Does tax season get you thinking about your giving habits from the previous year? Did you set any goals, and most importantly, do you feel like you reached them? The end of the year tends to sneak up on people who want to make their tax-deductible donations. They find themselves rushing around to make a donation they had been intending to make for a while or they hastily decide to give without really considering long-term benefits. Either way, tax time may get you thinking about the impact of your charitable giving last year and how you can better prepare for the upcoming year-end.
We’re a quarter of the way through 2016, so there’s no better time than NOW to start thinking about how your charitable dollars can make a big difference in your community. If you want to build a nonprofit’s capacity because you believe in their mission, then you should start by researching their needs and checking out their website. If you hope to fund programs that address gaps like hunger and education, now is the time to consider the many different ways your charitable giving goals can play a role helping those programs succeed.
Whatever your hopes are for giving charitably, the Community Foundation is here to help. We can work with you in several different ways:
- Help you find your giving niche. Why do you like to give, and what are you passionate about? Do you know about all of the good work happening around our state? We can start the conversation to help you identify the areas where you want your donations to make a difference.
- Research nonprofits. We can talk to you about nonprofits doing good work in our communities across the state. We stay in contact with a variety of nonprofits throughout the year, whether that’s through ArkansasGives or through our annual grant programs.
- Form a plan. We can help you set charitable giving goals. Our staff will sit down with you to map out a plan based on your interests and the needs that you want to meet in your community. Creating a fund at the Community Foundation ensures a permanent way to give to the causes you care about.
- Grant from your fund. If you have a fund with the Community Foundation, we manage the granting process. When you set up a fund with us, we help you determine the best way to grant to the programs you want to help.
If you’re interested in forming a plan now so that you don’t have to stress about it later, give us a call and we would be glad to set a time to talk with you. Bring the whole family, if you’d like!
Contact Ashley Coldiron or learn more about the different ways you can give with the Community Foundation.