The Wayne Area Legacy Fund is excited to announce it has raised 95% of its ambitious $300,000 goal as part of its Dick and Becky Keidel Gratitude Challenge campaign — and the finish line is in sight.
With just $15,000 left to go, now is the time for the community to come together and help push this transformative campaign across the line.
Launched in 2024, the Gratitude Challenge has already garnered "tremendous support," including a generous $100,000 matching gift from Dick and Becky Keidel and a $50,000 matching contribution from the Nebraska Community Foundation. This will be an investment to the Wayne Area Legacy Fund of $450,000 — doubling the endowment balance and bringing it just under $1,000,000. Every dollar donated goes toward building a brighter future for Wayne and the surrounding area.
This campaign supports the Fund’s unrestricted endowment, a permanent, income-generating resource that works much like a community savings account. While earnings are used each year to support local projects, the principal remains intact — and grows — ensuring long-term, sustainable impact.
The Wayne Area Legacy Fund has already awarded grants to several local organizations, including Wayne Community Schools, Haven House, Greenwood Cemetery, the Baseball Association, Little Roots Daycare and Preschool, Ike’s Lake and others. The fund has given back nearly $100,000 since 2017.
The Gratitude Challenge will offer WALF an opportunity to fund approximately $40,000 each year to local non-profits in the Wayne area.
“This is about building something that lasts — for our kids, our neighbors, and the future of our hometown,” said Karissa Hays, WALF member since 2018. “When you give to the endowment, you’re not just donating. You’re leaving your legacy. Your contribution will give year over year…forever.”
Donors are encouraged to contribute, and WALF offers many avenues to meet anyone’s circumstances: a one-time donation or cash, gifts of grain or livestock, bequests in your will, retirement plans, gifts of life insurance, gifts of property, memorial or honorary gifts, gifts of annuities or monthly ACH contributions for easy, sustained giving. The Legacy Fund makes it simple to invest in the community’s future through secure online giving at www.waynearealegacyfund.org.
The vision of the Wayne Area Legacy Fund is clear: The Wayne Area is a generous community where all ages can live, work, and play for generations to come.
"Your gift — large or small — will help ensure this vision becomes a reality," Hays added.
Join the movement. Be part of something lasting. Help us reach that final $15,000 and leave your mark on Wayne’s future.
To learn more, see the current donors and check out projects funded, visit www.waynearealegacyfund.org.
