Whether going on a trip or hosting a backyard barbecue, summer is an excellent time for families to connect and make memories. Another activity families can do together this summer is philanthropy. Taking time to explore your family’s philanthropy can be a great way to build stronger relationships while contributing to something meaningful. Here at the Community Foundation, we work with many …
Unlocking Philanthropic Potential: 4 Must-Know Benefits About Donor-Advised Funds
A donor-advised fund is a charitable investment account that allows donors to organize and optimize their giving potential. Although donor-advised funds have been around since the 1930s, they have become the fastest-growing charitable giving vehicle in the United States in recent years. Let’s explore four key benefits that make donor-advised funds at the Community Foundation a popular choice for individuals, …
Fueling Nonprofit Success: The Role of Donor-Advised Funds
Here at the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation, we regularly establish all types of charitable funds for individuals, families, companies and even charities. What’s the most popular charitable vehicle we encounter? It’s easily the donor-advised fund. These funds make up more than half of our assets and the majority of our annual contribution and grant totals. Our donors choose to …
Charitable Solutions for Business Owners: Greater Impact, Fewer Worries
If you own a private company, you might have a long list of things that keep you up at night. After you tick through budgets, employees, customers and competitors, is your exit strategy at the bottom of the list? If you’re not a late-night worrier, maybe you spend your nights dreaming of retirement, knowing that you’re working hard now to …
Your Guide to Donating Complex Assets
With a donor-advised fund or other charitable investment accounts, you can easily set aside gifts of cash and publicly traded securities for your immediate or long-term grantmaking. Our team at the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation is equipped to handle more complex gifts to donor-advised funds, too, which means you can consider your full financial portfolio for your philanthropy. In …
Forbes Insights: Donor-Advised Funds Provide Lasting Support for Charities
In a recent Forbes article, “Donor-Advised Funds and Charities: Partnering to Provide Lasting Support,” Greater Kansas City Community Foundation President and CEO Debbie Wilkerson highlights the benefits and potential of donor-advised funds in enhancing charitable giving. The piece addresses the growing importance of donor-advised funds in the philanthropic landscape, specifically their tax advantages, flexibility, and ability to simplify and streamline …
Importance of Generational Grantmaking: A Conversation with Phillips Foundation
“Our focus has been on how do we think outside the box outside of traditional philanthropy because we need all tools on deck right now, especially post-pandemic, we have got to think about how do we create social change and open the toolkit to consider multiple vehicles and not just those checks we write expecting a 0% return, but how …
Turkey and Syria Earthquake: How to Help Now
On February 6, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck southern Turkey near the northern border of Syria, followed by another 7.5 magnitude earthquake just nine hours later in the same region. The impact of this disaster is not yet fully known, but the World Health Organization estimates that at least 23 million people will be impacted in some way. At the …
Building a Philanthropic Playbook – Part Three: Putting Together the Puzzle
Part III – Putting Together the Puzzle “Not everything that counts can be counted – and not everything that can be counted counts.” – Albert Einstein What counts when determining whether you will give to a nonprofit organization? What matters to you most? Is it the mission? Is it how they deliver programs and services? Is it who they are …
Building a Philanthropic Playbook – Part Two: Less is More
Part II – The Less is More Approach “I want to do fewer things, that are the right things, and I want to do them better.” – Unknown Regardless of asset size, all donors have limits to their time and monetary contributions. Not all things you value or want to engage in are attainable with meaningful impact. Rather than trying …