A Surprise for First Step!

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SURPRISE! 

 

In honor of their 25th anniversary, TCFHR announced to nonprofit organizations in the summer that they would award a special $25,000 grant to a selected nonprofit who submitted a Giving Back application by September 1. A committee reviewed 66 worthy applications and selected nine for the full TCFHR Board to consider. The Board then selected the three finalists that would be presented at TCFHR’s anniversary event. It would be at the event where event attendees’ would decide the end result.

On October 5, TCFHR hosted a celebration at Explore More Discovery Museum for their 25 years of service to the Valley. Attendees were integral to the October 5 festivities, as they would determine the nonprofit awardee of a $25,000 grant by an anonymous ballot vote. With a drum roll, TCFHR announced to the group that First Step: A Response to Domestic Violence, Inc. would receive $25,000 towards their project, Emergency Crisis Intervention and Advocacy Services for Survivors of Domestic Violence… Cut to the following week when, SURPRISE! An anonymous donor made that award DOUBLE! We are so grateful to the donor for their generosity! We were delighted to present First Step with a $50,000 award in the end. Congratulations!

About The Community Foundation of Harrisonburg & Rockingham County
The Community Foundation of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County makes it easy to give back to the community we love.
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The Community Foundation Awards $25,000 to….

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The Community Foundation Awards $25,000 to….

Since 1998, twenty-five years ago, The Community Foundation of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County (TCFHR) has been a champion for this community, always thinking of donors’ interests and highlighting area needs. On October 5, TCFHR hosted a celebration for their 25 years of service to the Valley. The evening, set at Explore More Discovery Museum, was filled with joyous conversation and heartening speeches by past and current TCFHR leaders. Donors, professional advisors, partners, board members, past leadership, and staff joined to share our love for the place we call home.

In honor of their 25th anniversary, TCFHR announced to nonprofit organizations in the summer that they would award a special $25,000 grant to a selected nonprofit. Nonprofits who applied to TCFHR’s Giving Back application would be considered. The event committee reviewed 66 worthy applications and selected nine for the full TCFHR Board to consider. The Board then selected the three finalists. It was then the event attendees’ turn to decide. Attendees were integral to the festivities, as they would determine the nonprofit awardee of a $25,000 grant by an anonymous ballot vote.

As the event ended, TCFHR staff announced the nonprofit that received the most votes and would accept the $25,000 award. With a drum roll, TCFHR announced to the group that First Step: A Response to Domestic Violence, Inc. would receive $25,000 towards their project, Emergency Crisis Intervention and Advocacy Services for Survivors of Domestic Violence. At 6:59 PM, Candy Phillips, First Step Executive Director, answered the call. On speakerphone with the audience, Candy heard as the attendees applauded. “We appreciate this. This really means a lot to First Step and everybody here and everyone that we serve. Thank you so much!” – Candy Phillips, on speakerphone.

The Community Foundation would like to thank all their partners for an incredible 25 years. It is an honor and absolute privilege to serve this community, and we appreciate your continued support. Additionally, thank you to Explore More Discovery Museum for providing a beautiful space for our event. THANK YOU!

About The Community Foundation of Harrisonburg & Rockingham County
The Community Foundation of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County makes it easy to give back to the community we love.
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Great Community Give Raises $2 Million for Area Nonprofits

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GREAT COMMUNITY GIVE DAY 2023: TWO MILLION RAISED  

Harrisonburg, VA – The 6TH annual GREAT COMMUNITY GIVE was held today, Wednesday, April 19, 6:30am-8pm.  As Harrisonburg and Rockingham County’s community-wide day of “Giving”, GREAT COMMUNITY GIVE wants nonprofits to have the resources they need to succeed in their missions. Their totals for all six years: $7,118,248. Past results are as follows:

2018, 53 nonprofits participated with $276,820 raised.

2019, 89 nonprofits participated with $536,300 raised.

2020, 102 nonprofits participated with $804,216 raised.

2021, 116 nonprofits participated with $1,776,878 raised.

2022, 125 nonprofits participated with $1,727,489 raised.

Official Totals as of 8:00PM, April 19, 2023

Participating Nonprofit Agencies:  148

Dollars Raised:  $2,000,545

Total Number of Unique Donors: 7,684

Praises to area media and financial sponsors demonstrating generosity and interest in supporting Great Community Give, the participating nonprofit agencies and the organizers of the event.  We thank you!

About The Community Foundation of Harrisonburg & Rockingham County

The Community Foundation makes charitable giving easy for the community we love. For more information, visit www.tcfhr.org.

In the news: Billionaire givers, QCDs, and celebrity inspiration

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In the news: Billionaire givers, QCDs, and celebrity inspiration

This month, we’re offering three suggestions for deeper reading on current topics in charitable giving.

Bring out your inner academic with this blog post published by the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University, especially if you’re interested in the latest chatter and variety of opinions on so-called “billionaire philanthropy.”

If you’re contemplating charitable giving in your retirement years, read this Kiplinger article to brush up on the Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD), recently enhanced by late-2022 legislation. We totally understand that the first (and second, and third) time you read about QCDs, your eyes may glaze over, but the concept really is worth understanding. Contact the team at The Community Foundation. We are happy to break it down for you!

Finally, it can be reassuring to see high-profile individuals (Idris and Sabrina Dhowre Elba, for example) speaking up about their philanthropic values. In a world where so much needs to be done to improve lives and respect humanity, role models offer hope that philanthropy and community involvement can be important factors in progress.

This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not intended as legal, accounting, or financial planning advice. 

2023 Scholarships Now Available

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2023 Student Scholarships now Available

Harrisonburg-Rockingham students may now apply for college funding from The Community Foundation of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County (TCFHR) until April 10, 2023. The majority of scholarships give to current or former residents of Harrisonburg or Rockingham County. Scholarship funds are for tuition and related educational expenses and made directly to the educational institution. In 2022, TCFHR distributed 63 scholarships totaling $229,800. Scholarship awards ranged from $500 to $8,000.

The Community Foundation makes it easy for students to apply, providing an online application for students’ convenience. The online system will allow students to work on application in their own time, save their progress, and return to submit their application.

The Community Foundation works with donors to establish merit based and financial aid based scholarships for high school, community college, and university students. Each scholarship expresses a deep belief in the power of education to help students achieve their academic dreams.

Interested students can go to www.tcfhr.org to learn more and apply by April 10, 2023. For questions, contact Ann Siciliano at [email protected] or 540-432-3863.

About The Community Foundation of Harrisonburg & Rockingham County 

TCFHR makes charitable giving easy, acting in the best interest of our donors and partners to facilitate bold philanthropic initiatives for a stronger, healthier community.

Local Nonprofits Receive Funding from The Community Foundation

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Harrisonburg, VA – It feels like Christmas over at The Community Foundation of Harrisonburg  and Rockingham County (TCFHR)! No, it is not quite time for the holiday, but TCFHR is in the giving spirit since they are soon issuing Fall 2022 grants to nonprofit organizations. This year’s grants total $152,235 to 13 local nonprofits, more than TCFHR has given out in years past. The largest distribution ($55,000) coming from the Earlynn J. Miller Fund for the Arts. Dr. Earlynn J. Miller was honored posthumously at AFP Shenandoah’s National Philanthropy Day for her contributions at JMU as well as her generously giving approximately $5 million to establish three endowments at The Community Foundation that will support the arts forever.

The monies will go to organizations addressing needs in:
Animal welfare (Anicira, Cat’s Cradle, and Wildlife Center of VA) made by Hildred Neff Memorial Fund
Arts & Culture (Arts Council of the Valley) made by Mary Spitzer Etter Endowed Fund, (OASIS Fine Art & Craft) made by Valley Arts & Culture Fund, and (Arts Council of the Valley and Harrisonburg Dance Cooperative) made by Earlynn J. Miller Fund for the Arts
Children and Youth of Divorced Parents (Family Life Resource Center) made by Sean Warner Memorial Fund
Healthcare (Adagio House, Blue Ridge Free Clinic, and Strength in Peers) made by Alvin V. Baird, Jr. Program Housing (Central Valley Habitat for Humanity) made by Janet Sohn Endowed Fund
Greatest benefit to Harrisonburg and Rockingham County (Blue Ridge CASA and First Step) made by The Community Endowment Fund

Grant distributions come from funds held at TCFHR and are determined by Grants committees. Nonprofit organizations awarded all participated in a competitive application process. Per TCFHR policy, grants are made without regard to factors of gender, race, religion, national origin, or sexual orientation. For more information, contact Ann Siciliano at [email protected].

 

Read more about Community Foundation grant awards.

Great Community Give 2023 Nonprofit Registration Opens Today!

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Great Community Give 2023 Nonprofit Registration

Will Launch on National Philanthropy Day

Great Community Give (GCG) is back for its sixth year! The GCG Planning Team will open registration for interested nonprofits on National Philanthropy Day, November 15th.

Returning and newly participating nonprofit agencies can sign up for GCG 2023 at www.greatcommunitygive.org. Registration will remain open until February 15, 2023. Eligibility requirements include having IRS 501(c)(3) tax status and located in and serving Harrisonburg and Rockingham County.

Great Community Give is an initiative hosted by The Community Foundation of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County (TCFHR), raising millions for area nonprofits since its beginning in 2018. The annual, sunrise to sunset, giving day event champions local causes by inspiring charitable giving to Harrisonburg-Rockingham nonprofit organizations. In April 2022, over 7,000 donors raised $1,727,289 for 125 organizations, bringing the initiative’s overall grand total to $5,117,703.

Nonprofits have big plans for this upcoming GCG, including Valley Associates for Independent Living. According to their Executive Director, Gayl Brunk, GCG 2023 donations will support the recently acquired, nationally ranked, Cardinals Wheelchair Basketball Team.

Amanda Bomfim, Program Officer at TCFHR is committed to making the 6th year a success. “Our team wants to be bold in our support of the nonprofits. Our GCG 2023 goals are to raise $2 million and to reach 8,000 donors. I am motivated to reach more community members in the sixth GCG especially since it will be easier to give. Donors may now contribute to their favorite organizations using the mobile payment service, Venmo.”

Great Community Give will be on the third Wednesday of April on April 19, 2023, 6:30am to 8:00pm. For questions about Great Community Give, contact TCFHR at 540-432-3863.

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Receives Funding from Sentara Healthcare

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Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Receives Funding from Sentara Healthcare

 

The Community Foundation of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County (TCFHR) and Sentara Healthcare are collaborating to bring books into the hands of all children under five years old in our community. TCFHR, a local nonprofit organization, received word that Sentara Healthcare will fund a $15,000 grant to their latest program, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. TCFHR became a local community affiliate in July 2021. In the eight months since their official launch in March 2022, 1,900 Harrisonburg-Rockingham children enrolled to receive free monthly books.

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is a monthly book-gifting program that mails free, quality, and age-appropriate books to all children under five years old in a designated program area. Inspired by her father’s inability to read and write, Dolly began the program in 1995 for children in her home county in Tennessee. Today, the Imagination Library spans the United States, Canada, Ireland, United Kingdom, and Australia, mailing over 1 million books to children each month. “As the local community partner, we are responsible for certain expenses. The cost of wholesale books and shipping is $2.10 per book, totaling $25.20 for the year for one child. This grant signifies the delivery of over 7,000 monthly books and over 500 children receiving books at no cost to their families for an entire year.” – Amanda Bomfim, Program Officer, TCFHR.

This news came as a roaring excitement to TCFHR staff. “This $15,000 grant from Sentara Healthcare will mean so much to our community. Our dream for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is that we connect all the infants, young children, and families in Harrisonburg and Rockingham with books and create a love for reading. We hope to never turn a child away and these funds will help us do that.” – Revlan Hill, Executive Director, TCFHR. In November, the program will reach the milestone of 10,000 books mailed to local children. To learn more about the Imagination Library, visit www.tcfhr.org or call The Community Foundation at 540-432-3863.

About The Community Foundation of Harrisonburg & Rockingham County 

The Community Foundation of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County makes charitable giving easy, acting in the best interest of our donors and partners to facilitate bold philanthropic initiatives for a stronger, healthier community.

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Playbook: Helping clients organize their giving through a donor-advised fund

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Picture this: Your clients will arrive in 15 minutes. You’re reviewing the file. Everything is in order. The estate planning documents are up to date, you’re ready to share the latest investment results, and you are prepared to debrief the 2021 tax season and make tax planning recommendations for the remainder of this year. It sounds pretty typical up to this point, right?

As you continue to scroll through the materials, you see the names of several charitable organizations that your clients have supported every year for at least a decade. Ah ha! This is an opportunity to add even more value to your clients. Easy for a busy advisor to overlook, charitable giving habits are actually an important window into helping a client make planning decisions around their philanthropic intentions.

Here’s a simple playbook to guide you through a client conversation to begin establishing a charitable giving plan using a donor-advised fund at The Community Foundation.

  • Call your clients’ attention to their charitable giving history. They might not even be aware of how much they are giving or how long they’ve been supporting their favorite charities.
  • Gather more information about why the clients support those particular causes. Family tradition? Past involvement as a beneficiary of an organization’s services? Desire to impact a particular area of need?
  • Talk with your clients about their community involvement. Do they serve on any boards of directors? Do they volunteer at local organizations?
  • Review any charitable giving provisions in the current will or trust. Are the clients leaving a bequest to favorite charities?
  • Ask your clients if they’ve ever considered organizing their giving through a donor-advised fund. If they are not familiar with donor-advised funds, perhaps offer a quick primer, and certainly offer to introduce the client to a member of The Community Foundation team.
  • Briefly mention that a donor-advised fund can be an effective alternative to a private foundation, thanks to fewer expenses to establish and maintain, maximum tax benefits (higher AGI limitations and fair market valuation for contributing hard-to-value assets), no excise taxes, and confidentiality (including the ability to grant anonymously to charities).
  • Also mention that a donor-advised fund at The Community Foundation is frequently a more effective choice than a donor-advised fund offered through a brokerage firm (such as Fidelity or Schwab). That’s because, at a community foundation, the donor is part of a community of giving and has opportunities to collaborate with other donors who share similar interests. In addition, the donor is supported in strategic grant making, family philanthropy, and opportunities to gain deep knowledge about local issues and nonprofits making a difference.

Want to learn more? Call The Community Foundation at 540-432-3863 or email Kristin Coleman at [email protected]!

Community Foundation Scholarship Application Window Open!

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The Community Foundation of Harrisonburg & Rockingham County (TCFHR) is excited to offer a new online system for scholarship applications. Students may access the new system to determine eligibility to apply for 2022 scholarship awards. TCFHR provides a variety of scholarship opportunities for students seeking to receive financial assistance as they prepare for college or graduate school. TCFHR also has one award specifically for high school juniors (application deadline May 9)!

Some scholarship awards are merit-based, some financial need based, others focus on a particular area of study, while some are specific to high school athletes. Some awards are for students graduating from certain high schools, one for students whose parents are employed at a specified list of golf clubs throughout the United States, and another specifically for high school coaches or athletic directors in the Shenandoah Valley who wish to nominate a track athlete. TCFHR also offers a scholarship specifically for students transferring from BRCC or LFCC to a 4-year university, and one for students doing graduate level work at EMU.

The Community Foundation offers 19 different scholarship opportunities through the new online system. We encourage students, track coaches or athletic directors to explore what might be available to them. Deadline for almost all applications is April 11.

CLICK HERE to determine eligibility to apply!