A SNAP SHOT OF our HISTORY
Our family established The Moniker Foundation in 1998 to support community and individual needs. With beginning assets of roughly one million dollars, the Foundation has grown to over nine million dollars in just under twenty years. The initial corpus encompasses a family story of innovation and achievement.
Our founder, Bee Sinton, was raised into a family legacy of innovation, hard work, and dedication to self-exploration. In 1912, her grandfather, F.W. England, helped to create a metal-cutting tools manufacturing company, known today as Illinois Tool Works (ITW). Her father, Russell Wicks, continued the legacy with a 50-year ITW career that started in maintenance and led to Supervisor, Vice President, and eventually, the Board of Directors. Over the years following, ITW blossomed into a reputable, global manufacturing corporation, which ultimately afforded the resources upon which Moniker was founded.
In addition to the core values of innovation, hard work, and self-exploration, generosity and charity were high priorities for Bee's family, which influenced the development of her robust philanthropic spirit. As the years went by and her own family grew older, she began to look for ways to combine the preservation of family inheritance with her desire to give back to the community. Needless to say, The Moniker Foundation was established shortly after.
In the early years, Moniker managed two major types of giving. First, in adherence to the founding intent, Moniker awarded scholarships to students seeking to gain a post-secondary education (Scholarship Program). Second, Moniker awarded grants to nonprofit organizations whose work aligned with its mission and focus areas (Competitive Grants Program). The foundation has since expanded to include four total giving programs with the addition of the Family Giving Program and the G.E.A.R. Works Program.
In more recent years, Moniker has added three staff and expanded its Board of Directors. The current Board of Directors is comprised of eight family members who seek to make an impact in the communities in which they reside. As time progresses, the staff, Board members, and family members will take inspiration from Moniker’s history, and build on the intent of its founder to continue the strong pedigree of impactful giving for generations to come.
Our founder, Bee Sinton, was raised into a family legacy of innovation, hard work, and dedication to self-exploration. In 1912, her grandfather, F.W. England, helped to create a metal-cutting tools manufacturing company, known today as Illinois Tool Works (ITW). Her father, Russell Wicks, continued the legacy with a 50-year ITW career that started in maintenance and led to Supervisor, Vice President, and eventually, the Board of Directors. Over the years following, ITW blossomed into a reputable, global manufacturing corporation, which ultimately afforded the resources upon which Moniker was founded.
In addition to the core values of innovation, hard work, and self-exploration, generosity and charity were high priorities for Bee's family, which influenced the development of her robust philanthropic spirit. As the years went by and her own family grew older, she began to look for ways to combine the preservation of family inheritance with her desire to give back to the community. Needless to say, The Moniker Foundation was established shortly after.
In the early years, Moniker managed two major types of giving. First, in adherence to the founding intent, Moniker awarded scholarships to students seeking to gain a post-secondary education (Scholarship Program). Second, Moniker awarded grants to nonprofit organizations whose work aligned with its mission and focus areas (Competitive Grants Program). The foundation has since expanded to include four total giving programs with the addition of the Family Giving Program and the G.E.A.R. Works Program.
In more recent years, Moniker has added three staff and expanded its Board of Directors. The current Board of Directors is comprised of eight family members who seek to make an impact in the communities in which they reside. As time progresses, the staff, Board members, and family members will take inspiration from Moniker’s history, and build on the intent of its founder to continue the strong pedigree of impactful giving for generations to come.
