News from the Community Foundation

December 2011

Vol 4, Issue 11

Giving Matters
Door County

Community Foundation

Greetings!

There is something uniquely American about Thanksgiving. It doesn't honor a historical leader, a religious icon, or a soldier in battle. Thanksgiving isn't unique to a single culture, nor does it celebrate a religious holiday.

Thanksgiving honors an idea. It recognizes that uniquely American spirit which knows that though we may be different, what we have in common brings us together and is that togetherness which is our greatest asset.

Read the rest of the story in the Peninsula Pulse...

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and the rest of your holidays are just as filled with joy!

Bret N. Bicoy

President & CEO

Door County

Community Foundation, Inc.

In This Issue

Donor Advised Fund - A Great Year-End Planning Tool

Children & Youth Fund is Now Accepting Applications

Educational Session: The Fundamentals of Grantwriting

Our Board of Directors

Dick Egan, Chairman

John Herlache, Vice Chairman

Polly Alberts, Secretary

Mike Felhofer, Treasurer

Ruth Barker

Bill Boettcher

Michael Brecke

David Eliot

Richard Hauser

William Goldammer

Marcia Peterson

Nancy Sargent

Jane Stevenson

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The Tax Year is Ending - Consider Using a Donor Advised Fund!

The year is coming to an end - and your accountant is advising you that this would be a good year to earn a sizeable charitable deduction. But with the new year just around the corner and the holidays approaching, you don't have the time to deal with charitable giving.

The solution? Open a Donor Advised Fund at the Door County Community Foundation! With a gift today you'll earn a tax deduction in this tax year, then you can take as much time as you need to determine which charities will ultimately benefit from your generosity!

This is just one of the advantages of using a Donor Advised Fund to facilitate your giving. It's a simpler, cheaper, and more tax-efficient alternative to creating your own private foundation!

Here's how it works:

Open your Donor Advised Fund at the Community Foundation with a gift of at least $1,000.
You can give cash, appreciated stocks, real estate, or other assets.
We set up a special Fund in your name, in the name of your family or business, or in honor of any person or organization you choose.
Your gift to your Donor Advised Fund earns you a tax deduction in the year your gift is made.
You can then support the causes and organizations you care about most with future distributions from your Donor Advised Fund.
We handle all the administrative details and issue grants to charities in the name of your Donor Advised Fund (or if you prefer, grants can be made anonymously).
If you choose, your gift can be placed into an endowment that is invested over time. Earnings from your Fund are used to make grants literally forever. Your gift - and all future earnings from your gift - can become a permanent source of community capital, forever giving back in your family's name. It's an incredible legacy for Door County!

Contact Bret Bicoy at (920) 746-1786, or contact your own tax professional to learn more about how a Donor Advised Fund can help you be generous in a very tax-efficient way.

Children & Youth Fund Accepting Applications

If the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams, then we can give no greater gift to a child than to nurture their ability to believe in their own potential and promise.

Grant applications are now being accepted by the Community Foundation's Children & Youth Fund.

The Community Foundation welcomes applications from those charities who are working to ensure a brighter future for our community's children - whether it be alleviating their burdens today or helping them realize the opportunities of tomorrow.

Applications must be received in the Community Foundation's offices by Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 4 p.m. Visit the Community Foundation's website for more details or to download the application materials. Christine Henkel of the Door County Community Foundation is available to answer questions and help guide you through the application process.

To learn how you can create your own charitable Fund at the Community Foundation to support the causes and issues important to you, contact Bret Bicoy at (920) 746-1786. We're here to help you give back to sustain the community we love!

Educational Session: The Fundamentals of Grantwriting

Foundations in the United States collectively award billions of dollars in grants to charity each year, yet too many of us are intimidated by the application process.

Bicoy Speaking

Bret Bicoy of the Door County Community Foundation has been reading and evaluating grants for more than 15 years and the one thing he's sure of is it doesn't take a professional writer to write a
successful grant. This workshop will focus on the entire grant process from identifying the appropriate foundation, making the initial approach, crafting the proposal, to preparing the evaluation report.

This half-day afternoon class is being offered twice through The Clearing Folk School - once in Ellison Bay on Monday, January 23rd at 1 p.m. and repeated in Sturgeon Bay on Wednesday, February 15th at 9 a.m.

While the Community Foundation is donating Bret's time to teach the class, there is a facility and registration fee charged by The Clearing to defray their expenses. To sign up for the class, use the registration forms provided by The Clearing.

The Door County Community Foundation, Inc. is a collection of separate charitable funds set up by individuals, families, non-profit organizations, private foundations and businesses that are managed, invested and disbursed for the current and future good of Door County.

Inspiring People to Give Back to Sustain the Community We Love.