“Face of the Foundation” Berke honored for directing LCF

“During her time with the Foundation, Jackie, with the Board of Directors, charted the course of the growing Foundation to ensure its success and continued permanence within our community. Jackie led the way in developing events and programs such as the Key, Give Big Lexington, the Fall Luncheon, and the Planned Giving Society,” the Lexington Community Foundation (LCF) stated.

Since 1982, the Lexington Community Foundation, formerly Lexington Foundation, Inc., and before that, Dawson County Foundation Inc., has managed a family of funds, both large and small and promoted local philanthropy.

Berke got her start, part time at first, as director in 1998, but soon transitioned to full time, said past LCF President Tod McKeone, who has severed on the board for 17 years.

“She has been the face of the foundation for 25 years,” McKeone said, “She took it from a small idea to a fully-fledged foundation under her leadership.”

LCF Vice President Mike Maloley, who has eight years of service on the board, also echoed McKeone’s comments saying, “(Berke) has been the face of the foundation.”

“The Foundation’s mission is simple,” Berke said in 2010, “to make life better for everybody here in Lexington.”

The LCF has been part of numerous fundraising campaigns, often acting as fiscal agent. In 1995, the first Thanks-A-Million campaign was held, McKeone said, the funds went to building the Lexington Family Aquatic Center that continues to provide summer fund to children and families.

In 2006, the LCF helped to raise $320,000 for the Lexington Optimist Hitting Complex and $800,000 to help expand the Lexington Grand Generation Center.

During the following year, the LCF, along with the City of Lexington and the Optimist Club raised $3 million for the construction of the new Lexington Public Library.

From 2012-2014, the LCF again acted as fiscal agent for the capital campaign to raise more than $5.8 million to construct the Orthman Community YMCA.

Recently, the LCF has partnered to help bring a Splash Pad to Oak Park, created a “Challenge Grant,” in the summer of 2021 to help raise funds for the construction of the Lexington Veterans Pavilion and just last year, continued to raise funds for the Lexington Racquet Center.

McKone said Berke played a role in all of these capital campaigns.

“We work with all different groups, from the agency level to city and school leaders,” Berke told the Clipper-Herald in 2010. “I love that about my job. I get to work with a lot of different people.”

The campaigns undertaken by the LCF with Berke at the helm are not just limited to Lexington. The LCF has supported the Johnson Lake Fireworks since 2001, the Johnson Lake Trails project from 2009 to the present, adding improvements to the Johnson Lake State Recreation Area starting in 2013, supporting the Johnson Lake EMS, helping raise funds for carp removal and fundraising for both the future Johnson Lake Playground and the Johnson Lake Lighthouse.

There are also several marquee events that the LCF continues to host, one of them being Give BIG Lexington.

Berke told the Clipper-Herald in 2011 that the idea for Give BIG Lexington is modeled after much larger metropolitan cities throughout the country and Lexington is the first city in Nebraska to start the program and the smallest.

McKeone said Lexington was the first in the state to host a one-day event centered on giving to local causes, but it has now been emulated across the state.

“We’ve achieved the goal of getting awareness out there about all of the organizations involved in this,” Bereke said in 2011. “Lexington is such a great philanthropic community with awesome volunteers and we’re just proud of the awareness this has raised.”

Today, around $5.8 million has been raised from the Give BIG events, typically held in November. Give BIG has not just been about the dollar amount, but raising awareness for all of the different causes in the Lexington area.

In its 10th year, Give BIG expanded to include giving days in Cozad, Overton and Elwood. In 2021, Sumner was added as a new community partner. The 12th Annual Give BIG Lexington helped to raise $735,000.

When speaking to the organizers in the different communities, all have expressed thanks toward Berke for her foresight in expanding Give BIG to outside of Lexington and being able to benefit their local communities.

Another event held annually by the LCF is the Key.

McKeone said the Key started out small, held at the former Veterans Club with a live skit for entertainment. Today it has grown to 300 person event featuring a live and silent auction and a theme for each year, the last being “The Hampton Social.”

LCF board president Barry McFarland stated, “This year’s Key was so amazing to watch the generosity of our community. It was a great evening. It was bittersweet in that we the event was such a success and we are saying goodbye to our Executive Director. Jackie has been the behind the scenes driving force with so many of our activities. I was happy that her last key as our director was one of our most successful.

“She has been the driving force behind the Key,” LCF Events Committee Chairman Curt Rickertsen said later, “She has played an important part in shaping the event and providing leadership throughout the years.”

To date over $5.55 million has been raised from the Key events.

When reflecting on Berke’s service, McKeone said people in the community see the obvious things she has done, including Give BIG and the Key, but said there was so much she did behind the scenes, things as simple as purchasing auction items, to just the set up for events like Give BIG or the Key.

McKeone also said Berke’s relationship with donors has played a large part in the LCF’s success over the years.

Maloley said it is the donors that help make the foundation great, but it has been Berke’s relationship with them that has helped to make Lexington a giving community.

“I can’t express more gratitude,” Maloley said of Berke, “she has set the standard, and put us on the path for success.”

“Jackie has done a phenomenal job as the Executive Director of the Lexington Community Foundation for the past 24 years. With her leadership and dedication, she has helped take the Foundation to the next level, with other Foundations across the nation asking for advice and guidance. I remember sitting in a Foundation Board of Directors meeting when Jackie presented the idea of Give Big Lexington; what a great philanthropic addition to our community,” LCF Key Committee member Jill Denker said.

“I am grateful that 24 years ago, the LCF Board had the foresight to hire such an incredible person to lead our organization. She has guided us through the highs and the lows and done an amazing job of staying focused on the LCF mission to inspire generosity to strengthen our community. It will be a sad day when she leaves us, but we are grateful for her work and dedication to Lexington and the area,” stated McFarland.

“Jackie has provided so much leadership at the foundation over her 25 years.  Not only has she built incredible fundraising programs but she has worked to build a culture of giving throughout our community that you don’t see many places.  She was the leading force in rolling out our Give Big Lexington campaign that is now used as a model statewide for many communities and non-profit organizations.  We are blessed that the board hired her at the right time, 25 years ago, for the LCF.  We wish her all the best in her retirement,” McFarland concluded.