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T HE C OMMUNITY F OUNDATION
of Muncie & Delaware County, Inc.
P.O. Box 807, Muncie, IN 47308
NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
MUNCIE, IN PERMIT NO.807
T HE C OMMUNITY F OUNDATION
of Muncie & Delaware County, Inc.
Where neighbors create legacies
Confirmed in compliance with National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations.
VOL. XVII NO.3
FALL 2007
Foundation offers scholarships to local students
Legacy is a quarterly publication of The Community Foundation of Muncie & Delaware County, Inc.
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he Foundation is pleased
to offer a variety of
scholarships to area high school and college students who wish to pursue higher education. For more information about scholarships, including guidelines and deadlines, please visit our website at www.cfmdin.org or contact your high school guidance counselor. Welcome, Eunice Whitlock as the new Communications Administrator. An Indiana native recently relocating from Huston, TX., she brings many years of office administrative experience to the Foundation.
Enhancing Education Not a cash register in sight
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Officers, board of directors, advisors and staff
Memorials and Honorariums
The following individuals were remembered or honored through gifts to The Community Foundation from May 1, 2007, to July 31, 2007.
Mr. Thomas G. Hammond Mr. Arthur Hodson Mr. Michael Gregory Johnston Ms. Frances Learned Ms. Mary Long Mr. and Mrs. Eddie Long Mr. John B. Lotz Mrs. Betty J. Luzney Mr. Dale E. Mallon Mrs. Pat Moore Mr. Marjorie Jean Mueller Mr. Robert (Big Bob) L. Myers Mr. Robert C. O'Donohue Ms. Louise Parkansky Mr. Joe E. Rogers Mr. William F. Smith Mrs. Irene L. Sprunger Ms. Frances Sulanke Ms. Catherine Summers Mr. David Sursa Miss Natalie LaShay Teague Mr. Michael Thompson Mrs. Grace Westerlund Mr. Lowell E. Williams
Honorariums
Officers
Suzanne Gresham Chair Ronald K. Fauquher Vice Chairman Ermalene M. Faulkner Secretary Gordon D. Cox Treasurer
Board of Directors
Memorials
Ms. Sarah E. Adams Mr. Tiny Adams Mr. Russell (Andy) L. Anderson Mr. John Brickley Mrs. Margaret Frevert Bumb Mr. Oliver Morton Burke Mr. Paul Cooley Mrs. Shirley Cossaart Mrs. Alice J. Davis Mr. Vincent Thomas Farris Mr. Norris C. Floyd Mr. David M. Galliher Ms. Mary June Spitz Greene Ms. Vera Gribble Mrs. Emma Gustafson
Mr. Douglas A. Bakken Dr. and Mrs. Robert M. Clark Mrs. Marilyn E. Cleary Mr. and Mrs. Norris C. Floyd
Mr. David A. Galliher Dr. Suzanne Gresham Mr. R. Jeffrey Honzik Mr. and Mrs. Bernell Mitchell Motivate Our Minds, Inc. Mr. Miles Ogea Mr. and Mrs. William L. Peterson Ms. Christy Reilly Mr. and Mrs. Edgar H. Seward Mr. and Mrs. George Warner Shrieve Dr. and Mrs. Donald L. Slauter Mrs. Donna Smith
Marilyn E. Cleary Gordon D. Cox Ermalene M. Faulkner Ronald K. Fauquher Suzanne Gresham John D. Littler Thomas A. Morrison Steven M. Smith Terry L. Walker
Advisory Board
J. Richard Marshall Stephen R. Miller Jon H. Moll June P. Payne Charles E. Sanders, Jr. Patricia Schaefer Robert W. Scott Hamer D. Shafer Cathy P. Stewart Charles V. Sursa Kim S. West Earl R. Williams Douglas L. White John E. Worthen
Past Presidents
esearch shows that on average, teachers annually spend $800 of their own money for “extras” to enhance their classrooms. The opportunity to ease that burden and extend the life of “gently used” educational supplies prompted The Community Foundation to enthusiastically support Jackie Johnston’s proposal to open the Back to School Teachers’ Store. We were pleased to award a matching grant and offer guidance and encouragement as Jackie tended to the dozens of details required to set up a nonprofit organization. Enhancing Delaware County’s learning environment is a longstanding tradition of the Foundation. Among our recent efforts: • We awarded 42 Robert P. Bell Grants last year to teachers to underwrite innovative educational projects. • We’ve helped introduce elementary schoolchildren to classical music through the Ball State University Opera Outreach Program. • We’ve supported the Guardian Scholars program that assists former foster-care youth in achieving their education goals. • We’ve joined with other community organizations in underwriting the Delaware County College Fair. As the 2007 school year gets under way, we salute all area educators for their hard work, and we honor each and every Foundation donor for supporting that work. Roni Johnson, President
Recycled classroom supplies spark creativity and s-t-r-e-t-c-h school budgets
Stefan S. Anderson Jack E. Buckles Wilbur R. Davis John D. Littler Charles V. Sursa David Sursa
Administrative Staff
The Foundation sincerely appreciates all of its donors and the valuable support they provide. All individual contributors will be recognized in our Annual Report.
Stefan S. Anderson Terry Whitt Bailey Waldo P. Beebe James P. Borgmann Michael L. Cox Jack L. Demaree Mary L. Dollison Jud Fisher Michael B. Galliher R. Paul Garrison David W. Heeter Charles N. Hetrick Robert A. Holt Barbara A. Jones Thomas J. Kinghorn Michael O. Lunsford
Roni Johnson President Jean Kramer Crosby Development Officer Suzanne Kadinger Program Officer Cheryl Decker Executive Assistant Eunice Whitlock Communications Administrator
ackie Johnston admits she’s had several careers in her lifetime, but her current assignment, although unpaid, is among the most rewarding. “We look like a retail store, we just don’t have any cash registers,” she says, describing the Back to School Teachers’ Store that she opened in 2006 with the help of a $5,000 Foundation matching grant. “People often walk in off the street wanting to buy things, but we don’t sell anything.” The concept is simple. Jackie and her all-volunteer staff collect “new and gently used” classroom supplies— everything from crayons and computers to copy paper and carpet squares—and offer them to Delaware County educators at no cost. The materials come
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from a variety of donors. Some are teachers who have retired, changed grade levels or simply like the idea of sharing resources with their peers. Others are local business owners who are clearing their shelves and pruning their inventories. “When Jim Davis brought in a number of Garfield items, I asked our liaison teachers in each of the school buildings to post a notice in the faculty lounges,” explains Jackie. The response from the field was quick; Garfield’s likeness soon decorated several area classrooms. The store’s goal is to recycle $1 million worth of material back into the schools and keep it out of the landfill. Just as the project benefits the
environment, so does it ease the budgets of local school corporations that it serves. Grant money and cash donations from the general public allow the store to purchase new, consumable products—paper, pencils, glue sticks—in bulk. Teachers can pick up lesson plans and then shop for supplies to implement the plans. As an example, “a retired music teacher brought us all the costumes and accessories she had accumulated in her 28 years of creating skits and programs,” says Jackie. The store, made available by Marsh Supermarkets, is located at 1803 W. Purdue Ave. and is open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays
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T HE C OMMUNITY F OUNDATION of Muncie & Delaware County, Inc. Where neighbors create legacies
www.cfmdin.org
continued from page one
Third quarter 2007
Recycled classroom supplies spark creativity and s-t-r-e-t-c-h school budgets
and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Teachers come in search of different items depending on the time of year. New teachers often stop and shop immediately after signing their first contracts in the summer. Their goal: Colorful supplies to decorate their classrooms. The first week of school is the busiest of all, of course. “This year we had a traffic jam in the aisles,” says Jackie. “We kept running out of carts.” After second semester gets under way and ISTEP tests are behind them, teachers often come in search of arts and crafts supplies. At the end of the year, boxes and other storage containers are in demand. To ensure that the store always has at least three volunteers on hand to help shoppers, Jackie has devised a sort of incentive plan. In return for completing a four-hour shift, a volunteer can earn a shopping trip, which the volunteer can use herself or can pass on in the form of a redeemable gift card. In this way, home-schooling parents, teachers at private schools and the staffs at vacation Bible schools can access the free classroom materials. Yet another idea that Jackie is promoting is what she calls “Adopt a Day.” Since the store is open 12 days a month, she would like 12 organizations to agree to supply the staff for the same day each month. Afternoon shifts are particularly important because “that’s when the teachers shop,” she explains. A year after opening its doors, the Back to School Teachers’ Store is more successful than even its founder envisioned. “Our major concern now is that we’re receiving so many donations that we may outgrow this building,” says Jackie. Then she adds, “But that’s really a nice problem to have.”
The Foundation awarded 13 grants totaling $127,748
IRA Charitable Rollover
The IRA Charitable Rollover — Offer ends Dec. 31, 2007!
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he Community Foundation of Muncie and Delaware County, Inc. has announced that 13 grants totaling $127,748 have been awarded to local nonprofit agencies and groups in the Foundation’s third competitive grant cycle of 2007. The grants are awarded in five areas of interest: arts and culture, human services, economic development, education, and community betterment. Third quarter competitive grant recipients include:
• Boy Scouts of America, Crossroads of America Council
4th graders with college student mentors to expose the children to the opportunities and resources available through higher education.
• Cornerstone Center for the Arts received $19,835 (from the Morris Youth Fund) to defray the cost of the Cornerstone Arts Adventure Program. The program offers classes in visual arts, dance, martial arts, theatre, music and more to residents of Delaware County. Grant funding will provide program support as well as scholarships and financial aid for participants.
• Smart Living Project received $2,500 (from the Stefan & Joan Anderson Fund) to defray the cost of outreach programs to educate the community about resource-efficient living. • TEAMwork for Quality Living received $7,500 (from the Ball Community Betterment Fund) to defray the cost of continuing an initiative to eliminate poverty in Delaware County. • United Day Care Center received $20,029 to defray the cost of dividing the infant/toddler room into two rooms to serve more children. The Board also approved the following proactive grants. • CASA of Delaware County received $900 (from the Louisa & Waldo Beebe Fund) to defray the cost of brochures and educational programs designed to educate youth workers about identifying child abuse and the process of reporting suspected abuse. • Bells are Ringing received $1,000 (from the Day Star Fund) to offer local senior citizens the opportunity to make free long distance phone calls during a week in December. Call sites will be located throughout Delaware County. In addition, The Foundation Board approved a $10,500 grant for scholarships to be awarded by The Community Foundation of Muncie and Delaware County, Inc. The Foundation will award a $500 scholarship to each of the nominees not selected to receive the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship. The Community Foundation of Muncie and Delaware County, Inc., established in 1985, is a publicly supported philanthropic institution governed by a volunteer board of local citizens. The Foundation manages contributions donated by individuals, businesses and corporations as a permanent community endowment. Distributions from these funds are given back to the community in the form of grants to nonprofit organizations and agencies. To date, over $25 million has been awarded to improve the lives of the residents of Muncie and Delaware County.
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n August 2006, President Bush signed The Pension Protection Act of 2006 into law. Now, there is an option for making a lifetime gift of an IRA asset. Certain donors can direct a distribution to go directly to a charity. The simplicity of the distribution is the greatest benefit of such a gift because there is no federal taxable event for the IRA owner. It is a new incentive for charitable giving that deserves attention from everyone who meets the requirements for these gifts.
The Basic Idea
Some Limitations
The IRA Charitable Rollover offers important benefits to donors, but, there are some limitations. Here’s a brief list to keep in mind: • Donors may not take an income tax charitable deduction for the distribution. • Donors may not direct the tax-free distribution to fund a gift annuity or a charitable remainder trust. • Donors may not direct the tax-free distribution in lieu of entertainment opportunities provided by the charity. • Donors may not direct the tax-free distribution to a donor advised fund or a Sec. 509(a)(3) supporting organization. • Donors must direct the distribution from an IRA only (a traditional IRA or a Roth IRA, though there may be less incentive to use a Roth IRA since distributions are generally tax-free). Distributions made from a 401(k), 403(b), or 457 plan, etc. do not qualify. • Donors must make a distribution that would otherwise be considered as taxable. • Donors receive a 1099-R form from the IRA Trustee to report the distribution on their federal tax return (though identified as a nontaxable distribution).
The Next Step
To understand the possible advantages the IRA Charitable Rollover affords, here are the basics: • An Individual Retirement Account (IRA) is a taxdeferred retirement account. • One contributes to the account and, for a traditional IRA, takes an above-the-line income tax deduction. • As IRA assets increase in value, the earnings are not taxed. • However, once an amount is withdrawn from these accounts, the distribution is typically taxed as ordinary income (a marginal tax rate as high as 35%). Before the arrival of the IRA Charitable Rollover, the only way to make a lifetime charitable gift using IRA assets was to first withdraw an amount from the IRA, and then send the same amount to a qualified charity. As noted, the withdrawal would be taxed as ordinary income. The amount transferred to charity could be deducted by the donor (subject to deduction limits). Hopefully, the charitable deduction would successfully offset the income tax due on the withdrawal from the IRA account. Now, under the new law, the IRA Charitable Rollover features one simple step: The IRA owner instructs the IRA custodian to transfer $ directly to a charity. It is that simple. The IRA owner does not include the IRA distribution as income. The charity immediately benefits from the gift — a simple transfer with an instant impact!
received $22,000 (from the Edmund F. & Virginia B. Ball Fund, the Mutual Federal Foundation Fund, and the Hamer & Phyllis Shafer Fund) to defray the cost of expanding the Scoutreach program in Delaware County, a program designed to bring scouting to inner city, at-risk youth.
• Delaware County Coordinating Council received $5,484 to defray the cost of the Red Ribbon Week Drug Prevention Campaign. • East Central Indiana Chamber Orchestra received $3,000 (from the Mary Jane Sursa Fund) to defray the cost of a series of free public concerts for the citizens of East Central Indiana. • Energize-ECI received $25,000 to defray the cost of construction, implementation and maintenance of the organization’s comprehensive website to encourage regional economic development initiatives. • Harvest Moon Film Festival received $5,000 (from the John & Janice Fisher Fund) to defray the cost of the first annual Harvest Moon Film Festival, a four day celebration of films from the Midwest.
• College Mentors for Kids! Inc.
received $5,000 to defray the cost of the organization’s mentoring program on the Ball State campus. The program pairs local 1st through
Bell Grants at Work
W
hen Samara Newnam’s fifth grade class studied Patricia Polacco, they had a chance to learn about
interviewed relative. The fabric could range from an old uniform worn by the person to an old handkerchief carried on a wedding day. The fabric was then used to make a quilted design for the front of a pillow. At the end of the project, each student had a family history album with pictures and a short biography about each relative remembered on his or her keeping pillow. The Robert P. Bell Education Grants are awarded to teachers with innovative ideas, programs, or projects that are designed to stimulate learning in their students. Grants range in size from $50 – $350. Please visit our website at www.cfmdin.org for more information about grant guidelines and application deadlines.
much more than just the life and works of the author. The students began by reading her book, The Keeping Quilt, a story about a quilt made from an immigrant Jewish family’s clothing from their Russian homeland. Mrs. Newnam expanded the unit to allow the
Application deadlines for 2007 grants
October 12, 2007 January 11, 2008 April 11, 2008
The New Law
After consulting your financial and tax advisors to see whether the IRA Charitable Rollover is right for you, the next step is to contact the trustee of your IRA account and request the qualified charitable distribution. Most IRA custodians are aware of the change in the tax law and may have a written form for you to complete the transfer. Otherwise, you must send a written request to your trustee. Also, be sure to contact us to let us know to expect a distribution from your IRA account. Because the qualified charitable distribution requires substantiation just like a normal gift, we want to send you an acknowledgment that we have received the noted funds. The new law is the most recent example of how Congress encourages charitable giving. To learn more about how the IRA Charitable Rollover fits into your plans, talk to your financial and tax advisors, or contact our office. We are glad to provide more information or answer any questions regarding this exciting development in charitable giving.
To learn more about The Community Foundation or for additional information on how to contribute, contact:
Jean Kramer Crosby, CFRM, Development Officer The Community Foundation of Muncie & Delaware County, Inc. Phone: (765) 747-7181 • Email: jcrosby@cfmdin.org
Your community foundation has agreed to adhere to the Indiana Ethical & Operational Standards for Community Foundation. In partnership with the Community Foundation Committee of the Indiana Grantmakers Alliance, your community foundation is pleased to provide this information to you. Neither the author nor this organization is engaged in rendering legal or tax advisory service. For advise or assistance in specific cases, the services of an attorney or other professional advisor should be obtained. Annuity rates and the available charitable deductions are subject to change.
Here are the highlights of the IRA Charitable Rollover: • The IRA Charitable Rollover provision is in effect for 2007 only. • Donors must be 70 1/2 or older on the date of the distribution in order to participate. • Donors direct the distribution to a qualified charity as defined in IRC §170(b)(1)(A) (with some exceptions). • Donors may count the amount of the distribution made through an IRA Charitable Rollover towards the Required Minimum Distribution for tax-deferred retirement accounts in that year. • The donor may exclude up to $100,000 per year with the IRA qualified charitable distribution.
kids to learn about their own family heritage and create a lasting family keepsake. A 2006 Bell Grant made it possible for the students to create a family biography scrapbook and “keeping pillow.” Each student interviewed family members in order to write a biography about each person. They also collected family photographs and a swatch of fabric from each
Grant guidelines and applications, as well as post-grant reports, are available online at www.cfmdin.org. Applications must be received by 4:30 p.m. on the day of the deadline in order to be considered. For more information, contact Suzanne Kadinger, Community Foundation Program Officer, at skadinger@cfmdin.org or by calling 747-7181.
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