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Lenoxburg Cemetery
Twenty-five thousand dollars is a large sum of money to earn in two months, but the Lenoxburg Cemetery has been offered that sum as a donation from one anonymous family. The catch? For every dollar raised by the cemetery board between now and December 1, 2020, the donor will match that donation dollar-for-dollar up to $25,000.
The challenge comes at a time when members of the Lenoxburg Cemetery Board of Trustees face the fact that their current finances will not last much longer. Maintenance costs for the 146-year-old cemetery have increased dramatically over the years. While memorials and plot purchases help defray these costs, they do not quite match up to $10,000 per year that is paid for these services, according to Lenoxburg Cemetery Board Member Rich Bishop.
A fundraising letter being distributed by the board explains the problem. “Many people with loved ones buried at the Lenoxburg Cemetery thought that the existing money in the cemetery fund would be adequate to provide for the maintenance of the property,” the letter written states. “Unfortunately, the current funds will not be adequate and [Cemetery Chapel Christian Church, the church that shares grounds with the cemetery] has no responsibility to provide such care. Therefore, our concern is that there will not be adequate funds to provide the maintenance of the grounds beyond eight to ten years.” The concern was so great that a group of concerned people, including members of the board, met to address the problem, the letter also states.
This is about the time one family stepped up.
According to Bishop, this is not the first time this family has gone above-and-beyond; however, this is, as far as anyone can recall, the first time that the cemetery has had to take such drastic measures as fundraising to help pay to keep the grounds in the respectable condition that they deserve. If the donation goal of $25,000 is reached by the December 1 target, the then $50,000 when the matched funds are added could set the state for upkeep that could last well beyond what the board is currently facing.
“[We could maintain the cemetery for] a good five years on principal alone,” Bishop confirms, but he sets his sights beyond that mark. “Ideally, we would get to a point where we can manage based off interest so that we can sustain operations indefinitely.”
If the goal is not reached, and funds are matched for $10,000 instead of $25,000? “Anything up to a max of $25,000 is matched, so any donation is appreciated, and anything that someone does would be doubled which makes this a great opportunity to support the cemetery,” Bishop states.
In order to maximize contributions, each board member has been asked to send 10 letters to friends, family members, and neighbors who have ties to the cemetery, according to Bishop. The board also invites anyone who has an interest in the cemetery and is not contacted to contribute, as well. All contributions are tax-deductible under IRS Code 501(c)13. Any amount is appreciated.
To donate or to receive more information regarding the fundraiser, contact Rich Bishop at rich.bishop928@gmail.com. He will send a donation form with information. All checks are to be made out to Lenoxburg Cemetery, Inc.