A new Donor Advised Fund will align with the charitable interests of the Oncken family and provide a tangible way for them to participate in philanthropy as a family.

Riley and Heather Oncken are active members in DeKalb County. They currently live in Sycamore, IL with their 4 daughters.

The created the family Fund because in spite of all that happened in 2020, they wanted to end on a positive note. The Onckens Family Fund allows them to have a hands-on approach in teaching and modeling generosity to their children. They have been blessed as a family and would like to pass that on to others.

The Oncken’s said, “A few years ago one of our daughters asked to make a lemonade stand so she could raise money to give to the local homeless shelter. We did that together and she experienced great joy in being able to raise and donate the money to Hope Haven. That’s the mindset we want to instill in our kids, to be generous, to hold money loosely, and to try to meet needs where we see them.”

Donations can be made to the Oncken Family Fund online at dekalbccf.org/donate or by mail to the DeKalb County Community Foundation, 475 DeKalb Avenue, Sycamore, IL 60178.

Each year, the family will sit down and discuss where to direct the grant dollars. Some of their charitable interests include providing for the needs of moms and babies, food insecurity and advocating for children and the underserved populations of DeKalb County.