Community Impact

How We Work in Communities

We help our fundholders support communities in ways that are meaningful to them.

Our grants come from nearly ICF charitable giving funds, each created by an individual, family or company to meet their philanthropic goals. Through them, we’ve awarded more than $165 million in all 44 counties in Idaho.


We listen to communities.

To meet the needs of a growing and changing Idaho, ICF is doing more than ever before. By 2028, our goal is to award $20 million in grants annually throughout the state, nearly double our current grantmaking.


We help Idaho nonprofits, schools and community organizations grow and thrive.

All ICF grants go to organizations that strengthen the fabric of our communities.

At the Foundation

Our CEO Steve Burns reflects on his travels throughout Idaho and how the Idaho Community Foundation is building a culture of philanthropy by bringing people and resources together to make an impact in all of Idaho’s 44 counties.

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Foundaion Staff

Stories of Impact

Stories of generosity and community support from every corner of Idaho, including impactful grants, inspirational families and more.

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Annual Reports

A look back at the Idaho Community Foundation’s past and where we are headed in the future.

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Annual Reports
News

News and Events

Catch up on the latest news from the Idaho Community Foundation, including grant awards, event announcements and more.

News Media Events


At the Foundation—CEO's Blog

Our CEO Steve Burns reflects on his travels throughout Idaho and how the Idaho Community Foundation is building a culture of philanthropy by bringing people and resources together to make an impact in all of Idaho’s 44 counties.

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Stories of Impact

Stories of generosity and community support from every corner of Idaho, including impactful grants, inspirational families and more.

Impacting Lives through Dance and Art: Rehle Higham Scholarship

Rehle Higham

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.”

William Zanetti Community Fund

William (Bill) Zanetti

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.

In 2023, grants were awarded to:

  • City of Wallace for infrastructure repairs - $34,490
  • City of Osburn for pickleball and fitness courts at Lions Park - $32,800
  • Osburn area Silver Valley Seniors to support the Meals on Wheels program - $1,690

“It means so much that projects that have been a dream can now actually be completed because of his generosity,” said Osburn Mayor Kip McGillivray.


Annual Reports

A look back at the Idaho Community Foundation’s past and where we are headed in the future.


News, Media, and Events

Catch up on the latest news from the Idaho Community Foundation, including grant awards, event announcements and more.

Newsletters

Press Releases

  • January 16, 2024: Idaho Community Foundation grants more than $77k through Bistline Foundation Fund
    Arts-focused projects in southeast Idaho will receive more than $77,000 in grants from F.M. and Anne G. and Beverly B. Bistline Foundation Fund, which is held in the Idaho Community Foundation. Click here to read the press release (pdf).
  • January 8, 2024: Chobani continues its fight against hunger in partnership with ICF
    Chobani, in partnership with the Idaho Community Foundation, announced the recipients of its sixth annual Chobani Community Impact Fund Grant – providing $100,000 to help fund programs and initiatives that will increase access to nutritious food, address infrastructure needs and aid in filling the gap for residents experiencing food insecurity for over 4,800 individuals monthly in the Magic Valley. Click here to read the press release (pdf).
  • December 1, 2023: Idaho Community Foundation awards $406+ in southwest Idaho
    The Idaho Community Foundation is awarding more than $406,000 in support to 58 organizations in Southwest Idaho from its Forever Idaho Southwest program – including domestic violence programs, senior centers, libraries and more. Click here to read the press release (pdf).
  • December 1, 2023: Idaho Community Foundation awards $225K+ in south central Idaho
    The Idaho Community Foundation is awarding more than $228,000 in support to 48 organizations in the Magic Valley and Wood River Valley from its Forever Idaho South Central program – including domestic violence programs, senior centers, libraries and more. Click here to read the press release (pdf).
  • November 28, 2023: Idaho Community Foundation introduces a new way to support communities
    This Giving Tuesday, the Idaho Community Foundation will unveil a new way for people to support their community with the Idaho Community Foundation Giving Station (photos attached). This special vending machine doesn’t dispense chips or candy – it lets people make a donation to one of 24 nonprofit organizations. Simply swipe or tap your debit or credit card and press a button. You’ll receive a card about the nonprofit you selected, and they’ll receive your donation! Click here to read the press release (pdf).
  • October 2, 2023: Idaho Community Foundation awards $250K+ in eastern Idaho
    The Idaho Community Foundation is awarding $250,000 in support to 47 organizations in Southwest Idaho from its Forever Idaho East program – including to domestic violence programs, senior centers, libraries and more.  Click here to read the press release (pdf).
  • June 26, 2023: Idaho Community Foundation grants $294K for education
    The Idaho Future Fund was established at the community foundation in 2015 by a couple from Blaine  County. Grants from the fund are intended to create, sustain or reinvigorate impactful educational programs throughout the state in the areas of preschool scholarships, charter schools, public  schools/public school libraries and supplemental educational programs. Click here (pdf) to see the recipients.
  • May 24, 2023: Idaho Community Foundation grants nearly $260K in north Idaho
    The Idaho Community Foundation will support 45 schools, homeless shelters and other community organizations with nearly $260,000 in grants through its Forever Idaho North program. Click here (pdf) to read more.
  • May 8, 2023: Idaho Community Foundation grants nearly $90K+ in southeast Idaho
    The Idaho Community Foundation (ICF) is awarding grants totaling nearly $90,000 in southeast Idaho for landscaping, beautification and public recreation from the Ifft Foundation Fund in ICF. Click here (pdf) to read more.
  • March 31, 2023: Idaho Community Foundation grants $646K+ through Langroise Fund
    The Gladys E. Langroise Advised Fund in the Idaho Community Foundation has awarded grants of nearly $550,000 to community organizations in Ada and Canyon counties. In addition, almost $100,000 more will be awarded statewide through the community foundation’s Forever Idaho Grant Cycles in 2023. Click here to read more (pdf).

Events

Up Next

Wednesday, March 13: State of the Foundation (virtual)

11 a.m. Pacific | 12 noon Mountain

Click here to join the meeting

Thursday, May 23: Celebration of Philanthropy North Idaho

Hagadone Event Center, Coeur d’Alene

11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Keynote Speaker: University of Idaho President C. Scott Green

Thursday, May 30: Donor Happy Hour in Pocatello

2024 Events

  • July 11: East Idaho Fundholder Happy Hour
  • Aug. 14: North Idaho Fundholder Happy Hour
  • Aug. 29: East Idaho Fundholder Education Event
  • Sept. 26: Central Idaho Celebration of Philanthropy, Ketchum
  • Oct. 2: Central Idaho Donor Education Event

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