In 1924, three of the banks in Springfield created the Sangamon County Foundation following the example of Cleveland, Ohio, where the concept of a community charitable trust was developed. Those banks were the First State Trust and Savings Bank (now US Bank), the Ridgely-Farmers State Bank (which no longer exists) and the Marine Bank of Springfield (now Bank One Illinois).
The founders of the charity included some of our communities' most prominent citizens.
The foundation has been a leading supporter of organizations throughout Central Illinois for the last 80 years. However, as the charitable landscape has grown and diversified it became apparent that the organization had to evolve in order to better serve the common good.