This photo of Dugie Freeman and Bo Shindler was taken mid-July of 2019, less than a year prior to Dugie passing peacefully in his home on the morning of 9 June 2020. For many years, Dugie had worked tirelessly to help young people in Curry County and always felt it was important to give back to the community that you call home.
Dugie had wanted to establish a self-perpetuating endowment fund whose emphasis would be to assist young people as they strive to learn and gain skills in vocational trades. He also believed there should be investment focus toward those who will return to Curry County communities after completing their education.
For several years, Dugie had admired the work of Jeri and Tim Tuttle who were the founders of the Southwest Oregon Children’s Foundation (SWOCF), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. SWOCF already had a series of programs focused upon educational and vocational funding opportunities for youth, providing scholarships/training and encouraging students to return and contribute to Southwestern Oregon communities.
Dugie turned to the Tuttles and worked with SWOCF to formalize and establish an endowment. The Southwest Oregon Children’s Foundation agreed to manage the Freeman Endowment Fund as part of their foundation. During his working career, Dugie had made contributions to a retirement account and used these resources to fund the endowment.
Though not entirely restrictive, Dugie preferred that the Freeman Endowment Fund operate with an emphasis on vocational and trade skill sets. Whilst community youth are generally the primary applicants, it was important to Dugie that there would be no age limit for student eligibility. He also wanted recurring grants/scholarships throughout a student’s period of study to be made available, provided a level of consistency, performance, and proficiency is demonstrated.
Any individual, corporation, foundation, or group may make donations/additions at any time and these additions can then be made subject to the provisions of the Freeman Endowment Fund. SWOCF has other programs and forms of participation that may also be of interest to potential benefactors.
To learn about the Freeman Endowment Fund and Southwest Oregon Children’s Foundation, go to the SWOCF website for more detailed and current information:
