Search form

NEWS

COMMUNITY CONNECTOR - OCT. 2020

IN THIS ISSUE

FOUNDATION NEWS
A Message from our President & CEO Mary Spencer
Register for the 20th Anniversary Celebration of Philanthropy | Nov. 5
2019 CFAAC Annual Report

MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Endow Maryland: Get a tax credit today; help Maryland forever
'Transform the Future' Planned Giving Event | Nov. 10

COMMUNITY IMPACT
CFAAC has granted $296,000+ in Community Crisis Response Relief

STRENGTHENING NONPROFITS
The Fund for Community Healing
Community Impact Series: Fostering An Inclusive Environment | Dec. 3
Community Events & Grants

NEWS FOR PROFESSIONAL ADVISORS
Elections and giving: Tips for advising your clients
Corporate giving programs: Opportunity in the COVID era
An eye toward year-end tax planning


FOUNDATION NEWS

A Message from our President & CEO Mary Spencer

"If we want to find joy in giving to others, then there's a few sort of key ingredients that really seem to make a difference in turning good deeds into good feelings. The first one is connection... The second one is impact… And finally, there's choice.”  —Dr. Elizabeth Dunn

These are words from an interview with Dr. Elizabeth Dunn, a social psychologist at the University of British Columbia. Through her research, she found out what really makes people happy is giving in a way that makes them feel connected, seeing the impact they made, and having choices of where they can give or donate. That’s the Community Foundation in a nutshell. When donors and organizations partner with us, they receive insight and connection to the needs of our community and can directly see the impact of their philanthropy. They also have a choice as to where their funding goes.

The staff at CFAAC feels privileged to serve our community and we are genuinely happy to do our jobs. We get to see the impact that our work has in our community, and we get to help others find joy in their giving, too.

CFAAC has been serving Anne Arundel County for 22 years and we’ve come a long way. We are in a solid financial position to help others, extend grants, and strengthen our community. However, we can only continue to move forward with your help. Our annual appeal is coming up as well as our 20th Celebration of Philanthropy event. We depend on these events to sustain us so we can continue to connect, impact, and provide choices – a sound recipe for happiness, according to Dr. Dunn.

As you read the good news, community needs, and helpful information within this newsletter, please consider a gift to support our Celebration of Philanthropy Awards and our Community Leadership Circle Annual Appeal this fall. We are grateful, as always, for all that you do to strengthen and support Anne Arundel County. Thank you. 

 

 

Mary Spencer
President & CEO

CFAAC Celebrates 20 years of Philanthropy with 20 Awards on November 5

CFAAC's Celebration of Philanthropy Awards celebrates philanthropy in our community and the individuals, businesses, and foundations who demonstrate outstanding generosity and community leadership.

For 20 years, CFAAC has recognized and honored community members, who are making a difference. This year's anniversary creates a special opportunity to highlight and honor an increased number of generous and committed citizens, who represent the depth and breadth of philanthropy in our county, creating a sense of belonging for all. The 2020 Awardees will be announced next week.

Due to COVID-19 social distancing and gathering restrictions, the November 5, 2020 award ceremony will be held virtually. We need your support now more than ever!

Celebration of Philanthropy Sponsors will have the opportunity to promote their business to our community’s most invested and generous residents. Sponsors will be featured in all publicity, both prior to and during the virtual event, including video, website, social media, and print materials.

In addition, sponsorships include year-long recognition through CFAAC's marketing and public relations efforts, prominent website visibility, inclusion in CFAAC's monthly newsletters, social media posts, invitations to special events, and more.

If you have questions, please call Amy Francis at 410.280.1102 or email amy@cfaac.org.

Sponsor or Register to Celebrate Philanthropy

20th Anniversary Celebration of Philanthropy Sponsors

Platinum Sponsor

 

 

 

Gold Sponsor

Silver Sponsors

Friends of Philanthropy

ClearView Inspect
Tara Clifford 
Carl and Anita Gutschick 
Mary Grace Folwell and Jeff Riedle
Greg & Trish Strott
 

2019 CFAAC Annual Report

The 2019 CFAAC Annual Report contains stories of inspiration, stories of hope, and stories of generosity. In 2019, CFAAC provided $2.8 million to an extensive list of nonprofits! The Community Foundation also added new staff, created new funds, granted more money, and reached more donors.

As you turn the pages of this report, it is our hope that you feel the same pride we do and that it energizes you to continue to work toward further strengthening our community. Read it online here. 

 


 

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Endow Maryland: Get a tax credit today; help Maryland forever

Endow Maryland allows Marylanders like Cindy and Tim O’Neill to give back to their local communities in a lasting, meaningful way while providing a valuable tax credit on their state income tax return. The O’Neill’s gave to CFAAC’s Fund for Anne Arundel and received Endow Maryland tax credits, which allows them to give more to support the community they care about.

Endow Maryland is a state tax credit available to donors who give to a qualified endowed fund at a Maryland community foundation. That gift grows in perpetuity and helps Maryland forever – long outliving the value of the tax credit.

Your gift of at least $500 to any of CFAAC’s 29 endowed funds may qualify for a 25% state tax credit on your 2020 tax return. There are limited credits available, so we encourage anyone who is interested to contact us promptly. To learn more and browse the endowed funds, visit cfaac.org/endow-maryland-tax-credits.html or contact Taylor Milbradt at Taylor@cfaac.org.

Speaking of Taxes…

The Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act included two provisions that may impact individual taxpayers:

  • Individuals can take a $300 above-the-line deduction for cash contributions to charities, regardless of whether or not the individual itemizes deductions.
  • Individuals are eligible for a deduction of up to 100% of adjusted gross income (AGI) for 2020 for qualifying cash contributions. (Does not apply to donations of stock, real estate or non-cash property.)

Contributions must be to public charities, not private foundations or Donor Advised Funds.

Transform the Future' of our community through thoughtful estate and legacy planning

CFAAC wants to help you transform the future of Anne Arundel County and expand your philanthropy with estate and legacy planning. Through planned giving, you can support the causes you care about for generations to come while at the same time, reducing taxes. There are numerous ways to organize your future giving that are mutually beneficial to you and your favorite charitable organizations. Several ways you can establish a planned gift include bequests, trusts, and beneficiary designation on retirement accounts and life insurance.

Let us help you realize your philanthropic dreams by reaching out to our Director of Gift Planning, Claudia Cunningham to discuss your future charitable plan. She can work with your financial advisor or connect you with a financial planning professional. Whether you are an existing fund holder or are just beginning to explore your options to create a personal giving plan for you and your family, Claudia is here to work with you. She can be reached at Claudia@cfaac.org or 410-280-1102 Ext. 103.

CFAAC is excited to announce it will be starting a planned giving webinar series on philanthropic estate planning. The first webinar will be on Tuesday, November 10, from 8:30 – 9:30 AM. The speaker will be Rosemary Calderalo, Vice President the Chesapeake Planned Giving Council and Senior National Philanthropy and Foundation Officer with the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. Calderalo was the former Director of Gift Planning with the Baltimore Community Foundation. 

Register Here for 'Transform the Future'


COMMUNITY IMPACT

CFAAC Community Crisis Response Fund awards $34,500 in Cycle 6 to Anne Arundel County’s nonprofit community, totaling more than $296,000 during the pandemic

The Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County (CFAAC) recently distributed the sixth cycle of grants through its Community Crisis Response Fund. To date, 139 grants to 66 unique nonprofits totaling $296,561, have been awarded. Most recently, CFAAC funded $34,500 to 17 local nonprofits that serve the county’s most vulnerable and at-risk populations including seniors, children, low-income or food-insecure families, and the recently unemployed.

This latest grantmaking provided funding for organizations to purchase and distribute food and essential items to maintain safe and healthy environments as well as to provide assistance to Anne Arundel County residents who are facing housing insecurity and homelessness.

Organizations such as Kid Changemakers, a nonprofit whose mission is to serve the food insecure, homeless, and foster children in the county, were recipients of the grants. The nonprofit has been holding weekly to biweekly pop-up pantries/distribution events throughout Anne Arundel County since the start of the pandemic, partnering with other nonprofits and churches in the county to secure locations for these distribution events. Caleb Oh, Founder and Director of Kid Changemakers, said they saw an exponentially increased demand for baby formula, baby food, baby cereal, food, and diapers since the beginning of the pandemic.

“These items are costly, and the demand has exceeded our current budget,” said Oh. “In addition, due to COVID-19, many families are now housebound. We have had to add deliveries to our current services, which again has increased our budget.” CFAAC’s Community Crisis Response Fund grant will help Kid Changemakers purchase more baby essentials for families in need in Anne Arundel County.

To read more and for a full list of grantees please visit CFAAC’s website at www.cfaac.org/news.html.


STRENGTHENING NONPROFITS

The Fund for Community Healing

The Fund for Community Healing was created out of the generosity of individual donors, businesses, and foundations in response to the tragic shooting at the Capital Gazette news office on June 28, 2018.

The Fund was established in honor of the Capital Gazette newspaper employees and their families, and grants will be awarded to organizations that can provide opportunities for our community to heal and grow.

The grant process, originally open in the Spring of 2020, was suspended while CFAAC pivoted to address community crisis funding in response to the pandemic. Knowing that our community needs healing more than ever now, CFAAC decided to reopen the grant application from October 1 through November 15, with awards announced at the end of 2020. The Fund will award three to five one-time grants between $10,000 and $30,000.

The Fund for Community Healing will focus its grantmaking in the following priority giving areas that pertain to community healing and crisis prevention:

  • Trauma counseling programs
  • Crisis response programs
  • Crisis prevention and intervention programs
  • Mental and behavioral health programs
  • Creating and/or maintaining a physical memorial to the victims of the Capital Gazette tragedy.

Fund for Community Healing - Learn More & Apply

CFAAC Community Impact Series Presents: Fostering An Inclusive Environment

Topic: Belo Consulting Group Presents: Fostering An Inclusive Environment on Teams
Date: December 3, 2020 at 9 a.m.
Cost: $25 per person

Exceptional nonprofit boards and staff understand and realize the correlation between mission, strategy, board composition, and effectiveness, and further understand that an inclusive culture is essential to accomplishing that end. In order for the nonprofit sector to remain relevant, effective, and grounded in the needs of our increasingly diverse communities, nonprofit boards and their staff must become and remain inclusive.

This workshop explores the idea of intentionally developing/fostering a culture of inclusion in any environment, but especially on and for teams. This discussion looks at the importance of seeking diverse perspectives in order to increase innovation and productivity as well as the behaviors and awareness necessary to develop an inclusive culture.

Attendees will: 

  • Be presented with the case for developing a culture of inclusion for their teams 
  • Explore the importance of behaviors and awareness necessary to develop an inclusive culture through interactive scenarios
  • Observe the importance of seeking diverse perspectives in order to expand the realm of possible beneficial outcomes

NOTE:  This session is limited to nonprofit staff; a maximum of two people from any one nonprofit can register. Session limited to 30 people.

Register for Fostering An Inclusive Environment

Community Events & Grants

AAWGT Presents: Elevating All Students, Eliminating All Gaps | October 14 at 7 p.m.
Anne Arundel Women Giving Together (AAWGT) invites the public to join a Zoom Webinar to learn about the ways in which Anne Arundel County Public Schools (AACPS) are focusing on Elevating ALL Students and Eliminating ALL Gaps.  Dr. Maisha Gillins, Executive Director, Office of Equity and Accelerated Student Achievement AACPS will review the history of racial disparities in the county and identify the steps necessary to begin to ameliorate them. She will provide specific examples of implicit/unconscious bias in the classroom and describe approaches to addressing it.

A community forum co-moderated by Tatiana Klein, Centro de Ayuda and Monique Brown, NAACP, AACo Chapter, will conclude the evening.

This event is free and open to the public, Register here.

 

Rotary Club of Annapolis Offers Grants from Crab Feast
Funds from the Annapolis Rotary Club’s annual Crab Feast, held this year as Rotary Crabs To Go, are available to Annapolis-area charitable organizations serving the community. The deadline for applications is Saturday, October 10, 2020. Learn more at www.annapolisrotary.org 


NEWS FOR PROFESSIONAL ADVISORS

Elections and giving: Tips for advising your clients

Individuals who are passionate about community causes are frequently also passionate advocates for candidates running for public office. According to the Pew Research Center, the percentage of Americans making political contributions has doubled in recent decades, from 6 percent in 1992 to 12 percent in 2016. By contrast, the percentage of Americans giving money to charity stands at a new low of 73 percent in 2020, according to a Gallup poll, down from a previous low of 79 percent in 2009.

Still, the number of Americans giving to charity each year remains significantly higher than the number of Americans making political contributions. Charitable giving is still going strong, relatively speaking, even in the midst of political frenzy. Historically, charitable giving is influenced, but not negatively affected, in election years. 

With elections top of mind for your clients, how can you best advise them about their charitable priorities? Read more...

Corporate giving programs: Opportunity in the COVID era

According to the just-released 2020 Porter Novelli Executive Purpose Study, more than 80 percent of large company executives believe for-profit companies have a responsibility to play a role in resolving social issues. The study also found that most executives believe a social impact strategy improves customer loyalty (93 percent) and helps motivate a buying decision (91 percent). How should you approach advising your corporate clients about the structure for their social impact programs, especially now that those programs play an increasingly important role in philanthropy? Read more...

An eye toward year-end tax planning

The 2020’s stock market has been a rollercoaster, but as you guide your clients into year-end, don’t forget the powerful benefits of giving appreciated securities to a donor-advised fund at CFAAC. Now is the time to start helping your clients with tax planning. Remember, not all stock is down! For many clients, 2020 is an excellent year for year-end giving. Read more...


The COMMUNITY CONNECTOR is CFAAC's monthly eNewsletter. Here you will read stories about our donors and fundholders making a difference, our grant programs making an impact on the critical needs in our county, our work to help strengthen local nonprofits, and how we partner with philanthropists, estate planning professionals, and nonprofits. 

NEWSLETTER

Sign up and stay connected with CFAAC:

Thank you! Your submission has been received!

Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form

x