ICF is Making More Possible.

With a goal of sharing their philanthropic passions with their children and grandchildren, Linda and Mitch Watkins of Twin Falls established a fund at The Idaho Community Foundation.

"We have always involved our kids in our charitable giving, hopefully instilling in them a lifelong passion for getting involved in their communities," said Linda, who has served on the ICF Board of Directors and on the Regional Council. "This allows them to be part of the decision-making and support causes that are important to them."

The couple chose a Donor Advised Fund because it gives them the flexibility to support different organizations. Linda, a former executive director of the Twin Falls Education Foundation, has a particular passion for early childhood education and helping those most in need in the Magic Valley.

The Watkins appreciate ICF's deep local knowledge and strong investment performance. "With their impressive staff and consistent investment track record, we have complete confidence in supporting ICF with our charitable giving," Linda said.

Romey Stuckart and Stephen Schultz have dedicated their lives to art—as students, teachers, and professional artists whose work has taken them across the nation and around the world. Their shared journey, from high school art classes to advanced degrees and international residencies, taught them the profound impact of creative expression and the consequences when opportunities for art are absent.

Wanting to give back to the community where they flourished, Romey and Stephen established the Romey and Stephen Fund for the Visual Arts at The Idaho Community Foundation in 2022. Their mission is simple yet powerful: to support and promote art as a way of life. They believe art is a bridge that unites humanity, builds empathy, and inspires both personal self-awareness and collective connection.

Through this fund, projects in Bonner County will be supported to ensure that art continues to spark exploration, creativity, and community connection for generations to come. Romey and Stephen's vision is clear: to seed the growth of art in the place they call home and invite others to help carry that vision forward.

The F.M., Anne G., and Beverly B. Bistline Foundation joined The Idaho Community Foundation in 2011 to support arts-focused nonprofits in southeastern Idaho.

This fund reflects Beverly Bistline's lifelong passion for the arts. Beverly, an attorney with a theater arts degree from the University of Idaho, was deeply involved in the art and music scene in San Francisco during the late 1960s. "She believed that art and music were crucial to a functioning society," said her cousin Bruce Bistline, chairman of the Bistline Foundation. "In her view, if there weren't good art and music opportunities in a society, then it probably wasn't very creative in other ways either."

Beverly founded the Bistline Foundation in 1999 to support the arts in southeast Idaho. After her passing in 2010, her estate was left to the foundation, enhancing its capacity to support the arts. Recognizing the increased administrative responsibilities, Bruce and the foundation advisors decided to turn the foundation into an ICF fund. ICF manages the investment, grant applications, and other administrative tasks, allowing the foundation to focus on its mission.

Marcia Wing first learned about The Idaho Community Foundation in the late 1980s when the Foundation was newly established. At the time, she was just starting her career in property & casualty insurance and found the goal to open an endowment ambitious and distant.

"I had no idea then that the Foundation would achieve such amazing success, or that I would someday be in a position to create funds to honor both Greg's parents and my parents," Marcia reflected.

Marcia and her husband Gregory Garlick established the Harry and Lisa Garlick Scholarship Fund in 2005 and the Alferd and Bethel Wing Fund in 2009. Longtime ICF members since 2006, they are also part of the Legacy Society, meaning they have included ICF in their estate planning.

The appeal of ICF endowment funds lies in their ability to provide permanent support to local nonprofits, a value Marcia and Greg, as longtime Idahoans, deeply appreciate. "I'm a big believer in permanent endowments," Marcia said. "My husband and I are not wealthy, but an organization like ICF allows people of relatively modest means to put money into funds that can make a difference in people's lives in perpetuity."

Growing up on a small Idaho farm with limited financial resources, Marcia understands the importance of education, books, and scholarships. "It was the generosity of others that allowed me to attend The College of Idaho, and I feel an obligation to repay that generosity by helping others in similar financial situations," she explained. Her passion for literacy stems from her upbringing, where books were a cherished part of life. "Learning Lab is one of my passions; seeing people develop their abilities to function in contemporary life and work toward breaking the family cycle of illiteracy is incredibly satisfying."

To honor her 50 years of teaching art and dance, former students of Rehle Higham established the Rehle Higham Legacy Art and Dance Scholarship at Shelley High School. The scholarship fund will now be managed by the Idaho Community Foundation.

Teaching in her backyard studio in Shelley, Rehle Higham influenced thousands of southeast Idaho students. Her 8-week ballroom dance and etiquette classes were especially popular. They always concluded with a fancy dinner and dance during which students would perform in front of their parents. She passed away in March 2022.

As former student Curtis Olachea wrote in a letter to Mrs. Higham in 2014: "I want to thank you for the impact you had on my life. You taught me many things, but the most important thing you taught me was how to be a gentleman."

Rehle's son Jordan Higham said many of his mother's former students felt the same way. "Countless times throughout my life I have had strangers tell me about their experience in the class and how it has helped them in life," he recalled. "It might have helped them get a job, make a great first impression, impress their future wife or numerous other situations."

In addition to dance, Rehle was a talented painter whose paintings were displayed in galleries in Jackson, Wyo., Park City, Utah, and throughout Idaho. Jordan said his mother passed along her love of art and dance to him and his six siblings.

"We all have our own personal original art collections in our homes," he said. "For me it was helping set up for or sitting at art shows with her and delivering paintings to galleries. Growing up attending countless dance recitals, ballets, plays and other performances instilled in us all a love and appreciation for dance. I would say most of us have passed that on to our children as well."

Boise neurologist Dr. Dick Wilson was introduced to Reel Recovery, a national nonprofit that sponsors fly fishing retreats for men with cancer, when he volunteered as a Fishing Buddy at a retreat in Montana in 2009.

"I spent the weekend with these guys and I saw what it did for them," he said. "It gave them a lift and the desire to go forward and fight their disease."

Inspired by this experience, Wilson organized the first Idaho Reel Recovery Retreat in July 2010 at Wild Horse Creek Ranch in Mackay. The retreat was so popular that he and his wife Jacquie organized another one in August 2011.

The Wilsons established two funds at The Idaho Community Foundation to support Reel Recovery: a philanthropic gift fund for retreat scholarships and an endowment fund to ensure the program's sustainability. They are also proud members of ICF.

Larry and Cathy Kirk know the value of hard work and second chances. Longtime residents of southwest Idaho, the Kirks have established a charitable fund with The Idaho Community Foundation to support vocational training for Marsing High School students and others in the community who may need a new path forward.

"I was given opportunities by people who didn't have to help me," said Larry, a retired CPA and state auditor. "Because of that, I believe in helping others."

Larry grew up in Marsing and spent summers working in a potato processing plant thanks to a local mentor and bucking hay bales for local farmers. Cathy, a Boise College graduate and retired insurance professional, saw firsthand the value of vocational skills through her father, a union carpenter. Together, they understand the life-changing potential of hands-on learning.

The couple worked with the City of Marsing to ensure their fund reflects the town's needs. The mayor and city council were enthusiastic about the idea, reinforcing the Kirks' belief in community-driven giving. The fund supports not just graduating seniors, but anyone in Marsing looking to gain vocational skills and a fresh start.

Larry and Cathy have no children, but their generosity extends to family through college savings accounts and to the broader community through donations to the Marsing Library and other local causes. For the Kirks, giving back is about preserving the town they love and helping others build a strong future.

"People don't take care of their community and it dies," said Cathy. "We want to make sure Marsing thrives."

Lifelong educator Marion Shinn and his wife Lorena established the Marion L. and Lorena F. Shinn Fund in 2011 to benefit the Nez Perce Historical Society in Lewiston.

"I want to support the historical society for the long-term and also create excitement for the future of the organization," said Marion, who served on the board of directors for over 20 years.

Designated funds like the Shinn Fund can provide annual support for charitable organizations and anyone can contribute to the fund, which was one of Marion's motivations. "This is a place where someone can donate $5 or any amount of money, and it will last forever," he explained. "You can't say that with regular donations."

Prior to their passing, the Shinns were ICF members and appreciated the Foundation's broad impact. "ICF is an organization people should support for the overall good of every nonprofit in Idaho," he said. "Only through a cooperative effort can we carry the dream of small nonprofits like the Nez Perce Historical Society."

Active volunteers, the Shinns have traveled to over 60 countries and focused on philanthropy. "It was time to take some of the assets we'd accrued over the years and share them with the organizations whose work we have appreciated," Marion said. "We may not have the capital to invest with the big boys, so an ICF fund was perfect for our needs."

Southwest Idaho high school counselor Alyson Townsley started the Turn Around Scholarship Fund in 2006 to help Meridian and Boise students who have overcome difficult home situations and successfully graduated from high school. As a counselor, Townsley saw the need for scholarships not based on GPA or athletic talent but on resilience and determination.

"These kids are in survival mode – they don't have time for trumpet lessons," Townsley said. "Many of them were in their junior or senior year before the light went on about attending college."

To raise the endowment funds, Townsley held bake sales, placed newspaper ads, sent donation requests, and wrote grants. She received donations from friends, family, and anonymous supporters, as well as significant contributions from the Fund for Joe's Kids, Idaho Mountain Touring, United Heritage, and the Gladys E. Langroise Advised Fund.

"The need for this scholarship is huge," she said. "There are lots of kids living in very dysfunctional homes. Most scholarships are given to kids who already have a lot of support. This one is for those underdogs who don't have that."

Decades ago, local businessman William (Bill) Zanetti of Silverton realized that there was no retirement community in his small town in north Idaho's Shoshone County. He had family members who were aging, and he wanted a comfortable place for them to live where they could stay connected with friends and family.

He led a group of community members to acquire a site and spearheaded the effort to raise the funds for the Good Samaritan Society – Silver Wood Village. Over time, he helped improve the building and brought in bulldozers from his construction business to flatten a hill and give residents a more expansive view from their windows.

"He always tried to help his community by investing in it and helping people get a start in life," said his former attorney, Michael Branstetter. "He was kind to his friends and neighbors and enjoyed helping where needed."

"While Bill remained ever proud of his Zanetti heritage which began in 1886 with the family's homestead and small mining claims, he was always looking towards the future," added his nephew, Herb Zanetti. "He seemed to have a keen eye for creating opportunities that would ensure continued growth throughout the Silver Valley."

Zanetti, who passed away in 2006 at the age of 97, created an Idaho Community Foundation charitable giving fund through his estate to forever support the retirement home he helped establish.

Thanks to Zanetti's generosity and ICF's prudent investing, every year Good Samaritan Society – Silver Wood Village received a distribution from Zanetti's fund. However, the retirement home was purchased in 2023 and is no longer a nonprofit. ICF can't give grants to for-profit organizations.

All ICF funds have a back-up plan written into the fund agreement for situations like this. Zanetti said that if Silver Wood Village became ineligible for grants that the mayor of Wallace, the mayor of Osburn and others he named should recommend grants to support organizations that serve residents of Wallace and Osburn.