HOT and HOT

Hot Lunch / Hot Topic  

May 11th and June 8th

12:00 pm - 1:30 pm

$12 per person

659 Gallatin Street

Please come to our office for a delicious hot lunch and an overview of the Community Foundation. Cost is $12 per person. You may pay at the door but we must have your reservation in order to have a lunch for you.  Seating limited, please reserve by calling  

(256) 489-2281 ext 110. 

Professional Advisors Luncheon

 June 1st  

11:30 am 

Sirote Permutt

305 Church Street

 Please join us to learn more about the Community Foundation and how we may help your clients in their charitable giving. Please contact Lynne Berry at (256) 489-2281 if you would like to attend.  

Nov. 10, 2011

The Jackson Center 

7:30 am - 12:00 pm

Nonprofit Compensation: What is too much...and who decides?

Measures Being Closely Watched For Nonprofit Impact

Emergency Response Fund Established!

The Community Foundation of Huntsville/Madison County has established an Emergency Response Fund to address short and long term basic needs in the wake of the recent tornados and power outages.  Gifts to the fund will be used in Huntsville/Madison County to address the basic needs of food, shelter, and utility assistance. 

Go to the Click Here to Donate Now Using PayPal button at www.communityfoundationhsv.org to make a secure on-line gift or mail your donation to The Community Foundation of Huntsville/Madison County at 659 Gallatin Street, Huntsville, Alabama 35801.  Contact Lynne Berry at 256-489-2281 (office) or 256-479-1010 (cell) for more information. 

All donations will go into the Emergency Response Fund for Huntsville/Madison County.  This fund was established by a donation from former Governor Bob Riley.  Monies from the fund will be disbursed under the oversight of the Foundation's Emergency Response Committee. This committee is chaired by Elizabeth Fleming.  Other members are James Gilbert, Jeremiah Knight, Sandra Moon, and Dianne Reynolds.  Non-profits and churches will be able to apply for these funds later this month.  The committee will consider the number of people served, collaboration with other non-profits or churches, and the ability to leverage these funds to make a greater impact.

Because of their comprehensive mission, knowledge of local needs, and experience in working with non-profit organizations and churches, a network of community foundations throughout the state have banded together to establish the Alabama Tornado Recovery Fund.  The Community Foundation of Huntsville/Madison County can provide more information on that fund.  

distributing gifts can often be time-consuming and complicated.

By establishing a donor advised fund with a contribution of $10,000 or more, donors maximize tax savings, eliminate the need for time-consuming paperwork, and continue to have a strong voice in choosing how, when and to whom their gifts will be distributed. 

To open a donor advised fund, donors contribute tax-deductible assets (cash, appreciated stocks, real estate, or other assets) to a fund that they name. The Community Foundation invests the assets and then distributions from the fund can be made immediately or over time.  The Community Foundation does the record keeping and due diligence, and, unlike private foundations, can provide anonymity for a donor if requested. 

There are many benefits to considering a donor advised fund with your local Community Foundation.

• Facilitate special asset considerations. Not all charities accept or have the knowledge or capacity to accept gifts of stock and other appreciated assets. A donor advised fund provides the maximum deduction allowed by law, and the Community Foundation has the expertise to accept the widest array of assets.
•  Make the most of your charitable dollars. A donor or advisor can recommend the investment strategy for contributions to a donor advised fund.   Any growth in assets is tax-free which provides the potential for greater charitable gifts.
• Reduce recordkeeping frustrations. A donor advised fund account provides consolidated reporting and record keeping.  Grants can be made to multiple charities and only one tax substantiation letter is needed (for each contribution to the account).
• Leave a lasting legacy.  A donor advised fund can establish an enduring family legacy for philanthropy. A family can continue involvement in grantmaking and investments by naming successor advisors to an account.
• Reduce barriers to giving.  A recent study on high net-worth philanthropy found that households with incomes in excess of $200,000 or assets in excess of $1 million cited red tape, the time it takes to give, lack of access to research on prospective nonprofits, and lack of knowledge about needy organizations as the greatest barriers to increasing their charitable giving. Donor Advised funds address these problems, streamlining the process and allowing donors to help several organizations for the energy it ordinarily takes to help just one.

You can simplify your charitable giving by establishing a donor advised fund at The Community Foundation of Huntsville Madison County. Individuals and families can partner with The Community Foundation, utilizing its services and expertise to make their giving easy and effective.  Making an impact has never been easier or more rewarding.  

My oldest son, Jackson, heads off to college this fall. We've seen him grow and mature over the last eighteen years and now he's ready to tackle the world. For those of us who have played a role in the creation and development of the Community Foundation of Huntsville and Madison County there are strong parallels. We have given a start to something special and something that we believe through time will make a difference.

Stepping stones along the way show great progress in short order.

Four years ago, Margaret Anne Goldsmith, Sarah Savage and I started to discuss the concept of a community foundation in Huntsville.

Three years ago we held a series of civic meetings to explore the establishment of a community foundation. Many participants in these early meetings were alumni members of Leadership Huntsville, an organization with a deep and ever-growing legacy.

Two years ago Joe and Pam Alexander took us from concept to reality by donating $100,000 to fund start up operation costs. They heard an idea and they had the vision to embrace it boldly. Their action will always enhance my faith in Margaret Mead's resolve that we should "...never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world, indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

In 2009, we conducted the search for our first Executive Director. I'm proud of that effort. It was thoughtful, full of diverse opinions, well-executed...and really lucky. Lynne Berry represented everything we had hoped for - and of course, a lot more. The perfect person at the perfect time.

Through 2010, we grew to have one million dollars in assets. These funds represent new dollars for charitable giving ...creating a bigger pool of support for our area non-profits.

In 2011 we have added a new dimension. We now have designated funds for the Boys and Girls Clubs and for Crisis Services. We hope to serve other non-profits by taking administrative burdens off their shoulders while reducing investment management costs.

Since our official non-profit 501c3 status was granted in September of 2009, we've developed policies, procedures, websites, and printed materials. Bill Fleming, Gary Saliba and Ken Barnett have put in countless hours to refine our investment management practices. We've also moved into a new office and created regular educational outreach to financial advisors, CPAs and estate planning attorneys so they can increase dialogue with their clients about charitable giving. Most importantly we've provided cash to cash-strapped non-profits. More than $125,000 has already been distributed through the Community Foundation to charitable outlets. And we're just getting started.

I would encourage you to send an e-mail, make a call or stop by the Community Foundation office. Learn what your role can be in this incredibly exciting new venture in charitable enterprise.

As with my son Jackson, the firm foundation is in place. There is great promise as we move ahead to the next phase in building something meaningful and remarkable. 

Chris Russell

Past Chair

The Community Foundation has distributed over $125,000 in donations to non-profits and churches year to date. As the Community Foundation continues to grow so will our contributions.