The History of the Foundation, Part 3 of 3

Not all of these special funds were formed to aid the local libraries, however. The Roy Raley Memorial Fund contributes money to the city of Pendleton for signficant and lasting im­provement in Roy Raley Park and, as its name suggests, the Parks and Playgrounds Fund provides money for the betterment of city recreational facilities.

In 1971 an effort was made to give the general fund a boost by changing its name to “The Pendleton Fund” and encouraging past and present Foundation Committee members to donate ten dollars. Envelopes were left in local banks and mortuaries to make gift giving an easier process. The foundation also distributed a letter explaining the fund and its purpose, describing it as a way in which “memorial gifts, gifts honoring special occasions, or donations for public benefit can be made to a fund that will grow and grow, and the earnings be dispensed for community good.”

In order to maintain its tax-exempt status as a charitable, non­profit organization, the Foundation passed a resolution in October, 1973. From that time forward income from the fund was re-routed through the Treasurer of the City of Pendleton. The Foundation Committee would still decide what to do with the income, but the decision was subject to the approval of a “new” Management Committee of the Pendleton Civic, Education and Recreation Trust Fund. This committee was composed of the chairperson of the Foundation Committee, the President of the City Council, and the President of the Chamber of Commerce. Income from special funds were not subject to this procedure, so in practice little was changed except that the income distributed by the Foundation was now written on checks from the City Treasurer’s office.

 In 1974 the Pendleton Foundation received what was far and away its largest donation, the Claude and Bertha Hanscom estate. It was worth over $255,000, most of which originated from the sale of the Hanscom’s farmland near Helix. The estate had been willed by Claude Hanscom to his wife Bertha, who held it until she died. It was then left to his nephew Roy Furnish, coming to the Foundation only after he passed away.

 Not long after the Foundation received this bequest it was given two other generous donations bequests of the Eva Fletcher estate of nearly $30,000 in 1976 and the Florence E. Thompson estate of $12,299 in 1978. Additionally, a bequest of $500 from the Elizabeth Murphy estate in 1977, a fraternal contribution of $500 from Woodmen of the World in 1978, and a memorial to long-time art teacher Paula Pope of $600 from the teachers at Helen McCune Junior High School in 1979, all were received in the spirit of the Pendleton Foundation Trust. Obviously, the Foundation Committee was now dealing with much larger amounts of money, as a comparison of the income distributed during various years reflects. In 1947, for instance, the Foundation dispersed $1,294.78. A decade later, in 1957, the amount had climbed only about $100 to $1,389.38. In 1967, $1,854 was distributed, an in­crease of under $500 over the ten years. By 1977, however, the in‑come was approximately $24,500, a dramatic leap largely at­tributable to the Hanscom donation.

Go almost anywhere in Pendleton and it is possible to see the results of Pendleton Foundation gifts. A merry-go-round at Aldrich Park, a drinking fountain at McKay Creek School, bleachers at the Little League Park, the lighting system in the Vert auditorium, all were purchased with the help of Oregon’s oldest community trust fund. But nine decades of service is only a start for the Pendleton Foundation. It was designed to aid the community for as long as the need exists, and with support from Pendletonians through gifts and bequests, the list of contributions from this trail-blazing trust fund should continue to grow.