Elks National Foundation Blog

Marcee Northey Donor Services Manager How long have you worked at the ENF? I have worked at the ENF for just over seven years. What projects are you/your department working on right now? The Donor Services department is gearing up for the end of our fiscal year, which is just around the corner. What’s your favorite part of working at the ENF? My favorite part of my work with the ENF by far is speaking with Elks across the country. I love solving problems and speaking with them about what great things they are doing in their communities. I also really enjoy working with the Donor Services team . We work really hard but also enjoy our jobs.   Describe your average day at the ENF. We say in the DS department that there is no average day, but we do have average weeks. As I mentioned earlier, communicating with Elks is part of that but also processing donations , updating records and reports, responding to requests, assisting the team with questions, and meeting with ot

Fountain Hills, Ariz., Lodge No. 2846   Veterans in need living in Fountain Hills, Ariz. know they can count on the Elks for support. Using an Elks National Foundation Gratitude Grant , Fountain Hills, Ariz., Lodge No. 2846 partnered with local VA hospitals to purchase and deliver household items, books, magazines and movies to veteran residents. To let active military members know they have the support of the Elks at home and overseas, the Fountain Hills Elks also prepared gifts for those serving in Afghanistan. Thanks to the Gratitude Grant, the Lodge gained seven new members and showed the community that the Elks are there for veterans in need. “This project furthered our image as a force for positive change in the community,” says Community Investments Program Project Manager Max Love. “We are seen as an organization that can be counted on to support veterans and our military.” Don’t miss the opportunity to serve your community with $2,000! Gratitude Grants, which he

Lake Sammamish, Wash., Lodge No. 1843 From Sochi to Washington, the world is focused on winter sports and Elks from Lake Sammamish, Wash., Lodge No. 1843 are going for the gold! Using an Elks National Foundation Beacon Grant , the Lodge partnered with the Cascade Snow Drifters Snowmobile Club to take local Wounded Warrior veterans on a snowmobiling trip through the mountains. To warm up after the trip, Elks invited the vets to the Lodge for an evening of food and fellowship. Thanks to the Beacon Grant, the community is rooting for Team Elks! “Our partnership with the Cascade Drifters has grown thanks to the Beacon Grant,” says Community Investments Program Project Manager Erica Sargeant. “Our Lodge plans to continue this project on a yearly basis.” Don’t miss the opportunity to serve your community with $2,000! Beacon Grants, available to every Lodge, help Lodges like Lake Sammamish hold ongoing, Elks-led charitable projects. Don’t wait! Applications for 2013-14 Beacon Grants

By Most Valuable Student Scholar Matthew Ramos My name is Matthew J. Ramos and I am a 2013 ENF Most Valuable Student recipient. While home for the holidays I assisted my sponsoring Elks Lodge—Carmichael, Calif., Lodge No. 2103—with its annual holiday basket event. On the morning of December 22, I arrived at the Lodge at 8 a.m. eager and willing to help put together boxes of food that would distributed to families within our community. I meet with Mr. Murray, the Project Coordinator, and he introduced me to several of the other Elks and gave me an overview of the process. It was like a fine-tuned machine. There were rows of boxes on tables, and stacks of flour, sugar, canned goods and fresh produce all around the sides of the room. We had carts to carry the items to the boxes and each box was labeled with the number of adults and children in the family. We got busy and filled more than 125 boxes in less than two hours. When the individuals and families arrived, they were signed

Sandy Supancic Office Assistant Sandy's afternoon project--scanning checks from today's mail! How long have you worked at the ENF? I have been at the Foundation for 33 years and 5 months. I am hoping to hold the record for the longest employee here. What projects are you/your department working on right now? At this time of the year, we are working on posting the donations to our donors’ accounts. As everyone knows, the end of the fiscal year is approaching quickly. I balance the mail, scan the checks, stamp them, and make sure all is ready to be worked on by the Donor Services Department. I also order all office supplies for the office, do address changes and Lodge transfers, and help out where it’s needed. What’s your favorite part of working at the ENF? I enjoy working with volunteers, donors and my co-workers. Being here as long as I have, I know the good the Foundation does. I’ve been on the working side and the Elks side. My nephew was a Lodge Hoop Sh