Giving Matters COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF THE HOLLAND/ZEELAND AREA
Spring 2018
SPRING 2018 CFHZ NEWSLETTER
Board of Trustees
President’s Note
Mark Harder, Chair Bret Docter, Chair-elect Jim Bishop, Treasurer Juanita Bocanegra, Secretary Scott Spoelhof, Past Chair Leslie Brown Colleen Hill David Janssen Diane Kooiker Haans Mulder Jane Patterson Jean Ramirez Deborah Sterken Margaret Van Grouw Jim Wiersma Dominic Aquino, YAC Chair
Dear friends of the Community Foundation, The philanthropic support of generous people like you allows CFHZ to care for our community in so many different ways. We hope you’ll continue to stay in touch throughout the year and plan to join us at our Annual Luncheon on Wednesday, May 16, at the Haworth Inn Conference Center (invitation on back cover). At our luncheon, we’ll give an update on the Community Foundation’s recent work and share our perspective on various community improvement efforts in the nonprofit sector. You can register online until May 9 at www.cfhz.org/AnnualLuncheon.
Foundation Staff Mike Goorhouse President/CEO Elizabeth Kidd Vice President of Community Impact Jessica Lynch Executive Assistant Lina Pierson Communications Associate Ann L. Query Director of Development
Thanks to your generosity, CFHZ has been giving grants that create a lasting, positive change since 1951. We see firsthand the far-reaching and transformative impact our grants have made throughout our community and are pleased to announce another round of competitive grants from the Community’s Endowment totaling $210,000. On pages 5-6, we highlight one of those grants, a $75,000 award to West Ottawa Public Schools in partnership with TCM Counseling for their in-school counseling program.
Barbara Widener Finance Associate
These grants are made possible by all of our new and existing donors. Your commitment to the Holland/Zeeland area speaks volumes about the heart of who we are as a community. We are constantly grateful to partner with you as we work to ensure that our community can thrive today, tomorrow, and forever.
Rashelle Wynegar Director of Finance
With much gratitude,
Stacy Timmerman Director of Scholarships
Youth Advisory Committee Dominic Aquino Bethany Bulthuis Leah Cooper Lily Dobbin Valerie Edewaard Colin Edmunds Brittany Keomanikhoth Nate Kuiper Kayla Lebster Thaddaeus LeFebre
Ryan Lindberg Mia Patchin Madeline Powers Samuel Sharnas Vanessa Soriano Caleb Steeby Abigail Telgenhof Cella VanHeest AJ Vasquez Jessica Lynch, YAC Advisor
A: 85 EAST 8TH STREET, SUITE 110, HOLLAND, MI 49423
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Mike Goorhouse President/CEO
P: (616) 396-6590 | F: (616) 396-3573
E: INFO@CFHZ.ORG
W: WWW.CFHZ.ORG
Charitable Giving Predictions in this New Tax Environment A message from our CEO There has been much conversation in the media and among nonprofits about the impact the new tax law will have on charitable giving. While predicting human behavior is exceedingly difficult, we naturally want to understand what the future might hold. Here is my perspective on the conversation. Although the charitable giving deduction was not limited or capped, most of the national media and nonprofit sector have predicted that charitable giving will drop between $5-21 billion per year (1.7-6.8 percent of giving from individuals). The reference primarily used is a study by Indiana University’s School of Philanthropy. The study is well done and is some of the best scientific research the field has on how tax changes can impact charitable giving. The problem is, people have claimed its findings demonstrate the “impact the new tax law will have on charitable giving,” when in fact that was not the intent, or the full scope, of the study. The study analyzed the impact of three specific tax proposals on charitable giving, two of which made it into the final tax bill in similar form to how the study analyzed them: doubling the standard deduction and lowering the top marginal tax rate to 35 percent. Together, these two changes were predicted to lower giving by $5-13 billion per year. This was primarily due to the roughly doubling of the standard deduction, which would decrease the number of tax filers who will itemize their deductions, and non-itemizers don’t have a tax incentive to make charitable gifts. Remember, charitable giving is not the only itemized deduction. Changes to mortgage interest and state and local tax deductions significantly impact how easily people hit the higher standard deduction threshold. The final bill included the ability to deduct state and local taxes up to $10,000, which will allow more people
to continue itemizing than previous versions of the law predicted — keeping the charitable giving incentive available to more people than predicted in the study. Additionally, the final tax bill included three other provisions that could meaningfully impact charitable giving. The doubling of the estate tax threshold could negatively impact giving, while the removal of the Pease Amendment and the increase of allowable charitable deductions up to 60 percent of Adjusted Gross Income could positively impact giving. While I don’t claim to be able to predict how tax changes will impact giving decisions, it is important to know that the most commonly cited study, while a helpful tool, is not a full analysis of the final tax bill. Furthermore, what will individuals and companies do with the estimated $1.5 trillion in tax cuts over the next 10 years? If between 3-13 percent of the tax cuts are given to charities, we could offset the predicted losses. So, this is my challenge to the community: If every person and company gives 10 percent of their tax savings to nonprofit organizations, we will make up for any decrease in charitable giving that could result from the new tax rules. That doesn’t seem like too tall of a task for our community, does it? For those who used to but will no longer itemize, I encourage you to continue giving just as you always have. The tax benefit is rarely the main reason people support nonprofits in the first place. We give because we want to make a positive difference in the lives of others and in our world. The needs in our community didn’t go away from 2017 to 2018, so your opportunity to care for your neighbor didn’t go away either. And you will likely be able to give just as much to charity as you have in the past and still increase the amount of your income due to the lower tax rates. Your giving matters greatly to our community. Let’s meet this challenge together.
Double-up Strategy with Donor Advised Funds With the recent changes to the tax law, Donor Advised Funds became an even more valuable philanthropic solution. Many people will consider contributing two year’s worth of giving at a time into a Donor Advised Fund, allowing them to itemize their gifts every other year when they can beat the standard deduction. This new double-up strategy enables donors to take the tax deduction in the year they make the gift and have those dollars go to recommended charities on a consistent, annual basis.
IRA Charitable Distributions Please keep in mind that IRA qualified charitable distributions remain an effective charitable solution. If you are 70½ years of age or older, you can make tax-free withdrawals from your IRA, up to $100,000 per year, when those dollars go directly to nonprofits. This is an excellent way for donors to achieve their charitable goals all while satisfying their annual required minimum distribution. If you are looking to make charitable distributions out of your IRA to multiple nonprofits, the Community Foundation can make that process easier for you. Call us to learn more.
To learn more, or if you have any questions, feel free to contact Mike Goorhouse at mgoorhouse@cfhz.org SPRING 2018 CFHZ NEWSLETTER 2
2018 Competitive Grants
$210,000 in grant awards were distributed from the Community’s Endowment to four local nonprofits in the first competitive grant round of 2018.
Ready for School Start School Ready
This $75,000 grant over three years will pioneer a transformative early learning experience for children and caregivers. Once implemented and scaled across multiple school districts, up to 500 more children a year will reach the threshold of kindergarten prepared to succeed in school and in life.
Why this matters: Entering kindergarten prepared to learn has significant,
lasting impact for children, their families, schools, and the community. Ready for School has made tremendous progress in helping our community move the needle on kindergarten readiness from less than half to 63 percent and believes that Start School Ready is the most effective strategy to build on this success and reach beyond the 63 percent readiness level.
City of Holland Civic Center Place Improvement Project
This $20,000 grant will be used to renew and renovate this 60-year-old building to make it a more desirable and multi-functional space for the community.
Why this matters: The Civic Center is a pivotal part of the city’s vision for
making Holland a great place to live, work and play. The renovated space will benefit residents, visitors, and enhance their experience of downtown Holland for years to come.
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Holland Historical Trust Spark!Lab
This $40,000 grant will help to establish a Smithsonian Institution innovation and invention activity-based program at the Holland Museum.
Why this matters: Building on West Michigan’s leadership in design,
innovation, and entrepreneurship, Spark!Lab will offer museum visitors the opportunity to become inventors themselves. Spark!Lab activities are designed around common themes that connect museum collections and exhibitions to science, technology, engineering, and math. These themes will change on a regular basis, ensuring that children and families have something new to explore each time they return to the museum.
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West Ottawa Public Schools in partnership with TCM Counseling In-School Counseling
This $75,000 grant over three years will provide counseling services to students in West Ottawa Public Schools who are currently going without professional mental health services.
Why this matters:
Data from the Ottawa County Youth Assessment Survey (YAS) confirms what many of us have experienced firsthand—the number of local students experiencing depression and thinking about or attempting suicide continues to increase. The in-school counseling program will provide an important resource to students facing these difficulties and removes the barriers of cost and transportation that often prevent students from accessing these kinds of support services. Receiving needed mental health counseling services as a child or teenager has a lasting impact on students’ lives in supporting them with current challenges and equipping them to navigate these issues in healthy ways as they enter adulthood. In a moment of crisis, rapid access to mental health services can have a life-saving impact.
Dave and Liz Nyitray BUILDING A LEGACY OF GENEROSITY Dave and Liz Nyitray have been committed to giving their time, talent, and treasure throughout their lives. At a young age, both Dave and Liz were taught the importance of giving back to their community. “We grew up believing that whatever we have is a blessing, and we should use that to bless others,” Liz said. The two met during the first week of the first semester at Hope College. Dave, a Holland native and Holland Christian graduate, studied political science and business; Liz, originally from Manistee, was quickly drawn to social work. Dave and Liz understood that giving their time and talent was just as beneficial, if not more, than their money. So, the two volunteered together and individually for several community organizations including Habitat for Humanity, American Cancer Society, and Dance Marathon. After graduating from Hope, Liz took her passion and talent to Africa, where she spent a year volunteering at Sheltering Wings orphanage in Burkina Faso. Dave thought he wanted to positively impact the world through a career in Washington, D.C., but after a six- month internship, realized it wasn’t the right fit for him. He returned to the Holland area and was fortunate to work for Development Strategies, where he was a fundraising consultant for numerous nonprofit organizations. This allowed him to see every aspect of how nonprofits engaged in the community and, ultimately, is what hooked him into a career in the nonprofit sector. Dave’s primary method of giving back to his community is through his work as development director at the Outdoor Discover Center. “Going to work every day, knowing that what I do contributes to everyone’s well-being, that’s really fulfilling,” he explained. Liz gives her time and talent helping children and families through the adoption process at Bethany Christian Services, where she is a social worker. “It is filled with highs and lows,” Liz said, “but I know that working with children and families is where I’m supposed to be.” Dave also serves on several nonprofit boards including Community Action House and Lakeshore Nonprofit Alliance, and they both volunteer at their church, Madison Square Christian Reformed Church. Liz shared that they “want to continue their tradition of generosity in the way that they live and raise their son, Noah.” One of these ways was by contributing to the future success of their community through their estate plans. In 2017, the Nyitrays joined more than 175 individuals and couples as members of CFHZ’s Bridge Builder Society by making an estate gift commitment to our Community’s Endowment here at CFHZ.
“We aren’t going to be alive forever, and we won’t always know what issues come up in the community, but supporting institutions like the Community Foundation is a way to make sure that we continue to support needs that we might not even know of today.” “We aren’t going to be alive forever and we won’t always know what issues come up in the community, but supporting institutions like the Community Foundation is a way to make sure that we continue to support needs that we might not even know of today.” Dave said. Another aspect of CFHZ that resonates with them is the donor service work. “Working with donors is a big part of the work I do at the Outdoor Discovery Center” Dave explained. “One of the things that really made sense to me is the way CFHZ helps make giving easy to support the community.”
turn to the expertise of the Community Foundation. By taking advantage of the foundation’s recommended double-up strategy, Dave and Liz can contribute two years’ worth of giving at once into a newly established Donor Advised Fund, and then continue to make gifts out of the fund to their chosen nonprofit organizations spread out over the two years. This allows them to receive the full tax deduction for their gifts since they will be able to itemize their deductions every other year while still being consistent supporters of the organizations they love.
When the changes to the tax law came in effect, the Nyitrays knew they could SPRING 2018 CFHZ NEWSLETTER 4
West Ottawa Public Schools in Partnership with TCM Counseling BRINGING THE THERAPIST OFFICE INTO SCHOOLS
TCM Counseling TCM Counseling was founded by churches 40 years ago and is primarily funded by local church donations. With over 50 licensed therapists, TCM provides outpatient mental health services and professional counseling to anyone who lives, works, worships, or attends school on the west side of Ottawa County. TCM never turns anyone away and has grown significantly over the past decade.
A Vital Lifeline In one school year, 283 students in 10 area schools received FREE counseling from TCM—a value of $60,000 to the schools. According to school staff, the School Outreach Program is a proven, vital lifeline for students. If you or someone you know could benefit from the counseling services at TCM Counseling, schedule an appointment at 616-842-9160.
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The number of children facing mental health issues has increased steadily in recent years. The students at West Ottawa Public Schools have been no exception. While the mental health needs of our students continue to rise, many of them lack access to mental health services, negatively affecting their educational experience and their chances of becoming successful, thriving adults. A $75,000 grant from CFHZ aims to change that. Students at West Ottawa Public Schools experiencing emotional distress and mental health needs will have access to therapy during the school day. This is particularly beneficial for students who can’t afford counseling or find transportation to a therapist’s office. Due to the increased mental health needs in schools, students are in need of additional support. Students overwhelmed with anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation or have friends who are suffering are unable to truly focus on their school work, leading to lifelong consequences. A district-wide needs assessment was conducted to identify how many students were experiencing various forms of trauma. From physical and sexual abuse to incarceration of a parent and a host of causes in between, the number of students experiencing trauma is substantial. While West Ottawa has support staff of social workers and counselors, there is a growing need for mental health support.
After learning about the successful collaborations between the TCM School Outreach Program and other area schools, Tanya Uganski, Director of Special Education at West Ottawa Public Schools, reached out to TCM to explore the possibilities of a new partnership. “West Ottawa is a wonderfully diverse school and it is something we celebrate.” Tanya said. “We are committed to providing the mental health resources for our students and we are fortunate for the community support.” In the beginning of 2018, West Ottawa and TCM launched a pilot program in the schools to offer limited counseling services in the high school, middle schools, and three elementary schools. This pilot outreach program enables West Ottawa to address some of the mental health needs of the students who have complex challenges and are not currently receiving these services. The TCM School Outreach Program includes individual counseling, group counseling, and suicide prevention in response to the needs of students who would otherwise go without. By removing the barriers of cost and transportation, TCM provides professional counseling, suicide prevention, and support not only to the students, but also to staff and parents.
From left to right: Sarah Lewakowski, Executive Director of TCM Counseling and Tanya Uganski, Director of Special Education at West Ottawa Public Schools
QPR (Question Persuade Refer) Suicide Prevention needs of the children, those who are most training is provided to help empower the students vulnerable, aren’t being taken care of, they’re and staff to recognize the initial warning signs. not going to do well academically either. Sarah Lewakowski, executive director at TCM, says training has been especially powerful when “It’s such an amazing partnership to be able to presented to students. take the therapist office and move it right into the schools.” In between QPR sessions for high school classes, a “How is that girl, who stayed up all Having TCM counselors student sought Sarah out night trying to talk her friend out in the schools will greatly in the hallway to confess of killing herself, listening to her increase the probability that she had been up all history teacher or her math teacher? of students receiving the night trying to persuade She can’t.” therapy they need to be her friend to not take her academically successful. own life. This will increase their resilience, mindfulness, and emotional wellness so they can focus After the QPR session with Sarah, she had the on learning. courage to share this information with a school counselor so her friend could get the help Our community will greatly benefit from this she needed. powerful collaboration. When mental health issues go unaddressed, students are unable “How is that girl, who stayed up all night trying to to fully benefit from their academic experience. talk her friend out of killing herself, listening to her The success of this initiative means the success of history teacher or her math teacher? She can’t,” the youngest members of our community Sarah said. “If the mental health and emotional at West Ottawa.
“It’s such an amazing partnership to be able to take the therapist office and move it right into the schools.” —Sarah Lewakowski, Executive Director of TCM Counseling
Did you know? One in twenty (5.0 percent) of area adults have thought about taking their own life in the past year. Of these, one in five have actually attempted suicide in the past year. Compared to adults, three times as many youth (15.0 percent) have thought about suicide and more than twice as many (39.8 percent) have attempted it in the past year. Among all area adults, 15.0 percent report having anxiety disorder and 17.1 percent report having depression.
Data from the 2017 Community Health Needs Assessment, Ottawa County, MI
SPRING 2018 CFHZ NEWSLETTER 6
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Annual WEDNESDAY, MAY 16 REGISTER ONLINE TODAY AT CFHZ.ORG/ANNUALLUNCHEON REGISTER ONLINE AT CFHZ.ORG/ANNUALLUNCHEON
New and Noteworthy RECENT AWARDS
2018 COMPETITIVE GRANT DEADLINES
It has been an exciting few months here at the Community Foundation! We are thrilled and honored to receive the following:
Through our grants, the Community Foundation directly invests in projects and strategies that support, improve, and enhance the Holland/Zeeland area in which we live and work.
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A finalist in the 2018 MiBiz Best Managed Nonprofit Awards in the more than $3 million revenue category alongside our friends at the Grand Haven Area Community Foundation.
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The Pinnacle of Partnership Award from United Way, also with the GHACF.
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The Housing Next initiative was recognized by Lakeshore Advantage as one of three finalists for the Visionary Awards.
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Additionally, we were awarded the Lakeshore Local Motion Good for Employees Award by Local First!
Special thanks to our newsletter sponsor:
Nonprofit partners: The next competitive grant application submission deadlines for 2018 are May 14 and September 10. Visit cfhz.org for guidelines and more details. Have questions? Contact Elizabeth Kidd, Vice President of Community Impact, at 616-994-8851 or ekidd@cfhz.org
Invitation Photo Credit: Hannah Ziegeler