donors, working alongside community partners, or coordinating a fundraising event, Adam is dedicated to making the most of every opportunity to contribute to the place he calls home.  Contact Adam.

Jean Gothberg, Business Officer

Jean joined the Door County Community Foundation in March 2022 as a Business Officer. Jean is excited to work with the team at the Community Foundation.

Jean was born and raised in Southern Door County, in Little Sturgeon Bay, and graduated from Southern Door Schools. As a direct descendant of Increase Claflin, Door County’s first white settler, Jean has a love for the preservation of our county.

Jean and her family have resided in Sturgeon Bay since 2015, after returning from Southeastern Ohio to be closer to her parents. Jean has a significant other, Leo of 21 years. A son, Dylan who is attending UWGB studying History and Art. Jean’s daughter Kyrsten is an R.N. at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

Jean and her family have a passion for nature and the great outdoors. Spending time together in the forests, at the bay and lake, and appreciation for the star gazing the clear skies of Door County offers so magnificently. Door County has always been her “home”.

Jean brings many years of business and bookkeeping experience to her new position and is responsible for processing contributions and disbursements from the many Funds of the Community Foundation.  Contact Jean.

Heidi Copiskey, Administrative Assistant

Heidi Copiskey was born and raised in Door County and is passionate about the community and culture we share. Having worked in hospitality for much of her career, Heidi strongly believes that compassion is one of the dearest qualities one can have. Heidi is an avid volunteer and can be found anywhere from bagging groceries and serving food, to local bookfairs and handing out water at the Triathlon (because let’s be honest, that is the closest she will ever come to participating in one).

Heidi lives in Sturgeon Bay with her husband Eric and their children Bryton and Zoey on a delightful homestead filled with chickens, ducks, turkeys, and rabbits. While she would like to take credit for the bountiful garden in the backyard, she is much better at “quality control” then the growing. Heidi also enjoys hiking at the State Parks, going to local theater performances, she loves a good book and vows to someday take a pottery class.

Heidi is excited to join the Door County Community Foundation and to be a part of such an amazing network of men and women working together to make Door County the very special place that it is.

Heidi is the friendly voice that answers the phone and smiling face that you first see when visiting the Foundation. Along with greeting our guests, Heidi takes our event RSVPs and manages the Scholarship Network.  Contact Heidi.

The Door County Community Foundation, Inc. is governed by this dedicated group of community volunteers:

Jim Vander Heiden, Chair
of Egg Harbor
Retired Vice President/Principal, HGA Architects and Engineers

Stephen O’Hearn, Vice Chair
of Sister Bay
Retired, Partner and Global Insurance Leader, PwC

Vicki Wilson, Secretary
of Sturgeon Bay
President-Founder, Door County Coffee & Tea Co.

John McGinnis, Treasurer
of Sturgeon Bay
Retired Executive, Energy Industry

Jeff Ottum, Past Chair
of Sturgeon Bay
Retired Senior Vice President Human Resources, Schreiber Foods, Inc.

Fred Anderson
of Sister Bay
Owner, Ashbrooke Hotel, Egg Harbor

Inge Alverson Bacon
of Sevastopol
Certified Public Accountant

John Bykowski
of Ephraim
Retired President and CEO, SECURA Insurance Companies

Natalie Gorchynsky
of Egg Harbor
Community Philanthropist

John Herlache
of Sturgeon Bay
Retired Surgeon

Kristen Jeanquart
of Sturgeon Bay
Owner, Door County Digital Communications

Keith Mutchler
of Sevastopol
Retired, Paper and Packaging Manufacturing

Donna Scattergood, RN, PhD
of Sister Bay
Serial Entrepreneur/Holistic Nursing and Functional Medicine, Healthcare Organizational Behavior Consultant, Educator

Dan Westbrook
of Washington Island
Retired, Consumer Paper Products Research, Manufacturing and Marketing

Dick Egan, Emeritus Director
of Clark Lake
Chairman Emeritus, Little Rapids Corporation

The Mission of the Door County Community Foundation

Inspiring People to Give Back to Sustain and Advance the Community We Love.

The desire to “give back” is strong and deep within all of us who love this place in a special way. This is why the Door County Community Foundation has placed the phrase “give back” at the center of its mission statement.

The strong verb “inspire” has the same root as the word spirit. It is easy to see the profound difference between a sports team with spirit and one without it. The same is true for communities. It is the Community Foundation’s role to tend to the spirit of Door County.

Gratitude is a natural human response to beauty. It’s why gratitude is such a strongly felt dimension of the spirit of Door County. We nurture that spirit of gratitude. Out of gratitude we “give back.”

When you “give back” through the Community Foundation, you also are “looking forward.” The Community Foundation holds Door County’s future in strong hands. We protect its future with caring and foresight.

By its very structure, the Community Foundation makes sure that each individual gift continues to give in a vital way, year after year into the future. Grants go to human needs, the arts, the environment, education and other charitable causes.

There is something in each of us that wants to be immortal. We want our gifts to keep giving after our own lives end. People give to capital fund drives for new buildings because they feel these gifts will endure beyond them. But even buildings and memorials have a life span that is limited. The Community Foundation’s life is unlimited, and the grants it makes every year are alive, touching and sustaining the people, organizations, land and water of Door County.

Tom Torinus
Board of Directors, Retired
Door County Community Foundation

Inspiring People to Give Back to Sustain and Advance the Community We Love

Charity is more important to Door County than any other community in Wisconsin.

That’s a bold statement, but if you ponder a bit you’ll see just how truthful it really is. The charities of Door County define much of our quality of life and are a major part of the engine that drives our local economy.

Think for a moment about what you love most about Door County.

We have a vibrant arts community that surrounds us with beauty and fills our lives with music.

We are blessed to have an abundance of live theatre – from the musicals of the American Folklore Theatre, to the grand stage of the Peninsula Players, to the community productions of the Isadoora Theatre Company. Midsummer’s Music and the Peninsula Music Festival are the soundtrack for our summer. Young people from across the nation come to learn at the Birch Creek Music Performance Center.

The Door Community Auditorium offers us a venue that is state-of-the-art while the Third Avenue Playhouse hosts us with a traditional flair. For those who seek to nurture the artist within, the Peninsula Arts School and The Clearing Folk School are great centers of arts and education. While the Door County Historical Society and Sister Bay Historical Society celebrate our culture.

All of these treasures of the arts that are so essential to the uniqueness of Door County are charities. They bring visitors here and keep them coming back each year.

We have an incredible abundance of natural resources to enjoy.

The Door County Land Trust and the Nature Conservancy are working hard to preserve and protect environmentally important places. The Ridges Sanctuary is one of the most biologically diverse places in Wisconsin. Crossroads at Big Creek offers environmental education for the whole family.

Our magnificent parks are maintained and enhanced by vibrant citizens groups – from the Friends of Peninsula State Park, to the Friends of Toft Point, to the Friends of Potawatomi State Park.

The Sail Training Foundation and Ephraim Yacht Club are working to ensure both this generation of boaters – and the next – are well equipped to enjoy our waters safely.

The stewards and guardians of our environmental treasures in Door County are charities. They protect and champion those natural resources which entice visitors to come to Door County.

These non-profits are not only enriching our community, they are driving our economy.

Our local charities create the quality of life that draw people to visit or live in Door County. People come to Door County for the arts or the outdoors, but the dollars they spend circulate throughout the community.

Our greatest arts and cultural treasures are charities. Our environmental abundance is stewarded and protected by charities. Our quality of life is inextricably intertwined with the charities of Door County.

That’s why when you ponder it for a bit, it’s easy to understand why charity is more important to Door County than any other community in Wisconsin.

A gift to charity in Door County is not only a contribution, it’s also an investment in our economic development. It’s helping to build a better future for us all.

But charity is more than just an economic development tool.

We are a wonderful place to “retire” – if your idea of retiring is to get involved.

There are over 350 charities and civic groups operating in Door County whose boards of directors are comprised of people with a lifetime of experience. Whether you’ve lived here all your life, or decided to move to Door County, civic engagement is a hallmark of “retiring” in Door County.

Our community offers amenities far beyond what you’d expect in a community of our size. The Door County YMCA has two terrific locations and the Door County Medical Center has some of the newest technology and facilities available in healthcare today.

Our spiritual needs are attended to by virtually every denomination imaginable. We have the many Catholic churches of Stella Maris. Among our Lutheran churches are Shepard of the Bay, Bay View and St. Paul’s. Hope United Church of Christ, the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship and the Sturgeon Bay Moravian Church are just a few more of the 60+ churches of our County.

We have our challenges as a community. Our seasonal nature leads to seasonal jobs and that creates stresses for those at the bottom rung of the economic ladder.

So we count on groups like Lakeshore CAP to fill a family’s cabinet with groceries during the winter months when the summer’s wages are finally gone. The Community Clinic provides care for those whose jobs don’t offer health insurance. The Women’s Employment Project offers job training and placement opportunities when a job cannot be found. And the list could go on and on.

What all these organizations have in common is that they are charities. They are non-profits because there is no profit to be made. So their future is dependent on the generosity of people like you.

And because charity is so important to Door County, our community’s future is also dependent on the generosity of people like you.

What these organizations also have in common is that they all receive support from the Door County Community Foundation. The Door County Community Foundation, through its Family of Charitable Funds, touches virtually every aspect of charity in Door County. Each of the organizations listed above (and many, many more) received a gift from one of our Donor Advised Funds, was awarded a grant from the Community Foundation’s Community Impact Grant Program, or is the beneficiary of an estate gift that will one day flow through the Community Foundation.

Since our founding in 1999, Door County’s charities have benefited from millions of dollars that has been distributed through the Door County Community Foundation. But each charity focuses on something in particular. Be it environmental education, music performance, healthcare for seniors, domestic violence prevention, etc.

There is only one charity whose role is to consider our community as a whole.
That’s the Door County Community Foundation.

The Door County Community Foundation is the only charity that is concerned about all the facets of our community’s quality of life.

The Community Foundation invests in the most promising ideas in charity. We are not focused on a single issue. We consider all aspects of our community’s health and invest our charitable dollars in those areas which are most pressing at any given time.

As individuals, we can speak out but many of our voices will largely go unheard. Collectively, through the Community Foundation, we can sing in harmony with one another and inspire countless others to join us on our mission. But to be successful, we require the friendship of generous people like you.

Our mission at the Door County Community Foundation is to inspire people to give back to sustain and advance the community we love.

We must do this because charity is more important to Door County than any other community in Wisconsin.

Please join us.