FOUNDATION NEWS
A Message From our President & CEO
Every month when I write this letter, I am able to reflect on what the Community Foundation has accomplished and where we are going. So much is happening at CFAAC and in our community right now and it’s always great to take this pause—even if it is for a short time—to acknowledge the successes that allow us to continue helping others.
First and foremost, our Grant Review Committee just wrapped up the final selection of nonprofits to receive Federal American Rescue Plan (ARP) funding intended to support our local nonprofits in Anne Arundel County. The Anne Arundel County Executive’s office provided $1M in ARP funding to CFAAC, as a trusted grantmaker, to award financial assistance to local nonprofits that identified solutions to the needs and gaps in services pinpointed in the 2022 Community Needs Assessment Report: Poverty Amidst Plenty VII: Moving Forward Together, and who clearly demonstrated the effects of COVID on their organizations and the people they serve.
The needs in our community are certainly great, and the requests for funding totaled over $3M, much more than we could fund. Our 15-person Grant Review Committee spent hours reading applications, meeting together, and coming to consensus about the grants to be awarded. Each reviewer took their job very seriously. Part of that work involved ensuring that we touched as many areas of the county as we could, and that we systematically covered the needs identified in our community needs assessment.
We are also busy working on our 2022 annual report, which will not only share inspiring stories of our fundholders and donors but also a detailed picture of accomplishments over the past year—all of these achievements made possible by caring and committed community members like you.
Speaking of achievements, please take a moment to read our CFAAC 2022 Year in Review highlights in this newsletter; these are just a few of the successes that will be outlined in our upcoming annual report. I know that when I look at this list, I feel a sense of overwhelming pride and awe in what our staff, volunteer board, and volunteer committees have accomplished.
Sending you warm wishes during this cold month,
Mary Spencer
CFAAC President & CEO
Vote for CFAAC!
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
CFAAC 2022 Year in Review Highlights
- Exceeded CFAAC's 2020-2025 Strategic Plan goal of $25 million in assets intended for grantmaking by 2025, resulting in an increased goal of $35 million. CFAAC manages assets of almost $27 million.
- Maintained 186 active Donor Advised, Corporate Advised, Field on Interest, and Discretionary Grantmaking Funds
- Distributed 504 total grants to nonprofits for a total of $3,990,196.
- Processed 346 Donor Advised Fund Grants and 17 Corporate Advised Fund Grants
- Managed 30 community events
- Coordinated successful in-person Celebration of Philanthropy Awards presentation honoring eight community philanthropists and volunteers.
- Launched the inaugural Professional Advisor Recognition Society at the 2022 Celebration of Philanthropy by recognizing six professional advisors.
Kudos to CFAAC Board Member Vincent Moulden
Congratulations to CFAAC Board Member Vincent Moulden who was honored Jan. 13 at the 35th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Awards Program in Glen Burnie. Moulden received the Dream Keeper’s Award for his volunteer efforts. In addition to serving on CFAAC’s Board, Vincent, the Director of Community Engagement and Constituent Services for Anne Arundel County, volunteers with TCP Charity and Charting Careers and serves as a county youth mentor.
CFAAC Makes the Honor Roll!
CFAAC has been named to the Executive Alliance’s Honor Roll. This designation recognizes publicly-traded companies headquartered in Maryland and the private companies and nonprofit organizations that employ women in at least 30% of their executive leadership roles and have women in at least 30% of their board of director seats.
Executive Alliance connects accomplished women on a professional and personal level to expand their impact and influence in the board room, the community, and in the leadership of businesses, civic organizations, and government. Since 2007, Executive Alliance has analyzed the representation of women at the highest levels at leadership through its annual Census Report: Women Board Directors in Maryland. Read more on their website.
STRENGTHENING NONPROFITS
CFAAC Help Our Neighbors Grant Application Opens February 20
CFAAC's Help Our Neighbors Fund supports local nonprofits working with Anne Arundel County's most vulnerable community members. The fund was established in 2008 to assist with basic living expenses such as paying rent to prevent eviction, utilities to prevent shut-off, fees for transportation to work or car repair, or for essential medication and medical care to return to or maintain health. Application opens on February 20, 2023 and closes March 31, 2023. Grants up to $2,500 will be awarded in April 2023.
Community Grants
AAWGT 2023 Grants Applications Close February 10
Anne Arundel Women Giving Together is pleased to issue a Call for 2023 Grant Proposals. Applications will be accepted through February 10, 2023 (11:59 pm).
AAWGT grants are awarded to support work that improves the quality of life for women and families in Anne Arundel County. Nonprofit organizations who share this vision are encouraged to apply. Grant requests may range from $5,000 to $25,000. Additional information about applying for an AAWGT grant is accessible through the Grants menu at www.givingtogether.org. Click here for AAWGT Grant Application information.
Community Events
AAWGT Presents: A View From the Inside: Needs of the Anne Arundel Community
Wednesday, February 8, 2023
6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Via Zoom
Join Anne Arundel Women Giving Together (AAWGT) for an engaging and informative conversation about our community as seen through the eyes of those closest to it. The panelists are embedded community leaders, each bringing a breadth and depth of experience that will help our community more fully understand our community and its current and emerging needs. Click here to register and learn more.
NEWS FOR PROFESSIONAL ADVISORS
CFAAC Professional Advisor Recognition Society
Focus on: Michael E. Lehr, esq., Sims & Campbell
The Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County launched its Professional Advisors Recognition Society at the 2022 Celebration of Philanthropy, naming six inductees to its inaugural class—Michael (Mike) E. Lehr is one of the first members to receive this honor.
When Mike Lehr needs advice on charitable giving, he has two “go-to” places: his church and the Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County. “If I need to know who or how to take care of something in my community, they’re going to be the first people I call,” said Mike, who currently serves on the CFAAC Board of Trustees. “I think that for those that are charitably inclined, the Community Foundation is a great resource; they are great advisors who can help my clients flesh out their philanthropic goals. I always tell my charitable clients to explore what they are trying to achieve with the Community Foundation first.”
Read More about Michael E. Lehr
Join the Anne Arundel Estate Planning Council
The Anne Arundel Estate Planning Council (AAEPC) offers an annual membership. Benefits include:
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Listing in the Anne Arundel Estate Planning Council Member Directory to be made available online at www.aaestateplanning.org/members/directory
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Complimentary admission to all regular AAEPC programs
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Discounts to special AAEPC programs
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Invitations to members-only networking events
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NAEPC-brokered discounts and special pricing for marketing, media, software and subscriptions
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Peer learning network for willing members to share information and informal technical advice with their AAEPC member colleagues
In addition to memberships, AAEPC offers sponsorship opportunities for the Council and its programs.
AAEPC Membership & Sponsorship Details
AAEPC Education Event - Behavioral Finance with Brian Brogan
February 23, 2023, 6:00 - 8:00 P.M.
Annapolis Waterfront Hotel
80 Compromise Street, Annapolis, MD 21401
Ticket includes an open bar and hors d'oeuvre. Free for AAEPC members. This event is generously sponsored by: PNC Private Bank.
Client conversations: Why your 2023 agenda must include charitable giving
No doubt, your news feed includes far more articles about philanthropy as a planning tool for your clients than it did just a few years ago. Charitable giving has always been an important subject of client discussions for attorneys, accountants, and financial advisors. What’s changed is that widespread coverage of both major charitable gifts and the ease of making online donations has prompted more of your clients to pay attention to philanthropy.
Among the dozens of reasons to talk with your clients about their charitable giving plans are what many advisors consider to be the top three:
It’s not too early for spring cleaning: Make this the year to help clients get organized
If you’re already dreading asking your clients to pull together their receipts and other documents for 2022 tax filings, this may be a good time to take proactive steps to avoid being in this same spot next year.
A must-know: Reviewing the QCD
You’ll recall the buzz at the end of 2022 when Congress passed sweeping omnibus legislation that included a version of the long-awaited Legacy IRA provisions that expand a tool called the Qualified Charitable Distribution, or QCD. A QCD is a financially-savvy way for your clients to support the charities they care about.