5 Non-Profits To Get Behind In The Decatur Area

DECATUR, IL — Nonprofit groups are keystone community organizations in the Decatur area. Fortunately, there is no shortage of organizations to volunteer or get behind financially, and that need your help.

Here are five outstanding nonprofit groups you should know about in the Decatur area:

1. The Decatur Memorial Foundation operates to support and benefit Decatur Memorial Hospital, which is a 280-bed acute care hospital and related facilities that provide comprehensive outpatient and physician services. The local not-for-profit does this by conducting fund development activities, holding title to assets, and overseeing their prudent and effective investment and management. Recent gifts to the Foundation allowed the organization to implement new healthcare career scholarships and announce its largest investment to date — a $3.25 million grant that allows Richland Community College to expand its healthcare education programs. The group also set up a new initiative that provides funding to other local non-profits to provide health-related services to groups throughout the Decatur community.

2. Apartment and Housing Rentals Foundation works to find permanent housing for Decatur’s homeless community. The organization has a goal of reintroducing 500,000 families back into society by this year. The local non-profit also wants families to be productive financially, physically, and mentally. Once the group gives clients a second chance, we then offer them services to help them maintain a stable place and a standard of living.

3. The Humane Society of Decatur and Macon County is a local no-kill shelter founded in 1923 that is operated mostly by volunteers that serve not only the Decatur community but also expands into greater Macon County. The shelter has a Trap-Neuter-Return program that works to control the feral cat population in the area and also offers discounted spay and neuter costs to people wishing to adopt animals who are in need. The Humane Society's funding comes primarily from donations from the public. The shelter receives no state or federal funding. Financial support through donations is a must for the facility to help the animals in our facility as well as continue our TNR and discount spay/neuter programs.

4. The Illinois Raptor Center works to ensure the well-being of native animals through wildlife rehabilitation efforts. The organization also strives to increase conservation awareness through educational outreach, contribute expertise and support to conservation partners, and improve our understanding of wildlife health through hands-on research. The organization was founded in 1991. built a permanent headquarters building in 1994 along the Sangamon River. It is also credited with heading up the largest animal rescue effort on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River.

5. Copper’s Friends Bearded Dragon Rescue is a relatively new not-for-profit organization in the Decatur area that works primarily to take in, adopt and rehabilitate any reptiles in need of care.

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