Greater Kansas City Community Foundation

Better in small bites (?)

“Not nice. Not nice.” That’s what Eva says when we have our little conversations about biting. We’ve had a lot of those lately, prompted first by the dreaded note sent home from school reporting that Eva bit a fellow toddler. Fortunately, she hasn’t repeated the offense, but she has experienced it on the receiving end twice since then. I look her in the eyes and tell her that biting is not model behavior!

Some things are, however, perfect in small bites. Such is the case with charitable giving, where a little can go a long way. If you haven’t yet had a taste of a giving circle, you are missing out! The staff at the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation started its own giving circle (check out the party pics), each of us tossing in our $5, $50, $100, or whatever amount we chose to contribute. We raised $2,500 toward a scholarship at UMKC’s Institute for Urban Education. And, even better, our talented team recruited matching funds to bring our total to nearly $10,000, including donations from several members of our terrific board of directors. Some of us give in small bites, some of us give in big bites. The Community Foundation’s got something on its menu for everyone, whether it is a Charity Giving Card, a giving circle, or a personal or family fund. Now that is nice! 

We want to hold your hand

Some moments are meant to be etched in the memory forever, aren't they? That's exactly what went through my mind as I watched Lindy and Eva walk into preschool together on Friday morning, arm in arm, in their matching navy blue dresses covered in watermelons, little tufts of blonde hair capturing every ounce of the summer morning sun.

Too bad my memory does not have the same capacity for other things, like, oh, the reason I went down to the basement, or the super important detail I was just about to relay to my colleague. At least when it comes to our family's charitable giving, I don't have to remember the last time I gave to my church, or my university, or my favorite charity. Nor do I have to search through tax receipts. The modest (very modest)-but-mighty Laura McKnight and Clay Barker Fund at the Community Foundation takes care of all of that for us. We have information at our fingertips, online, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and the folks at the Community Foundation are always willing to lend a hand if we have questions.

Save your memory for those Friday morning moments and organize your generosity through a personal or family foundation fund at the Community Foundation. Click here to learn more. An easier way could be right in the palm of your hand.

We've got it covered (with syrup??)

First graders pick up on a lot by watching their teachers. As I headed back to the office last week after our vacation, Ann asked me if I could just skip work and stay home. I told her, no, I couldn't just do that . . . . what would happen to the stack of mail sitting on my desk and all of the meetings scheduled on the calendar? "Get a sub!" she said.

You know, that is actually a really good point. Each of us is responsible for ensuring that someone else is trained to do our job while we are gone. We take that seriously at the Community Foundation. Every position engages in thorough "cross training" so that no single person has all the knowledge of a particular subject. That means you can count on us to help you this summer (and throughout the year), even if the person you regularly deal with is out. Don't hesitate to contact me directly at mcknight@gkccf.org if you ever are unsure where to direct a question.

Want to take a guess at Ann's favorite part of the trip? When I asked her that question, I was thinking of an answer along the lines of feeding the dolphins at Sea World, or perhaps floating down the lazy river on an inner tube. "My favorite part was the pancakes," she said. Oh well. Driving 800 miles for pancakes is still worth it. There's just no substitute for a family vacation.

It's Your Journey

"Are we there yet?" Uh, no. That was Olathe, girls. Sea World is about, oh, another 13 hours away.

What a perfect opportunity to post a little something about the Community Foundation's commitment to any timeframe a donor desires. After all, it's your philanthropic journey. Want to start a fund with just enough to cover the charitable gifts you've got planned for the year? That is perfectly fine. Planning an estate gift and need a "shell fund" that won't receive assets for 50 years? That's fine, too. Hoping to map out a tradition of giving in your family with a small foundation, just to see how it goes for a few years? Yep. That works for us.

The Community Foundation is here for you. No matter what the ride looks like, we promise excellent service and good company whenever you need some charitable advice.

Now, back to breaking up fights in the back seat. I think I'll just toss a bag of goldfish over my shoulder and declare it Sea World.

Get a Clue: Leave Some Clues

"The Clue in the Old Station Wagon." That was the answer Ann gave my mom when she asked her what Nancy Drew book she was reading. "Are you sure?" said Gran. "Have you ever seen a station wagon?" "No," said Ann. "But you can see one in a museum."

Actually Ann was confused. She is reading the Clue in the Old Stagecoach. But really, to a seven-year-old, growing up in 2008, what's the difference?

Times change! That's why the Community Foundation is here for you, ensuring that your charitable wishes are followed, even after you're gone. We encourage you to keep your family involved over many generations so that your legacy lives on. Our staff can serve as a resource for your children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren, helping connect them with causes that align with your values in exactly the way you'd hope they would. Contact my colleague, Debbie Starke, to find out how you can create your own Vision and Philosophy Statement to guide the future distribution of your family's charitable foundation, which, by the way, is so easy to establish under the Community Foundation's umbrella.

After all, someone's got to keep the family legacies alive. I got such a kick out of telling Ann about the 1979 Dodge Aspen station wagon (with wood siding, of course) that was our family car when I was growing up. It was okay in 1979, but by the mid-1980's, I was so embarrassed about it that I'd make my dad park it down the street when my friends came over. "Why's your car always parked at the neighbor's?" they finally asked. Guess they were clued in after all.

Our lips are sealed

Last night before dinner, Ann pulled Lindy aside with a sneaky look on her face. I wasn’t quite sure what to think when Ann told me that they "were going to the laundry room to have a private conversation." (Big words for someone who's still got two weeks left in first grade!) Off they went to huddle by the washing machine. With great restraint, I did not eavesdrop, even though I was dying of curiosity. How much trouble can a seven-year-old and a four-year-old get into, anyway?

Confidentiality is not to be taken lightly. At the Community Foundation, all information about the more than 2,200 charitable funds under our umbrella is strictly confidential. Sometimes, certain donors permit us to tell their stories in publications, which we sure appreciate. Other than that, the only information we ever release about a fund to the public--or, for that matter, to anyone other than authorized users on the account--is to list the name of the fund in our annual report. Of course, donors may choose to opt out of the annual report listing, remaining completely anonymous. Not only is confidentiality an integral part of the Community Foundation's core values, but it is also a perk for the individuals, families, and businesses who establish foundations with us. (By contrast, information about private foundations is readily available on the Web. Not so private!)

As for the under cover laundry room operation, what do you think? Should I ask Ann or Lindy to spill the beans, or keep my lips sealed?

Model homes...and a model home

Ann and I both love to visit model homes, so that's how we spent a delightful Sunday afternoon. (For a seven-year-old, she's got pretty good taste. For example, one of the houses on the Parade of Homes featured some very interesting knick knacks, including a large figurine of a woman in a very, shall we say, odd pose. "That's a little weird," Ann said. "I'd take that out.")

What a treat to stumble upon a darling nursery filled with baby-safe furnishings donated by Babies 'R Us! We were greeted by a terrific volunteer from Charlie's Safe Haven, a new nonprofit organization whose mission is to make Heartland homes safe, one child at a time. I made it my mission to encourage her to become part of DonorEdge, the Community Foundation's online resource for information about area nonprofit organizations, accessible at www.gkccf.org. Tonight I checked out www.charliessafehaven.org and learned about a "model house" that will provide adults with real-life demonstrations, examples, and resources on children's safety in and around the home. According to the site, the house is named after Charlie Horn, whose life tragically ended on November 1, 2007, when a dresser fell on him.

What an inspiration to see such good things emerge from an unimaginable loss. At the Community Foundation, what's important to you is what's important to us, and it is a privilege every day to encounter role models--even in the most unlikely of places--for what the power of philanthropy can do in our community. P.S. Ann confessed that she "accidentally" left her socks in one of the houses. Dark brown with little bows, size 8. Not exactly "model" behavior!

What part of "no" don’t you understand?

What is every toddler's favorite word? I'll give you a hint. It has two letters and begins with "n." "Time for bed, Eva!" "Nooooooo," she said insistently last night, catapulting herself across our bed to escape my reach. "Nooooo!"

It's really too bad that we don't carry a little bit of that toddler "no" instinct into adulthood when it comes to demands on our volunteer time and our charitable dollars. We spend so much energy regretting commitments that aren't our passion and then figuring out clever ways to turn an already-out-there "yes" into a "no."

My friend and colleague, Roxie Jerde, reminded us all at a management team meeting last week that we need to ask ourselves what we are saying "no" to when we say "yes" to something else. This is so true!

Fortunately, when it comes to charitable giving priorities, the Community Foundation can help! Roxie and her team have developed a nifty tool called the Charitable Investment Review that can help you diagnose a few "yes" investments that should have been "no" investments . . . . and vice versa! We all want to make a difference with our time and money. And, as with anything worthwhile, that means saying "no" to some opportunities that don't have a direct impact on the results we want to achieve.

Does that sound good? YES!

Contact Roxie to learn more about the Charitable Investment Review.

Can you hear me now?

If there ever were a day designed perfectly for a trip to the zoo, Saturday was it! The Kansas City Zoo just keeps getting better and better, and Saturday did not disappoint. It was a wonderful outing. For Lindy, my four-year-old, the highlight of the excursion was a tie between the animals and the promise of junk food at the end of the trip. Every so often a little voice would chirp from the stroller to remind me of my commitment. "What did you say, Lindy? You want to see the cheetahs?" "No," she said. "I want Cheetos." Over by the gorillas she piped up again. "Oh, shall we see the chimps next?" I said. "No, mommy, I said chips. CHIPS!"

What a helpful reminder that good listening skills are a must! Not just at the zoo, but at the Community Foundation, where what's important to you is what's important to us. We promise to listen closely to the charitable causes that are most important to you, and then help you design a charitable plan to achieve the community results you want. As always, you can learn more about these and other services on our Web site.

Oh, and here's a corollary to the "listen well" rule: Read carefully. Which is something my mother and I failed to do. At 5:45, we were settled in on a bench by the giraffes, letting the kids play, when it dawned on me that the zoo might actually have a closing time. I pulled the map out of the stroller, and, sure enough, the zoo had closed at 5:00! Two adults, two strollers, and a seven-year-old, running wildly from Africa to the exit. Now that's a visual that should start your week with a chuckle!

In it for the long haul

I called the house last Thursday evening to let everyone know that I was running a little late. Ann answered the phone. "How was school today?" I asked. Here was her response: "GooOOOOoooOOOOoooOOOOOOoood!" To get the full effect, you have to hit every note on the scale with gusto as you belt out the word in exuberant song. "What was THAT?" I asked Ann. "Oh," she said, "That was 'good' in opera."

What a great idea to linger on such a positive note! Some matters are just not meant to be dealt with in haste. Kind of like the Community Foundation's "Time to Get It Right" leadership initiative. Its premise is that our region must invest in quality education--from pre-Kindergarten to postgraduate--for all of our children, especially the historically underserved Latino and African-American kids. These children are the economy of our future. They deserve a long-term strategy.

You can bet that 10 years from now I'll still be talking about "Time to Get It Right." That's how committed we are at the Community Foundation--board, staff, and interested donors--to investing in Kansas City. Make that "Kansas City" in opera: "KaNNnssSssaAAAaaass CiiiiitttttttttyyyYYYyy!" Music to my ears!