New Year, New Names

For the three-year-old in our house, this was the year of the princess. Princess stickers, princess clothes, princess dolls, a princess game, a princess book, and even a princess tunnel. Oh, and she also has changed her name from Lindy to Ariel, Disney's "Little Mermaid." "I'm not Lindy," she insists. "I'm Ariel."

There are plenty of new names to kick off the year at the Community Foundation, too. Would you believe that a record 180 new donors established an individual, family, or corporate foundation in 2007 under the Community Foundation's umbrella? With funds ranging in size from a few thousand dollars to tens of millions of dollars, the Community Foundation offers something for everyone. You'll see the names of the new funds when our 2007 annual report comes out later this year. Of course, as always, those donors who wish to remain anonymous can opt out of the report listing.

So what's your New Year's resolution? How about looking into establishing your very own fund to make your charitable giving a lot easier. Use your fund to make all of your annual donations, whether to the United Way, your church or synagogue, your out-of-state alma mater, or your favorite local charities. It's so easy to track your giving though our online system. And your contribution of cash or stock into your fund leaves you with just one easy-to-record deduction for income tax purposes, no matter how many grants you make.

Click here to learn how you can join Kansas City's family of giving. We'd love to add your name in 2008!