Donor Spotlight: Katy & Ken Menges
For SCF fundholder Katy Menges, helping others has been a way of life since she was a little girl. Raised in a small farming community in Panhandle, Texas by parents who lived during the Great Depression, philanthropy - in all its forms - was modeled by everyone around her. “My parents expressed to me that it didn’t matter how much or how little you have, there’s always a way to give, to help.” Whether it was tithing at church, helping a neighboring family on their farm, or building a new library in town, the tiny community of 2,100 folks stepped up for one another – because that’s simply what neighbors did.
One of Katy’s earliest and fondest memories of philanthropy was a labor of love from her mother. A new family moved to town, and their youngest daughter was in need of clothes for school. Knowing that money was tight, Katy’s mother took it upon herself to refurbish some of Katy’s old dresses to give to the family. That one small act of kindness blossomed into a friendship that Katy treasures to this day.
Inspiration for Philanthropy
As she grew older, Katy continued to witness the power of giving. In her early twenties, her father was diagnosed with heart disease and developed an incurable clot that ended up taking his life. In his memory, she donated $100 to the American Heart Association – $100 she didn’t have to spare. “I scraped together that money because I so badly wanted to help,” she said. A year later, she learned that a cure had been found, and her hundred dollars had helped make it possible. “I’ve given a lot of money,” she shared, “but that particular $100 was very personal to me.”
Building Community in Modesto
Katy continued to support a variety of programs and organizations in Dallas before moving to Modesto seven years ago with her husband, Ken. She knew she wanted to get involved with the community, and what better place to start than our local library. Recognizing that public libraries are more than just a place to read books, Katy has devoted much of her adult life to supporting them. Over the last two years, she co-chaired the Friends of the Modesto Library capital campaign, which raised $3 million to provide additional upgrades to our downtown library – a project she’s extremely proud of.
As a former Theater major, championing the arts is equally important to Katy. Ensuring that our local institutions, like the Gallo Center for the Arts, Opera Modesto, and the Modesto Symphony, are thriving is essential in maintaining the vibrancy and vitality of our community. “People love the arts, but they don’t always think about how much funding it takes to make it happen.”
Partnering with Stanislaus Community Foundation
The decision to partner with Stanislaus Community Foundation to maximize their charitable giving was an easy one for Katy and Ken. After joining the Friends of the Foundation in 2023, she and Ken were drawing into SCF’s leadership work – and they wanted to be part of it. Their donor advised fund has given them a streamlined way to support the causes they care about most. “The upside to working with SCF is everything! Our money is making more money at SCF than it is sitting in our bank. And at the end of the year, you can easily see all of the granting you’ve done in one place.”
A Vision for the Future
It’s not always easy to measure the impact of one’s philanthropy. A flourishing library, a thriving arts scene, and lower levels of poverty are all indicators of success for Katy. But more than any single metric, she wants to see a shift in how this community sees itself. “My wish is that everyone in Stanislaus County is saying that we are vibrant, that we love living here, and that this community is truly a community for change, strength, and hope.”