Karen Pflederer
Designated Charities Endowment
A legacy of learning, music, and giving
The Karen K. Pflederer Designated Charities Endowment Fund was established in 2014 through her estate gift, creating permanent annual support for eight organizations she loved. Each year, grants are distributed to causes ranging from music and education to health care, history, and cultural preservation.
About Karen Pflederer
Karen Pflederer grew up in Morton and graduated from Morton Township High School in 1958 before earning her bachelor’s degree in education from Illinois State University and a master’s degree in teaching literature from Northeastern Illinois University. A lifelong learner and teacher in both Indiana and Illinois, she cherished music, nature, gardening, reading, and exploring the outdoors.
When Karen returned to Morton in 2002, she remained deeply engaged with the things she loved most. At her passing in 2013, she left behind an enduring legacy: a fund designed to share her passion and values with future generations.
Benefiting Organizations
Annual grants from this endowed fund support the following:
• UnityPoint Health Hospice, Peoria
• Dixon Mounds Museum, Lewistown
• Alzheimer’s Association, Peoria Chapter
• Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation, Crazy Horse, S.D.
Lasting Impact
Karen’s gift currently provides about $35,000 each year in grants, with distributions expected to grow over time. By endowing her support, she ensured these organizations would benefit forever.
As Scott Witzig, Executive Director of the Morton Community Foundation, explained: “This gift is an excellent example of how someone can continue to provide financial support forever to charities and organizations they were passionate about during their lifetime.”
Karen’s vision shows how one person’s thoughtful planning can impact countless lives—and provides inspiration for others who may want to create a legacy of their own.
Crazy Horse Memorial
We never would have dreamed that the Morton Community Foundation would be sending grant checks to the Crazy Horse Memorial in South Dakota. But because we honor the wishes of our donors, that is exactly what we have been doing since 2013, when Karen Pflederer passed away and her endowed fund began making annual grants.
Karen had a lifelong love of Native American culture, and she designated the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation as one of eight organizations to receive support from her estate. Her vision reminds us that philanthropy is deeply personal, and each fund reflects the unique passions and values of the donor.
The Karen K. Pflederer Designated Charities Endowment Fund is a perfect example of the flexibility and strength of a community foundation: we exist to help donors achieve their charitable goals, whatever they may be, and to ensure their legacy continues to make an impact—whether locally or, in Karen’s case, even hundreds of miles away.