Be the Light
Endowment Fund
Lighting the way for Christian youth in the Morton area.
This Field of Interest fund was started in April, 2024, by Stacy Litersky and her two daughters, Blair and Reece.
Consistent with the charitable purposes of the Morton Community Foundation (MCF), distributions from the Be The Light Endowment are used to support Christian youth groups and ministries serving the Morton area.
Grant applications are accepted through MCF’s Annual Spring Community Grants process from:
Protestant and Catholic church youth groups
Protestant parachurch ministries (such as Youth Alive, Young Life, Campus Crusade for Christ, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and similar organizations)
Protestant and Catholic school-connected youth ministries
Preference is given to program needs and tangible items that support teaching, preaching, outreach, and the long-term engagement and retention of youth in ministry. Grant requests must benefit the group as a whole and may not be used for individual scholarships, camp fees, or participation costs.
Founding Story
The Be The Light Endowment was created by Stacy Litersky and her daughters, Blair and Reece, with a shared desire to strengthen local Christian youth programs and help shine the light of Jesus in the lives of young people.
Reflecting on their own experiences, the Literskys recognize the lasting influence youth groups and ministries can have during formative years. In a culture filled with competing voices and challenges, they believe it is more important than ever for young people to have access to faith-based guidance, encouragement, and community.
“We wanted to create a fund that will directly benefit local Christian youth programs who are shedding light on Jesus and spreading the good Word of what He can do in each of our lives. In today’s culture, our youth need access to Jesus, and this fund helps provide that access. Our time and memories of youth group have always played such an important part of growing up, and we want to share that with as many people as possible.”
— Stacy, Blair & Reece Litersky
Through this endowment, the Litersky family hopes to support ministries that nurture faith, foster belonging, and help young people grow spiritually — ensuring that the light of Christ continues to shine brightly in the Morton community for generations to come.
To make a tax-deductible donation to this endowment fund, you can:
Donate by check: Make it payable to Morton Community Foundation and mail it to 135 S First Ave, Morton, IL 61550. Please write “Be the Light” on the memo line.
Make a tax-advantaged gift of stock…Visit our stock gifting page by clicking HERE.
For more ways to give, CLICK HERE.
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Are you a Caterpillar Employee or Retiree?
The Caterpillar Foundation is proud to offer the year-round Matching Gifts Program to support their employees, U.S. retirees and board of directors in their contributions to worthy causes. Eligible Caterpillar participants may request an annual total maximum 1:1 match of $10,000 USD each calendar year to eligible charities to which contributions are tax deductible. The Morton Community Foundation is an eligible charity. So, if you are an eligible Caterpillar participant, you may submit any donations to this fund for an equivalent match, up to your total maximum of $10,000 per year. CLICK HERE to link to the Caterpillar Foundation’s Matching Gift website.