Your Impact Quarterly - Summer 2023

Letter from the Foundation President & CEO

Dear Friend of the Foundation,

Five years ago, The Community Foundation started exploring advocacy. Defined as action that recommends, supports or defends, or pleads on behalf of others, the Foundation’s advocacy work focuses on supporting local nonprofit organizations, from building relationships with elected officials, to identifying and securing public funding. Advocacy also includes educating others on the community priorities nonprofits’ work helps to address. We formed a cohort of several organizations and enlisted the services of Williams Nonprofit Consulting to teach the basics and start making connections between these local groups and elected officials.

Then, the pandemic hit, leaving nonprofits in a lurch waiting to see how our community would be affected and what additional burden they might bear. At this point, our staff gathered (virtually) to ramp up our advocacy efforts to support these critical agencies facing the pandemic head-on to do what needed to be done. Many of them took on additional work and more clients to ensure those in need in our community were cared for.

In the early days of the pandemic, we couldn’t have predicted duration or impact of the isolation. What we did know was the need would increase substantially. We surveyed nonprofits and 60% knew they needed help to survive six months. As a result, we convened elected officials to talk about critical community priorities like food security and housing and offered nonprofit organizations regular legislative updates and virtual coaching opportunities. Most importantly, we continued to offer Williams Nonprofit Consulting services to help connect nonprofits to legislators, identify funding and assist in applying for nonprofit relief funding.

Since the start of our advocacy work, we’re proud to have leveraged more than $6.9 million for nonprofits in Hancock County. These are local, state and federal dollars earmarked for local projects that will now be used in our community.

As we ease out of the pandemic, I’m grateful to our donors for supporting all the nonprofits in the community through the Foundation. The Foundation’s investment in advocacy has resulted in 35x the return, and priceless relationships with elected officials that will pay dividends for years to come.

Sincerely,

Brian P. Treece, Ed.D. President & CEO – The Community Foundation

Lots of Fun for All

to be had this summer and fall!

The Community Foundation’s Fun for All is a series of free community events. At least two events are offered per month, with more than 2,600 people attending the first half of 2023. Scan the QR code for the current schedule of events, which is updated regularly.

50 North

50 North The Cube

Children's Museum of Findlay Findlay-Hancock County Public Library

Advocacy in Hancock County: Championing the work of local nonprofit organizations

In the spring of 2018, The Community Foundation hosted a conversation on a new topic: nonprofit advocacy. What is it? Can local nonprofits participate in advocacy? How do we get started?

In a room full of educated, experienced and engaged nonprofit leaders from Hancock County the Foundation’s advocacy consultant, Jennifer Williams, asked the simple question, “Can anyone tell me who your State Senator and State Representative are?” After a lively welcoming conversation about the importance of advocating for their organizations, the room went quiet with looks of surprise on many faces. The participants didn’t know who represented their organizations in Columbus.

But that was about to change.

Setting the Stage

Throughout 2019, the Foundation continued the work started around nonprofit advocacy and hosted additional programs and one-on-one coaching sessions for organizations to learn more about integrating advocacy into their day-to-day work. These organizations worked closely with Jennifer, a consultant who has worked with the Foundation for more than 10 years. Jennifer works with many nonprofits in Findlay on issues ranging from board governance to strategic planning and financial accountability, but it wasn’t until President & CEO Brian Treece asked Jennifer if she knew anyone that could do work in advocacy that the Foundation leaned into Jennifer’s true passion: engaging nonprofits in the public policy process.

Jennifer’s career started at the Ohio Statehouse in the 1990s. Driven by a love for politics and process, she began as a page and constituent aide in the Ohio Senate learning the ins and outs of policy decision-making on the state level. After graduating from The Ohio State University, Jennifer moved to Washington, D.C. to learn more about the federal government process. While working on K Street, Jennifer represented government finance officials in Congress often educating Congressional staff on issues ranging from brownfield site revitalization to local government tax revenue issues. After a few years in D.C., Jennifer was given an opportunity to move back to Columbus to launch Ohio’s first advocacy program representing the nonprofit sector at the Statehouse. It was a return to the community she loved to help those around Ohio learn more about

WOFB visits Ohio Statehouse

how to advocate for the people and missions she cared so much about. It was that experience that created a big impact for nonprofits in Findlay through advocacy.

Also in 2019, the Foundation partnered with Jennifer to create the Advocacy Cohort, an opportunity for a few organizations to spend a year implementing advocacy work into their mission. Among the nonprofits participating was the Blanchard River Watershed Partnership (BRWP), a small organization with only one parttime staff member whose mission is to address problems and concerns that affect the health of the Blanchard River Watershed.

Prior to the Foundation beginning advocacy trainings, the BRWP had already recognized the importance of nonprofit advocacy. After forming an advocacy committee composed of board members, BRWP started thinking about how they could fulfill their mission and help the community with a more strategic advocacy effort. BRWP attended the Foundation’s first advocacy programs and coaching sessions in 2018 and it was through these opportunities that BRWP was able to develop a more deliberate approach to their advocacy work. As part of the cohort, BRWP board members and staff visited elected officials at the Statehouse, hosted a watershed tour featuring the Riverside Dam, and participated in one-on-one coaching sessions. Following the Riverside Dam tour, BRWP began focusing their advocacy effort on the restoration of the Riverside Dam area.

As BRWP and other nonprofits built on the momentum from the first two years of advocacy work, the Foundation launched a series of advocacy trainings and began identifying new organizations to participate in a second round of the Advocacy Cohort. It was February 2020 and

nonprofits in Hancock County were poised for what was promising to be another great year of advocacy work.

Critical Change

In March 2020, Jennifer was working from home at the start of the pandemic when the Foundation staff called to talk about challenges the organizations housed at The Family Center were having with helping visitors access benefits and services. Having spent years in state government, Jennifer had the connections to help The Family Center navigate these turbulent times. This was the catalyst for the Foundation to pivot its advocacy work to better support nonprofits and the community through the pandemic.

During the early stages of the pandemic, the Foundation’s advocacy work shifted to helping nonprofits navigate local, state and federal government to access emergency funding to retain staff and provide essential community services and resources. The Foundation served as a valuable resource to state officials including Rep. Jon Cross and Sen. Rob McColley who participated in monthly virtual meeting updates on food security issues, housing, mental health and more. After one meeting about food security and the challenges being faced by the West Ohio Food B-ank, Sen. McColley reached out to Campbell’s, located in his district, and Jennifer helped facilitate an in-kind donation of food valued over $120,000.

Jennifer was also able to help nonprofits understand the many funding opportunities available particularly from the Small Business

State Representative Jon Cross with Hancock County nonprofits

BRWP with State Senator Rob McColley

Administration including the Paycheck Protection Program. This program was created to provide small businesses and nonprofits resources they needed to maintain payroll, hire back employees and cover overhead expenses but it was difficult to navigate for many small nonprofits that had never accessed public funding before. Jennifer helped identify which programs would be best suited for each nonprofit and assisted with the necessary paperwork to access funding. By the end of 2020, nonprofits in Findlay had secured more than $2 million through of the advocacy program.

In 2021, as nonprofits acclimated to the new normal, the Foundation’s advocacy work continued to evolve to address changing needs within the community. The Foundation regularly met with local, state, and federal officials to update them on community needs and the programs, services and resources being provided. The Foundation engaged county and city officials monthly to stay updated on both community needs as well as the status of pandemic relief as it made its way into state and local governments. At The Family Center, the Foundation hosted U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown for a tour of the facility and a roundtable discussion with leaders from local agencies about the homelessness and housing issues within Hancock County.

Streams of Success

The Blanchard River Watershed Partnership also had to pivot, but their commitment to advocacy remained as board members and staff participated in the Foundation’s virtual advocacy programs and coaching sessions during the pandemic. BRWP partnered with the West

Central Ohio Land Conservancy to host a virtual watershed tour "Conservation and Agriculture: Where Land Meets Water" featuring farmlands, wetlands and waterways of Northwest Ohio. Local and state elected officials attended, and it served as a springboard for advocacy for both organizations.

Through 2021, the Foundation continued to support nonprofit advocacy work through educational programs, coaching and helping nonprofits access public funding. After seeing success helping nonprofits access pandemic funding, Jennifer began researching public funding opportunities that would allow organizations to access funding tied more closely with their mission area including housing, food security, domestic violence, the arts, mental health and the environment.

During this phase of work, BRWP began to narrow its advocacy efforts to focus on one project they identified years early: the ecological restoration of the Riverside Dam. BRWP held meetings with Mayor Muryn and presented at Findlay City Council meetings to educate local elected officials about the benefits of the potential project. Through their efforts, BRWP received its first round of public funding for the Riverside Dam project from the City of Findlay. In 2022, the Hancock County Commissioners also made a funding commitment for the second phase of the project which is expected to get underway later this year.

BRWP with Cross

Cross attends BRWP Watershed Tour

Through BRWP’s understanding and commitment to advocacy, they are in the midst of their largest community project in the history of the organization. “BRWP’s advocacy work through The Community Foundation has provided a framework to help us sustain our advocacy work long-term and opened up new opportunities allowing us to more effectively fulfill our mission,” said Lauren Sandhu, Watershed Coordinator.

The Riverside Dam project is expected to be funded almost entirely with public funding secured by advocacy work through The Community Foundation. BRWP has met with representatives from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, the Environmental Protection Agency and more with letters of support from local, state and federal elected officials as well as state agencies and departments. This is just one example of the impactful work nonprofits are doing through advocacy. Many nonprofits are engaging in varying degrees of advocacy work from reading the new advocacy newsletter, to attending programming about getting started, to advocating for their missions with elected officials and securing public funding. The West

Central Ohio Land Conservancy recently visited the Statehouse to advocate for more funding for farmland preservation in Ohio’s biennial operating budget. Christian Clearing House became the first nonprofit in Ohio to have their entire board certified through the Ohio Attorney General’s Charitable University program. Black Heritage Library and Multicultural Center received state funding to digitize their collections for easier access.

There are many more examples of the success nonprofits are finding with advocacy work. Through July 2023, the Foundation has helped Hancock County nonprofits secure more than $6.9 million in public funding in less than three years. Following this successful financial impact, The Community Foundation heard from nonprofits, elected officials, and community leaders about the need to continue this important work in the community. Nonprofit leaders continue to voice their support for the continuation of nonprofit advocacy efforts and building the capacity of nonprofits to successfully engage in advocacy.

Through consultation with leading advocacy organizations and foundations including the Council on Foundations, Grantmakers for Effective Organizations and BoardSource, the Foundation studied other models by which foundations have become advocacy leaders in their communities. Through education and awareness, capacity building, public funding, and government partnerships the Foundation has developed relationships and resources to be well-positioned to continue growing on the recent successes for many years to come.

Senator Sherrod Brown tours The Family Center

“The Community Foundation’s advocacy work has been transformational for Findlay’s nonprofit sector. I value my partnership with the Foundation and the nonprofits I’ve worked with to use advocacy to help maximize our community impact and address our community’s most pressing needs.”

Mayor Christina Muryn, City of Findlay

Tax Law Changes Enhance Charitable Giving with IRAs

By Robert Cabanski Principal of the Trust Company

Since 2006, older Americans were given the opportunity to shelter otherwise taxable IRA distributions by making charitable gifts directly from their IRAs. Those who are age 70½ or older can make charitable gifts of up to $100,000 each year from their IRAs and exclude that otherwise taxable IRA distribution from their taxable income with the use of qualified charitable distributions (QCDs). QCDs can be used to satisfy, or reduce, your annual IRA required minimum distribution (RMD) amount for the year, but the distribution will not qualify for the charitable income tax deduction. QCDs can also be made directly from inherited IRAs under the same set of rules.

The tax benefits from QCD giving can be significant as opposed to using other funds to fulfill charitable intentions. For example, Ohio taxpayers receive no direct tax deductions for charitable gifts and with increased standard deduction amounts, a significant number of taxpayers no longer benefit from itemized deductions on their federal tax return. This includes deductions for charitable contributions. The exclusion of these IRS distributions from the taxpayer’s adjusted gross income can create other indirect tax benefits as certain tax limitations and taxability are based upon a taxpayer’s adjusted gross income.

To qualify for a QCD exclusion, the charitable gift must be made directly from your IRA and it must be made to a qualified charity, which does not include private foundations or donor advised funds. However, QCD contributions can be made to The Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation to Funds for the Common Good, Field

of Interest Fund, a Designated Fund for a nonprofit organization, or a Scholarship Fund. Contact Foundation Donor Engagement Staff for other qualifying charity options.

In December 2022, Congress enacted the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act (Secure Act 2.0). The Secure Act 2.0 brought welcome enhancements to the provisions relating to QCDs. First, the annual $100,000 cap on QCDs will be indexed each year for inflation beginning in 2024. Most importantly, the new Act gives each taxpayer who is 70 ½ and older a one-time election to transfer a QCD of up to $50,000 from an IRA to a split interest entity. Such split interest entities can include a charitable remainder unitrust, a charitable remainder annuity trust, or a charitable gift annuity and can pay a fixed percentage (minimum of 5%) for the life of the IRA owner and/ or their spouse. The IRA distribution is excluded from the IRA owner’s taxable income and allows the owner to satisfy his or her RMD for the year of the transfer. However, distributions to the owner or the owner’s spouse from the split-interest entity is taxable as ordinary income. The new Act also indexes this one-time $50,000 election cap for inflation for years after 2023.

If you are 70½ with significant retirement assets in an IRA or Inherited IRA with philanthropic intentions, contact your financial or tax advisor to discuss the potential benefits to you by utilizing QCDs.

Nonprofit Spotlight

Children’s Mentoring Connection of Hancock County

Children’s Mentoring Connection began as Big Brothers Big Sisters before becoming an independent, local nonprofit organization. CMC provides a professionally monitored mentoring program for local children with the vision of every qualified child needing services being actively engaged in a mentoring relationship designed to enhance their personal growth as competent, caring, and confident individuals. The Foundation supported CMC projects including: a project management position, Camp FUN, schoolbased mentoring, and more. Consider the following fund on community-foundation.com to help advance their mission to make a positive difference in the lives of young people one meaningful connection at a time.

• Children’s Mentoring Connection Fund

Your support of their work is appreciated!

Donor Spotlight

Elsa and Jeff Shrader

In 2011, the Shrader family’s lives were forever changed when their older son Greg took his own life. As they celebrated Greg’s life, they heard stories about how Greg encouraged others. They decided to do something positive to help others to honor Greg’s memory. They family started two funds:

• Gregory James Shrader Memorial Fund, a donor advised fund, and

• Gregory James Shrader Memorial Scholarship.

Twelve years later, the scholarship has awarded 27 students just over $20,000. The donor advised fund has supported 13 organizations with $30,000.

“Our family has been richly and humbly blessed by The Community Foundation,” said the Shraders. “They have given us the opportunity to give yearly swim scholarships to Findlay High School swimmers and donate annually to projects within this community. The ongoing love and support we have received from this community is helping us to keep Greg’s bright smile shining in our hearts and in this community.”

Renovation 2023

You will notice construction at the Foundation’s downtown Findlay office as we renovate our space to better serve the community. We are committed to staying downtown in the heart of Hancock County to best serve donors, nonprofit agencies and guests. The current office footprint of 3800 square feet will be renovated to maximize the space.

Renovation plans include a more visible and accessible entrance, the addition of the Donnell Event Center, the Dick and Karen Zunkiewicz donor meeting room and improved technology. We've engaged local and regional companies to complete the work, which began July 10 and finishes in the fall.

The Community Foundation is temporarily located at Suite 300 in our current building (101 W. Sandusky St.) during construction. Staff is working a hybrid schedule but is available by phone and email during office hours (M-F, 8 AM - 4 PM).

A Million Brighter Tomorrows

For the Foundation’s 30th anniversary in 2022, we set a goal to raise $300,000 in funds for youth as part of our Brighter Tomorrows initiative. Bright looks different for every child. For some a brighter tomorrow might be a safe place to live, more education opportunities, or needed medical care. A brighter tomorrow could be scholarships, more recreation options, special field trips. The possibilities are endless.

Our generous community rose to the challenge and exceeded our expectations. As of June 2023, more than $1 million has been raised to improve the quality of life for all youth. Those $1 million represent many things, like more new shoes for children in need, eight new scholarship funds, two funds for equipment for students entering trade fields, a STEM fund for teachers, and many more.

Thanks to each of you, there’s a million more opportunities, a million more possibilities, and a million brighter tomorrows. Thank you!

Grants Awarded in May

At the May meeting, the Foundation Board awarded grants totaling $915,189.

Responsive grants were awarded to:

• Children’s Mentoring Connection

• Focus Recovery and Wellness Community

• Hancock County ADAMHS Board

• Hancock Properties Foundation

• Hancock Public Health

• Kan Du

• Kiwanis Foundation of Findlay

• Marathon Center for the Performing Arts

• Northwest Ohio Railroad Preservation

• Open Arms Domestic Violence and Rape Crisis Services

• Rieck Center for Habitat Studies

• Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio

• United Way of Hancock County

• University of Findlay’s Mazza Museum

• Village of McComb

Visit community-foundation.com to read more about these grants and the others awarded.

New Funds of the Foundation

The latest funds established by generous philanthropists and organizations in the community.

• Arlington School Foundation Supporting Careers in the Trades Fund

• James W. Baughman (Mr. B) Van Buren Scholarship

• Beam of Light Foundation for Foster Families

• Elise M. Billmaier Memorial Art Scholarship

• Findlay High School Class of 1978 Scholarship

• Flag City Morning Rotary Foundation

• Chris and Mary Beth Hammond Community Service Fund

• Keller Family Millstream Tools for the Trades Fund

• Tom and Esther Swaisgood Fund

• Cathy Zellner Memorial Scholarship

Visit community-foundation.com to read about these funds and many others.

Design AR Marketing Printing

Millstream Kennedy, Inc.

Writing & Editing

Jennifer Williams

Genna Freed

Grants from the Foundation