Greater Kansas City Community Foundation

Stuck?!?

How much trouble can a seven-year-old get into during ten unsupervised minutes? I now know the answer. "I'm going to get a drink of water," she said as she made her way up the stairs from the basement on Friday afternoon. Moments later, a panicked "Help!" rang out in the stairwell. There she was, stuck between the railing and the wall, unable to move. A perfect fit. All's well that ends well, and thanks to a now-loose banister and the removal of jeans, Ann was freed. How can a 50-pound kid get herself wedged behind a stair rail? Still don't know the answer to that one, unless you buy her story that she was "just walking up the stairs when suddenly I got stuck." Right.

Those tough-to-buy-for relatives and friends got you stuck when it comes to the perfect holiday gift? Charity Giving Cards to the rescue, available at www.gkccf.org. These cards operate much like a retail gift card, except that the recipient redeems the card by visiting DonorEdge to select one of 640 nonprofit organizations featured on the site. Cards are available in denominations are $25, $50, and $100. As the “purchaser” of the Charity Giving Card, you receive the income tax deduction for the charitable contribution, and then you pass the card along to a friend or colleague to celebrate the holidays, a birthday, promotion or any special occasion.

It's the perfect fit.

Okay, So Who's the Real Turkey?

Feeling like a turkey because you missed the informational scholarship luncheon at the Community Foundation last week? Never fear, click here if you would like us to send you the materials. We’d be happy to get together one-on-one so you can learn how you can make a big difference in a student’s life for less money than you might think. You can even get together with your friends or colleagues to set up a scholarship fund, like the folks at the Kansas City Securities Association did. Over the past 26 years, the KCSA Education Endowment Fund has awarded more than 188 college scholarships totaling an estimated $1.2 million to members of Kansas City’s Marching Cobras, student athletes selected by the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, student athletes at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, and members of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Kansas City. Wow!

Fortunately I was able to attend the scholarship lunch, but I feel like a turkey anyway . . . . Ever wonder whether you’re getting just a little bit too connected in this mobile digital world? All doubts were erased this morning when Ann proudly showed me her completed homework for school today, a bright orange bird with numbered buttons all over it. The assignment was to decorate a paper turkey and “disguise” it as something else. “Look mom,” she said. “It’s your cell phone.” Here’s to a short holiday week and a nice long weekend—without the Blackberry!

What's Important to You is What's Important to Us

The Prairie Star Elementary School cookie dough sale is my latest experience with a volunteer-driven fundraising effort. Unfortunately I was an embarrassment to my first grader when I was the only mom who failed to pick up the perishable order on time and had to be reminded by a very gracious parent volunteer!Did you know that the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation can help support your volunteer-driven community initiative? We already provide behind-the-scenes help to over 100 such causes in the area, offering over 87 different services. You pick and choose what we do for you. Here are examples:

• We establish a charitable structure qualified to receive tax-deductible contributions under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code with one simple document—no legal filings, no legal fees, no filing with the Internal Revenue Service.
• We help you structure special events that meet the tax regulations so that your donors can have confidence in the fiscal oversight of the dollars they give.
• We process all incoming gifts to your cause—including checks or stock—and all payments out of your fund to vendors and/or grantees.
• We offer a variety of investment options, allowing you to earn interest on your money while you raise it for the cause.
• We maintain a database of your donors, complete with contact information and amounts given.
• We issue the tax receipt to donors to document each donor’s charitable deduction.
• We help you manage a budget and we can track actual revenue and expenses to your budget.
• We help you develop a grant process that meets Internal Revenue Code standards so that your donors can have confidence in your charitable cause. We can even be your behind-the-scenes manager of a competitive grant process.
• We work with your Web designer to construct an online donation page to accept credit card contributions for your cause.
• We offer 24/7 online access to your account information—balance, donations, expenses, and grants.

With the paperwork out of the way, you and your fellow volunteers can focus on the rewarding work of getting the word out, raising money for the cause, distributing the dollars for your charitable purpose, and--ha ha--calling delinquent participants like me. What's important to you is what's important to us!

The Gift of Time

How did you spend that extra hour on Sunday morning? I always plan far too many activities to fill the hour we gain "falling back," from getting the kids' winter clothes ready, to cleaning out my e-mail files, to putting the plants inside in anticipation of cold weather. Too many projects and too little time. But just when you think your schedule is packed, you run across someone who manages to pack in even more . . . . and pull it off with unwavering professionalism and grace! That person is the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation's board chair, Sandra Lawrence. Read about Sandra in Friday's Kansas City Business Journal. This amazing leader is most generous with her time and talent, leveraging her skills and passion to make our community a better place in so many ways. Thank you, Sandra. You are a gift to Kansas City!