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History
of the HOPE Foundation |
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With the goal
of establishing a community foundation, Dr. Marlin
Thompson started the HOPE Foundation of Darke County in 1985
while
serving as Superintendent of the Darke Co. Office of Education
(now
the Darke County Educational Service Center - ESC). He, along
with
Bill Dull, CPA and long time HOPE trustee, and Versailles attorney
Mike McClurg, incorporated the HOPE Foundation in 1986. The
staff at the Office of Education helped name the organization,
citing HOPE as Helping Other People Excel. The founders’
plan and the foundation's continuing goal is to improve the
quality of life in Darke County by helping donors meet their
charitable objectives and assisting nonprofit organizations
in providing the services and programs that are so essential
to our community.
The first gift came in 1987 from Greenville National Bank. Over
the next few years, many gifts followed, large and small, that
were designated for scholarships and community grants. Individuals,
families, businesses and charitable organizations have contributed
to the growth of the HOPE Foundation.
Dr. Thompson said, "I felt there were a lot of good people
in Darke County who might want to leave a gift to the community."
He met with members of the Van Wert Community Foundation for
assistance in getting started and appointed 20 board of trustee
members from different areas of Darke County. While Dr. Thompson
retired as Superintendent in 1992, he continued to serve as
a HOPE trustee and chairperson of the Scholarship Committee
until 2005.
In 1999, the HOPE Foundation hired its first director, Diane
Kaiser, to oversee the growing organization and help promote
the foundation as a county-wide resource for charitable giving.
HOPE welcomed Patricia Lavy as the new director (a position
now known as president) in 2005. In 2007, the foundation moved
into its own office at 201 W. Main St., Greenville, giving the
HOPE Foundation more visibility and more accessibility to the
community. Christy Prakel became the new president in 2009.
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Copyright 2010 HOPE Foundation
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