Announcements:
MMF Concert on Jazz & Classical Music fusion, Mads Tolling Quartet.: Thursday Jan 21 at 7 at Long Trail & Jan 23 at 7 at Maple St School Tickets: $20 in advance; $30 at the door; 18-under $10/$15. Call MMF for more information: 362-1956 Please attend!
Stratton Foundation: Men Who Cook Mark your calendar. This year’s event will be held in the Stratton Base Lodge on Saturday, January 16, 2010 from 7:00 – 10:00. Admission is $35 for adults and $15 for children under 12. Doors open at 6:30. Every year “Men Who Cook” features dozens of favorite recipes for appetizers, entrees and desserts prepared by local notable and quotable amateur chefs and presented exclusively for your epicurean adventure. The money raised from this annual event and silent auction provides support for our grant program and operating expenses.
Masons: Cribbage is back at the Masonic Lodge! Sponsored by Adoniram Lodge in Manchester on Spruce Street. Starts Thursdays Jan 21 from 7-10 pm. $5 entrance fee. All money raised goes to local scholarship fund. For more information, contact David Katz: 362-0041
Introduction: Beth Meacham
Guest Presenters: Jen Peterson & Scott McCardle – The Vermont Community Foundation
Quick facts about the Vermont Community Foundation: Founded 1986; based in Middlebury
Recently VCF segregated its staff to specific sections. Scott is responsible for Northshire & Southshire. Contact him for donor info (giving & receiving); Jen is responsible for Rutland & Addison counties.
A Community Foundation is a collection of funds – more than 500 here. Currently has $130 million in assets. Each named and has a purpose & family or org behind it. This amt puts it in the top 10% nationally and there are over 700 nationally. Distributes approx $10 million annually. 95% within Vermont.
Approx 10% of the $10 million is handed out in staff-advised grants. Most donations are “donor advised” funds directed by a family or organization. Donors appreciate the ease of having the VCF handle their philanthropy.
It also handles “Designated Funds” which are directed by a donor to a specific organization.
“Discretionary Unrestricted Funds” are the sources of grant-making, the VCF decides where to donate it. Some are restricted by parameters set by the donor.
Because the VCF is still relatively new, most of its funds are Donor Advised. As the VCF ages, the Discretionary Funds category will grow.
VCF Values Statement & Mission
To support the building of vital and healthy VT communities, where everyone’s basic human needs are met; communities that are welcoming to all; and are environmentally and socially sustainable.
Five years ago, VCF changed from being a passive donor advising foundation, to actively seeking out needs and addressing them with donors. Learn, Lead, Grow is the new directive in understanding the unmet needs in VT for philanthropic purposes. Learn, Lead, Grow led to in depth reports on 3 key issues: Higher education; Giving in VT; & State of the Non-profit Sector (to be done in 2010)
Recently, the VCF has been strongly encouraging non-profits to collaborate with funders in an effort to encourage not only non-profits to work together but also funders. For example: Vermont Funders Network & VT Food Funders.
VCF helps guide funders through the grantmaking program, pairing nfps with funders, initiating collaboration on both sides.
Past 10 years in Bennington County: VCF has distributed 450 grants totaling approx $2.7 million
2010 Grant Rounds
Deadlines: Feb 26 & Sept 3.
Plus an urgent & special needs fund (up to $5,000) for unforeseen emergencies or opportunities.
Check website (http://www.vermontcf.org/) for additional donor advised competitive grant opportunities.
Only last year, VCF started funding General Operating support. In 2010, VCF has a few new changes. It will not consider applications from organizations with budgets greater than $1.5 million. In addition, VCF is currently NOT considering apps from child care providers. (There is already the Permanent Fund for the Well-Being of Children). VCF will also not be funding private or independent schools this year.
A new initiative – Access to Higher Education – is gong to fill that need. (Although all of the above can apply for the Urgent & Special Needs Fund).
Jen reviewed the Online application and encouraged thoroughness in filling it out, efficiency & timeliness in submitting it and, especially, communicating with VCF when you have any questions.
As well as distributing grants, VCF supports non-profits with networking, collaboration, etc. CommongoodVT won the grant offered by VCF to coordinate, connect & track the non-profits throughout the state.
Scott is very knowledgeable and encouraging Charitable Gift Annuities. He can offer newsletter articles to put in your outreach to solicit. He can do presentations to your board about them.
VT Directory of Foundations in hard copy or online is a terrific resource shepherded by VCF. 2009 was the last year a hard copy was published. Now only online. Also online is an open listing of philanthropic advisors.
The prediction is that next 15 years, Vermont will see the largest intergenerational transfer of wealth in history. Now is the time to set up charitable gift annuities and endowment plans.
Filed under: Announcements, Meeting Notes
