Making things happen in Coleridge

In 2025, the community of Coleridge realized a years-long dream with the dedication of a new playground, one designed for people of all abilities.

The vibrant, multi-colored equipment now serves as a reminder of the power of collaboration, particularly for Coleridge Area Fund Advisory Chair Annette Sudbeck. When multiple organizations and leaders are aligned, motivated, and supported, accomplishments start adding up.

"That was a really eye-opening thing for me," Sudbeck said. "We can really make a lot of things happen if we work together."

Sudbeck, a Coleridge native, has long been involved in the community, so joining Coleridge Area Fund (CAF) made sense. The organization, an affiliated fund of Nebraska Community Foundation (NCF), aims to connect people with opportunities to share their time, talents and financial resources to promote economic growth and enhance the lives of our neighbors. Volunteers like Sudbeck are guided by a strong sense of community pride and mutual ownership.

The inclusive park was one of CAF's biggest projects since joining the NCF network in 2018. Total costs for the project surpassed $500,000, with CAF fundraising a large portion. During the planning process, volunteers decided that inclusivity was an integral part of the project. The new playground features equipment for people of all abilities, musical equipment like drums and windchimes, and ample green space.

For Sudbeck, every investment in the community is an investment in Coleridge's greatest asset: everyone who calls it home now and who may call the community home in the future.

"It's the people, it's the businesses, it's the way you feel in a community that cares about each other," she said. "I'm very proud of that."

Coleridge Area Fund wants to continue building things and supporting efforts that make people want to come back and spend time in Coleridge, Sudbeck said. Volunteers are working to boost a powerful tool for community improvement: an unrestricted endowment.

"It's not just the next thing we're working on," Sudbeck said. "It supports everything in the future."

Inspired by the playground project and by conversations with peers throughout the NCF network, Sudbeck decided to support the unrestricted endowment through an estate gift - the first for CAF.

She said the idea to make a gift first came to her during a 2024 peer learning session in Howells, where she learned about the ways estate planning can supercharge an affiliated fund's impact.

"Every planned gift reduces pressure" on fund advisory committees as they pursue transformational change in their communities, Sudbeck said. Knowing that she could still support Coleridge after she's gone inspired her.

"I just had to figure out what I wanted my legacy to be."

Ultimately, she decided to dedicate a percentage of her retirement plan to CAF's unrestricted endowment. She credited NCF's gift planning department with helping her understand the options available.

"Any questions I've had, I've been able to call directly to Nebraska Community Foundation and make contact with the right person," she said.

Now, Sudbeck is sharing the value of estate planning with the rest of her community - and the importance of getting your choices in writing.

"If you know what you want your money to do after you're gone, then you need to make it happen."

Nebraska Community Foundation has extensive (and free) resources to help one familiarize with the many ways to make a charitable planned gift. Visit fivetothrivene.org to learn more about how you can create your own legacy in the place you love. Click on the "Transfer of Wealth Toolkit" for a free guide called "Planning Your Legacy."

If you would like to speak to an NCF representative, you may contact Todd Mekelburg at [email protected] , 402.323.7343 or Becky Ries, [email protected] , 308.730.1048.

For information on how you can give back to your hometown, contact Nebraska Community Foundation's Office of Planned Giving, 402.323.7330 or [email protected].