Greater Kansas City Community Foundation

A Family Affair

Clay's brother came for a visit over the Fourth of July weekend. This was a big thrill for the kids, who adore my husband's only sibling. Doesn't hurt that he always arrives with an armful of toys, either! We all headed up to Lawrence for the traditional hot dogs, watermelon, and harmless variety of fireworks on Gran and Granddad's driveway. Ann, always leading the pack, burst into my parents' house when we arrived. "Be kind to Uncle Kevin," was the way she greeted my folks. "He's not used to being around crazy people." Yep. That's my girl.

As they say, you can pick your friends, but you can't pick your relatives. But wait! That's not the case at the Community Foundation, where all donors--who've collectively established more than 2,200 individual, corporate, and family funds--is part of a big family of giving. Each donor pursues his or her own favorite charitable causes, which means that the nearly $200 million in annual grant making from these funds supports hundreds of nonprofit causes of all shapes and sizes. Variety notwithstanding, everyone involved in the Community Foundation has one important value in common, giving back, which is the reason they come together. Even better, at the Community Foundation, donors who care about similar causes can find each other, starting their own giving circles and interest area initiatives, creating families within the family. Relatives by choice!

Of course, Uncle Kevin did just fine with the in-laws, as he always does. Truth be told, I wouldn't trade a single member of my family, crazy or not, for anything in the world. They are also my best friends.

Big plans

Summertime sure is hard to beat. Swimming lessons, fireworks on the Fourth of July, working together as a staff and board to target the Community Foundation's success measures for the upcoming year, cherry limeades at Sonic, lots of light in the evenings tempting us to keep the kids up later than we should. Yesterday was a milestone for Ann, who finally jumped off the diving board and swam all the way across the pool. A real achievement!

Say, hit rewind! Did strategic planning really slip into that list? You bet! At the Community Foundation, we're always looking ahead, striving to help Kansas City hit new levels of giving, fulfilling dreams for our city's quality of life. Last year, grants to donors' charitable priorities hit nearly $200 million . . . and we want to help you do even more! Every single one of the 2,200 personal, family, and corporate funds under the Community Foundation's umbrella is part of a family of giving. Each pursues its own priorities, together turning visions into reality for people of all ages and races across our region, north, south, east and west.

Whether your charitable goals are big, small, or somewhere in between, you are making a difference. After all, they say it's all relative. "My goal for next year," Ann just proclaimed, "is to get through second grade." Onward and upward!

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.