Alice Wood
By Mark Loehrke
November 2020 View more Spotlight
All in the Family
My grandfather, the Honorable Win Knoch, would say that “any community worth living in is worth doing for,” and his love for DuPage County was something that all of his grandchildren were well aware of. His legacy of philanthropy in Naperville and DuPage County is something most people wouldn’t necessarily know about, but we’ve all experienced it. Communities throughout the county have been the beneficiaries of so many selfless individuals and organizations, but there are still needs that are unmet here. That’s where my work with the DuPage Foundation has become my mission in life.
A Hidden Gem
I think the DuPage Foundation is the best-kept secret in DuPage County, but it’s a resource that everyone should know about and anyone can support. It’s like the United Nations of philanthropy—we have donors and volunteers that lift up worthwhile causes like food pantries, animal welfare organizations, affordable health care organizations, environmental causes, cultural outlets, and so much more. It’s amazing to see what can come from combining resources to match the needs of a community, and the DuPage Foundation has that in spades.
Making Good Better
My primary goal is to raise awareness about the work that is being done by the DuPage Foundation to support nonprofits and their mission to improve the quality of life for everyone in DuPage County. Combining resources while serving as a catalyst for coordinated impact is the highest and best use of everyone’s charitable giving, and that’s the DuPage Foundation in a nutshell. Every gift matters. Every gift makes a difference. And together, we can change our world for the better.
Photo by Jeff Balsewicz