CFNEG Giving Back Spring 2016

GIVING BACK

SPRING 2016

CONNECTING PEOPLE WHO CARE WITH CAUSES THAT MATTER.

hat comes to mind when you think of giving? Do you automatically think of giving we view giving as encompassing every part of life.

It’s more than just offering money. It’s also about offering your time, talents, leadership, services and so much more.

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As we move into our 31st year, we’re reminded even more of the power of our community working together. We’ve seen it happen time and again. People accomplishing great things - whether it’s stocking food pantries, teaching ESOL classes, helping mend hurting families, providing meaningful work for those with mental disabilities and so much more.

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Our hope is for everyone to be a philanthropist — someone who seeks to promote the welfare of others by giving generously to good causes.

What does that look like? It looks like the child who, instead of asking for birthday presents, asks for friends and family to donate to a worthy cause. It looks like the retiree who volunteers at one of our local

It looks like the Community Foundation’s Good2Give movement. It doesn’t matter the amount that you give; it matters that you give. We hope this issue of our Giving Back report leaves you inspired and motivated by the stories of good being done by you and countless others in our community.

We’re excited about the future, about teaching our community what it is to be a true philanthropist, and showing how it is Good2Give!!

OUR LEADERSHIP OFFICERS:

President

RICHARD B. CHANDLER, JR. Chandler, Britt, Jay and Beck LLC

KAREN FINE SALTIEL Primerica

STEPHEN K. HILL SKH Enterprises

BRUCE SHARP BB&T

BARBARA HOWARD Suzanna’s Kitchen

STEVE WILLIAMS United Community Bank

COLE HUDGENS Community Leader

KATHRYN PARSONS WILLIS Parsons Gifts

DICK LOPRESTI LoPresti Capital, Inc.

ADAM WILSON Sugarloaf Wealth Management

ETHEL D. ANDERSON Anderson, Tate & Carr, PC

BILL MCCARGO BMAC & Associates

EMERITUS

JULIE KEETON ARNOLD Keeton Arnold Communications

ANDREW POURCHIER Rhodes, Young, Black & Duncan

CLIFF BRAY Westbrook, McGrath, Bridges, Orth & Bray

MAXIE PRICE, JR. Maxie Price Chevrolet World

DOUG BRIDGES Westbrook, McGrath, Bridges, Orth & Bray

MARIELA ROMERO Univision Communication

PRESIDENT: SCOTT PHELAN Morgan Stanley VICE PRESIDENT: TOM ABERNATHY Abernathy & Timberlake Investment Group TREASURER: WILLIAM E. MCLENDON Community Leader SECRETARY: SANDRA STRICKLAND Community Leader

DIRECTORS

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Executive Director

Dr. Daniel J. Kaufman Alan Najjar Bill Russell Greg Shumate Perry Tindol

Bartow Morgan Louise Radloff William R. Short T. Michael Tennant A. Ray Weeks, Jr.

CHAIRMAN IN PERPETUITY Robert D. Fowler

SAVE THE DATE

One night. One community.

Numerous nonprofits.

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6400 Sugarloaf Parkway, Duluth, Georgia 30097 N MA HU

To purchase tickets, tables or donate online, visit www.cfneg.org AR

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WHY IT IS “Giving binds us together as a community and a country.”

—Louise Radloff Gwinnett County School Board Vice-Chairman SCOTT & HOLLY PHELAN FAMILY FOUNDATION

MR. & MRS. COLE HUDGENS

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WHY IT IS “I believe giving is a gift that blesses the giver as well as the receiver!”

—Tom Abernathy President, Abernathy & Timberlake Investment Group

TEAMING UP TO GIVE BACK How three professional advisors connected clients and friends with the Community Foundation and helped them maximize their charitable giving.

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FINDING JOY IN GIVING

Duluth resident Joe Shafer started his career with Sears making $0.57 an hour, worked there for 43 years, retired and began dabbling in real estate. Today, he’s a multi-millionaire and community volunteer, who, after his wife Dottie passed away eight years ago, found his calling in helping people.

“I’ve gotten so much joy out of giving to people that need it,” Joe said. “It’s been a wonderful time, and God’s been good to me.”

Joe often leans on his advisor Scott Phelan, senior vice president at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management and the president of the Community Foundation’s board.

“Scott has been a big help to me,” he said. “We’ve worked together to help develop various ways to give charitably while doing the most good.”

Last year, because of now-permanent charitable giving legislation, Joe was able to take a required minimum distribution of $100,000 from his IRA and open a fund with the Community Foundation, eliminating the need to pay income taxes on the appreciated asset.

“Joe has given directly to organizations like Gwinnett Medical Center but, this time he wanted to spread it out and not give to just one charity,” Scott said. “The Community Foundation was the ideal solution.

Advisor Scott Phelan with fund holder Joe Shafer

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“This tax incentive is great for donors like Joe because they can use assets tied up in an IRA to make a gift right now and unleash resources into this community that might otherwise be eaten up by taxes.”

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Advisor Bridget Christian with fund holder Rick Kent

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HONORING THE PAST THROUGH THE FUTURE

For the past 18 years, Bridget Christian, founding partner of Bridget Christian Law Group, has provided legal services for clients of Rick Kent, managing partner at Merit Financial Advisors. When Rick’s son David passed away on October 23, 2015 through a tragic motorcycle accident, he and his wife Joyce turned to Bridget for advice on setting up a foundation in David’s memory.

“Rick and Joyce initially wanted to start their own foundation, but I knew it would be better to start with a donor-advised fund and then if they still desired a foundation to go from there,” Bridget said. “I had recently met the Community Foundation’s Executive Director Randy Redner and was immediately impressed with his commitment to charitable giving.”

Bridget put the Kent's in touch with Randy.

“After talking to Randy, I felt the Community help young people improve their lives,” Rick said.

The Kents opened the David Isaiah fund last year in honor of their son and the grandson he left behind.

“We have been blessed, and we want to give back,” Rick said.

“Our hope is that we can help young people who are struggling.”

Photography for cover and feature spread by Mary Buck, Lightscapes Photography

MAKING THE GREATEST IMPACT A casual conversation at dinner turned into a series of events that led Janet and Lon VonKohn to the Community Foundation. When the two of them went out to eat with their good friend Laurie McClain, CPA and managing partner of McClain & Company, P.C., Janet began telling Laurie about her desire to start a foundation.

“I’m not her CPA, but I knew exactly what they needed —a donor-advised fund,” Laurie said. “I told her about the Community Foundation and told her she needed to meet Executive Director Randy Redner."

“I wholeheartedly support those organizations that make Gwinnett a better place, which the Community Foundation is the VonKohn’s.”

Janet, who, along with Lon, owns a company dedicated to helping medical/pharmaceutical companies build and expand their sales organization, was intrigued. She liked the exposure the Community Foundation provided. After meeting with Randy and Laurie, Janet and Lon decided to open a donoradvised fund with the Community Foundation —focusing on education, health and Christian organizations.

“The Community Foundation gives us exposure to multiple charities and the monies contributed to the account are invested and therefore, grow,” Janet said.

“We desire to impact the recipients such that they become highly productive in society and are able to give. We believe giving is a way to say ‘thank you’ for all that we have been blessed with.”

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Advisor Laurie McClain with fund holder Janet VonKohn

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ENDOWMENT SPOTLIGHT

and Keith have trekked to Vines Botanical Gardens in Loganville twice a week, weather permitting.

They’ve become an integral part of the behind-the-scenes crew that keeps the grounds immaculate.

Strictly volunteer, these three men spend seven hours each week pitching mulch, cutting grass, They do all this through the Hi-Hope Service Center, a Lawrenceville-based organization offering adults with developmental disabilities community and center-based weekday services, job development and coaching, and limited residential services.

Community involvement is a major tenant of Hi-Hope’s purpose — 49 percent of Hi-Hope’s clients volunteer at least once a month.

Michelle Kvasny, who supports Bart, Brian and Keith, has seen time and again how much they love seeing the results of their work.

“Volunteering at Vines provides enjoyable work for them, and they really like Peggy Moss, their contact person there, and the master gardeners with whom they work,” Michelle said.

Others have noticed their dedication as well. This past March, the men were awarded a Presidential Service Award from Gwinnett County Parks and Recreation.

“We so enjoy seeing them. They are so helpful and are one of the reasons the park gets so many compliments from visitors,” Peggy said. “It is evident that they like what they do when they are here.”

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THE ABILITY TO CHANGE OUR COMMUNITY

Bri an, B art & Keith at

l ica tan o sB Vine

Bart, Brian and Keith’s story is just one of many from Hi-Hope. Over the years, this organization has helped countless people improve their quality of life.

accomplished all it has thanks to donors and partnerships with organizations like the Community Foundation. Hi-Hope has entrusted the Community Foundation with a large portion of its funds, through endowments, which provide Hi-Hope with on-going support.

“The Community Foundation is a valuable community partner to HiHope,” said Susan Boland Butts, CEO of Hi-Hope. “Earnings from our endowment funds provide vital operating dollars; funding through foundation grants have supported critical capital needs; educational seminars allow us to expand our expertise in fundraising; and the mentoring and community connections offered by the Community Foundation’s Executive Director Randy Redner ensure that Hi-Hope is positioned for successfully meeting our community’s overwhelming needs.”

We’re proud to be a part of the great work that Hi-Hope is doing and look forward to their future accomplishments!

Hi-Hope was recently awarded a $25,000 grant through the Community Foundation's 2016 grant program.

Brian, Bart & Keith at Vines Botanical Gardens

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2016 GRANT BREAKFAST One of our favorite events every year is the Community Foundation’s grant awards breakfast. This year we awarded 24 grants totaling $288,000, surpassing last year’s grant total of $160,217!

Many gave through our Good2Give Fund, our community’s collective giving fund that allows people to give any amount at any time. Our fund holders also stepped up to the plate in unprecedented ways this year.

“We had a record number of grant requests in 2016,” said Executive Director Randy Redner. “To help meet that need a number of our fund holders generously gave to help us supersize our ability to grant requests. We are incredibly thankful for them and everyone who gave, enabling us to directly impact many lives throughout our community!”

It’s not too early to start giving to help meet next year’s grant requests. Visit our web site, click on Good2Give and donate online. Every dollar counts!

24 GRANTS=$288K

WHY IT IS "If everyone gave something, we could do amazing things in the world.”

—Karen Fine Saltiel Executive Vice President, Primerica

2016 grant winners:

Abba House..........................................................................................................$5,000 Annandale Village.............................................................................................$5,000 Clinic for Education, Treatment & Prevention of Addiction, Inc....$5,000 Duluth Co-Op | Hands of Christ...................................................................$5,000 Family Promise of Gwinnett...........................................................................$20,000 FCA Soccer............................................................................................................$9,000 Forsyth County Family Haven.......................................................................$25,000 Friends of Gwinnett Senior Services..........................................................$10,000 Georgia Gwinnett College..............................................................................$10,000 Gwinnett Children’s Shelter...........................................................................$15,000 Helping Mamas...................................................................................................$2,500 Hi-Hope Service Center..................................................................................$25,000 Hudgens Center for the Arts.........................................................................$25,000 Interlocking Communities..............................................................................$5,000 Lawrenceville Co-op............................................................................................$1,500 Lilburn Co-op........................................................................................................$5,000 Norcross Cooperative Ministry...................................................................$25,000 Peachtree Christian Hospice........................................................................$5,000 Ser Familia ..........................................................................................................$25,000 Single Parent Alliance and Resource Center.........................................$5,000 Society of St. Vincent de Paul.....................................................................$15,000 SPARK United Way Gwinnett.......................................................................$10,000 The PATH Project..............................................................................................$5,000 Uniting Hope 4 Children................................................................................$25,000

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6500 Sugarloaf Parkway, Suite 220 Duluth, Georgia 30097

WHY IT IS

770.813.3380 | cfneg.org info@cfneg

“Giving is a joy, because of the good that comes as a result.”

—Sandra Strickland Community Leader

Charitable Giving Accounts Charitable Giving Accounts Yield a Powerful Return Charitable Giving Accounts (a.k.a. Donor Advised Funds) offer an immediate return for a long-term giving plan. These funds work well for donors who need to give charitably for tax purposes now, but don’t have a significant cause to fund at the time. We’ll hold and grow your funds at the Community Foundation until you are ready to grant them back out to the causes that matter most to you.

We can even help you identify organizations and needs that match your charitable intent. This is a simple way to be more intentional with your charitable giving and ensure it has the greatest impact.

$ GIVE

Open your account with cash, securities, property or other assets.

RECEIVE

Gain tax deductions now while your charitable giving account grows.

CONNECT

Work with the Foundation staff to find the causes you most want to support.

IMPACT

Grant your money to local charities and make an investment in our local community.

Consult your financial advisor about tax benefits. Investment returns not guaranteed. Community Foundation funds can only be distributed to registered 501(c)3 organizations.

Good Happens When You Give.

Reach out to Randy Redner at (770)813-3384 or rredner@cfneg.org to start your own Charitable Giving Account. @cfneg STAFF

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