People eating food at neighborhood party
Community Connector Monthly Newsletter
November 12, 2021
CFAAC Community Connector – November 2021

IN THIS ISSUE

FOUNDATION NEWS
A Message From Our President & CEO
A Successful Celebration of Philanthropy

MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Welcome to CFAAC
Community Leadership Circle Annual Campaign
Give the Gift of Stock
Year-end Giving Checklist

STRENGTHENING NONPROFITS
Community Foundation Week

COMMUNITY IMPACT
Mental Health First Aid Training Course
Understanding the Urgency for —  and Hope around — Restorative Practices in AACPS

NEWS FOR PROFESSIONAL ADVISORS
Year-End Giving: Repeat, Repeat, Repeat


FOUNDATION NEWS

We just wrapped up our 2021 Celebration of Philanthropy Awards and what a wonderful feeling of optimism this event brings to me every year. Our honorees exemplify what makes Anne Arundel County so special. I hope you were able to virtually attend this extraordinary celebration of some of our county’s finest philanthropists and volunteers but if you didn’t, please take some time to watch their inspirational stories here.

Every year, this event makes me proud to work at CFAAC and proud to be a resident of Anne Arundel County. Honoring well-deserved philanthropic leaders not only brings hopefulness to our community but also a sense of strength. The awardees recognize that philanthropy is the way to drive change and they are not afraid to challenge the status quo – whether stepping to the forefront or quietly leading behind the scenes.

The Community Foundation is also working, sometimes behind the scenes making sure our donors reach their philanthropic goals and sometimes in the limelight, aiding our nonprofit community during times of crisis. But one thing is absolute – we need your ongoing support to continue the work we do. As this year draws to a close (yes, Thanksgiving is almost here!), please consider a gift to CFAAC so we can support your philanthropic ambitions, be advocates for our county nonprofits, and take the lead on ensuring resources are available to all county residents.

I am truly grateful to be part of this dynamic CFAAC team and I am especially grateful to all who have supported us throughout the years. Extending warm wishes to you and your family this Thanksgiving.

Warmly,

Mary Spencer
President & CEO

A Successful Celebration of Philanthropy

CFAAC celebrated its 2021 Celebration of Philanthropy Awards last week, honoring those people and organizations who give so much to our community. Their service and contributions have helped shape Anne Arundel County’s future in lasting ways. The event was live-streamed and included a series of awardee highlight videos and messages from community leaders. Since the event, nearly 1,000 people have viewed the presentation.

View the Event Program Here
 


MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Welcome to CFAAC

The Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County is thrilled to welcome the following to our family of funds:

  • Aben Family Foundation Endowed Fund: A legacy fund, which will be established using a planned gift, to provide support, in perpetuity, for St. Jude's Children's Hospital. 

  • Jerry Aben Charitable Fund: A Donor Advised Fund, which will be established using a planned gift, to support the philanthropic interests of the fund's advisors. 

  • Beegle Family Fund: A Donor Advised Fund established to support the philanthropic interests of the fund advisors.

  • William and Mary Powell Legacy Fund: A legacy fund, which will be established using a planned gift, to provide support, in perpetuity, for CFAAC’s Fund for Anne Arundel grantmaking and CFAAC’s Community Leadership Fund. 

  • Karen M. Whaley Endowed Fund:  A legacy fund to provide support, in perpetuity, for CFAAC's operations or for its grantmaking, at the discretion of the Board of Trustees.

Community Leadership Circle Annual Campaign

CFAAC grows stronger every year, reaching and impacting every corner of Anne Arundel County. With your support, we have done amazing things together – including ensuring that families have basic necessities, strengthening nonprofits through grants, and making sure the community is well-informed through CFAAC programs. With your help, we can continue to aid those nonprofits who, in turn, serve our most vulnerable. We can continue to ask questions, seek other perspectives, cultivate relationships, and create opportunities for our donors to help meet the needs of our community. And, together, we can continue to make decisions that benefit and include everyone in our county, enhancing the quality of life for all Anne Arundel County citizens.

Your support matters and we are grateful to you for considering a gift. Make your gift securely online at www.cfaac.org or by calling 410-280-1102.

Make a Gift to the Community Leadership Circle

Give the Gift of Stock

Donating stock to CFAAC is one way you can give a powerful gift, while avoiding the capital gains tax. It can make a huge difference for CFAAC and is also tax-advantageous for you in more ways than one! In addition to avoiding capital gains taxes, stock donations are also tax deductible. So, if you itemize deductions from your federal income tax, you can deduct the donation from your taxable income. Furthermore, when you donate stock to CFAAC, your dollar goes further than if you were to sell the stock and donate cash. This is because the money you would have paid in taxes can instead go fully to CFAAC. It’s a win-win for you and CFAAC.

If you’re ready to make a gift yourself, please visit cfaac.org to make a larger impact on your community than ever before. Monday, November 29, is designated as #StockMonday. Learn more about stock giving here.

Year-end Giving Checklist

This is the time of year many of us think about the causes we want to support and the ways we can support them. Here’s a quick guide to help you make these important decisions.

I. Determine what causes to support

Perhaps you are really feeling like you want to give back and don’t know how to help. Or maybe you have a cause or several causes that are close to your heart. How do you decide what you care about most? Try using these five guiding questions to help you get started:

1. What causes interest or excite you? 
2. What problems do you hope to see addressed?
3. Is there an area where you have expertise or want to learn more?
4. What opportunities have changed your life and should be available to more people?
5. Is there a population (such as women, LGBTQ, children, or refugees) you care most about supporting?

II. Ways to Give

As you consider your year-end giving, click here to read about options to consider. 


STRENGTHENING NONPROFITS

Community Foundation Week

CFAAC will join in a nationwide celebration to recognize Community Foundation Week, November 12-18, which is centered around National Philanthropy Day on November 15. Created in 1989 by former president George H. W. Bush, this week recognizes the important work of community foundations throughout America and their collaborative and innovative approach to working with the public, private, and nonprofit sector. You can raise awareness of CFAAC by spreading the word about the good work we do to your friends and business acquaintances. Help us celebrate by donating here.

Here are some fun facts about Community Foundations and CFAAC:

  • The first community foundation was created in 1914 in Cleveland, Ohio, and operates now as the Cleveland Foundation. Currently, there are 750 community foundations in the U.S. CFAAC was founded in 1998 with a $600 gift.

  • Every continent but Antarctica has a community foundation. It’s estimated that there are at least 1,200 community foundations outside of the United States and Canada.

  • According to the National Philanthropic Trust's 2020 Donor Advised Fund (DAF) Report, grantmaking from DAFs to qualified charities totaled more than $25 billion in 2019, a 93% increase since 2015. Of the 168 funds held at CFAAC currently, 82 are Donor Advised Funds. In the last decade alone, grant making from CFAAC's DAFs to nonprofits has totaled more than $19 million dollars. Contact Amy Francis at 443-280-1102, ext. 102 to find out more about opening a Donor Advised Fund at CFAAC.

  • Nearly every type of gift, from cash to real estate, stock, and other assets, can be donated to a community foundation. Talk to the philanthropic advisors at CFAAC to find out more at 443-280-1102. Read more about Community Foundation Week here.


COMMUNITY IMPACT

Mental Health First Aid Training Course 

Date | November 13, 2021
Location | The Commons at Annapolis Commerce Park
912 Commerce Road, Annapolis, MD 21401*
Time | 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Cost | $50 per person

Did you know that nearly one in five U.S. adults live with a mental illness? Mental Health First Aid training will teach you how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental illness and substance abuse disorders. This course, led by expert trainers in the mental health field, will give you the skills you need to reach out and provide initial support to someone who may be developing a mental health or substance abuse problem and how to connect them to the appropriate care. You will also learn how to apply the ALGEE action plan: Assess for risk of suicide or harm; Listen nonjudgmentally; Give reassurance and information; Encourage appropriate professional help; and Encourage self-help and other support strategies. 

This is an in-person*, instructor-led course that is limited to 30 participants. Fee: $50 for training and materials. This course is part of our yearlong Speaker Series on Becoming a Trauma Informed County. 

Register & Learn More Here

*In-person events will be held pending all COVID-19 social distancing and gathering restrictions. CFAAC will continue to assess, based on current conditions, whether to postpone, significantly reduce the number of attendees, or cancel the in-person gathering.

Understanding the Urgency for — and Hope around — Restorative Practices in AACPS

Date | January 26, 2022
Location | TBD
Time | 12:00 pm
Cost | Free to registered participants

Restorative Practices in schools have two components: community-building and productively addressing harm to that community when needed. Anne Arundel County Public Schools (AACPS) began its Restorative journey in earnest in 2016, with a district level School Climate Specialist position that would be held by Kathy Rockefeller, J.D. In this informative program, you will hear from Ms. Rockefeller about the Restorative journey at AACPS. Where are we now? What challenges remain? What are the next steps? How can families help?

Register & Learn More Here


NEWS FOR PROFESSIONAL ADVISORS

Year-End Giving: Repeat, Repeat, Repeat

It's the season for email newsletters hitting your inbox with tax planning tips. We get it! With so much information for your clients to consider, we highly recommend that you cut through the noise and focus on these three key tax strategies before late December: 

1. Don’t miss out on the few provisions of the 2020 Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act that carried over to 2021, including the ability to deduct up to 100% of adjusted gross income (AGI) for cash gifts made directly to qualifying charities and the “universal” charitable deduction of $300 per taxpayer ($600 for a married couple). Read more...


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