About Us
History of Westgate Community Foundation
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In March of 2019, a Westgate Pool all-member meeting was held for the upcoming 2019 pool season. An idea was proposed to create a foundation that would allow the pool to accept tax deductible donations. A handful of our board members were in attendance and signed up for this task.
Over the next couple of months, this group of people began meeting regularly from June onward to start the process of documenting our ideas, creating a mission and vision for the foundation. On September 6, 2019, we received a letter from the IRS informing us that we had checked off the first and most important stepping stone on our journey: 501(c)(3) status.
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Our aim is to build relationships with all key stakeholder organizations in our community. We are excited to serve the Westgate neighborhood alongside the following organizations in which we have already engaged: Westgate Neighborhood Association, Westside Community Schools, Westgate Community Club and District 66, City Councilman, Brinker Harding. We look forward to expanding our connections in support of Westgate such as with District 3, City Councilman, Chris Jerram, and other community-minded organizations. We welcome knowing where additional partnership opportunities can be developed.
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While we know there are residents who have lived in this neighborhood far longer than any of us, we too LOVE Westgate. We are proud to be residents, build our livelihoods and raise our children here. The tradition of pride is identifiable here and we want our efforts to enrich the feelings of community for our neighborhood.
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We also welcome, with wide open arms, hearing the ideas of others and seeing if we can all put our heads together and accomplish some really cool things for Westgate in the coming years that will benefit future generations. We hope that you will attend our meetings and engage in our brainstorming and activities. For more information on upcoming events and projects, please sign up to receive our newsletter and check the News and Events portion of our website.
A bit of Westgate History:
Prior to the formation of the Westgate neighborhood and Pipal Park, the land at 78th & West Center was home to an emergency hospital and health camp in the early 1900’s. The tornado of 1975 destroyed the former historic healthcare buildings that were standing in today’s Pipal Park.
More about us!
The foundation is organized exclusively for charitable and educational purposes. We specifically want to provide support and resources for the benefit and improvement of the Westgate neighborhood; to provide learning and enrichment opportunities for our Westgate residents; and to organize events and gatherings that promote community and pride throughout the Westgate neighborhood.
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Westgate Community Foundation is recognized by the IRS as exempt from federal income tax under Internal Revenue Code (IRC) 501(c)(3) with a public charity status 509(a)(2). Donors can deduct contributions to us under IRC Section 170. We are qualified to receive tax deductible bequests, devises, transfer or gifts under Section 2055, 2106 or 2522.
Board Members
President: Brent Koster, resident for 9 years
Treasurer: Ben Taggett, resident for 7 years
Secretary: Melissa Kirkpatrick, resident for 15 years
Susanne Dempsey Cook, resident for 27 years
Chelsey Erpelding, resident for 79 years
Ken Kirkpatrick, resident for 15 years
Jessica Taggett, resident for 7 years
John Hartmann, resident for 11 years
Anna Hartmann, resident for 11 years
Tim Carter, resident for 2 years
Natalie Carter, resident for 2 years
Mission:
Investing in the Westgate community through philanthropy, communication and enriching events.
Vision:
Preserving and enriching the Westgate community for the next generation.