NEWS
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Marge Thorne Receives the 2011 C. Keith Birkenfeld Humanitarian Award from the Bainbridge Community Foundation
The Bainbridge Community Foundation is pleased to announce Marge Thorne of Silverdale, WA as the recipient of the 2011 C. Keith Birkenfeld Humanitarian Award. The award comes with a $25,000 grant-making opportunity, which Marge will announce at the Bainbridge Community Foundation’s annual Philanthropy Celebration & Awards Ceremony on September 10th.
Click here to read the full story.
The Board of the Bainbridge Community Foundation is extremely pleased to announce the new team that will be leading BCF:
Jim Hopper joined BCF as the Foundation’s first Executive Director on September 6. Jim comes to BCF from The Collins Group, a Northwest consulting firm for nonprofit organizations. As Principal with the firm, Jim worked with a wide range of nonprofits on strategic planning, fundraising, and communications and messaging. He lives with his wife, a third-generation Islander, and two sons on Bainbridge. The Board is excited by Jim’s ideas for growing BCF and assuring the best possible match of donor intent and nonprofit impact. We are delighted that Jim is bringing to BCF his knowledge of philanthropy, experience in fundraising, and commitment to community.
Debbie Kuffel is BCF’s Funds and Grants Administrator. If Debbie’s name sounds familiar, it’s probably because you know her from her work (and glowing reputation) at the Health, Housing and Human Services Council.
For more information, click here.
Bainbridge Community Foundation Awards a Record $233,000 in Local Grants
The Bainbridge Community Foundation awarded the highest dollar amount in the Foundation’s history for its 2011 annual Community Grants Cycle with $233,000 in grant awards. BCF more than doubled the amount from 2010 due to special grantmaking partnerships, including the $100,000 Ampersand Human Services Grant Program, the $10,000 Karen Davis Award, and nearly $88,000 in matching grants from BCF’s donors and advised funds.
For more information, click here.
To see the listing of grant awards, click here.
RECENT PRESS
2011
• Marge Thorne Receives the 2011 C. Keith Birkenfeld Humanitarian Award frm the Bainbridge Community Foundation (August)
• Bainbridge Community Foundation Awards a Record $233,000 in Local Grants (July)
• List of 2011 Community Grants Cycle Awards (July)
• Bainbridge Community Foundation Scholarships Awarded to Five BHS Seniors (June)
• Five new Trustees join BCF Board (April)
2010
• Bainbridge Community Foundation Surpasses $100,000 in Annual Community Grant Awards to Local Nonprofits
• 2010 C. Keith Birkenfeld Humanitarian Award
2009
• 2009 BCF Newsletter
• 2009 C. Keith Birkenfeld Humanitarian Award
• 2009 Community Grants Announcement
• 2009 Birkenfeld Award Announcement
• Community Response Fund Letter to the Editor
• Community leaders Jim Chapel and Elaine VonRosenstiel join BCF’s Board of Trustees (April)
2008
• Bainbridge Community Foundation Celebrates $1 million in Grants (December)
• Steve and Harriet Davis Receive 2008 Community Philanthropy Award (September)
• Grant Awards 2008 Press Release (August)
• Birkenfeld Bequest grant awarded (July)
• Scholarship Press Release 2008 (June)
• 2008 New Board Members Press Release (March)
2007
• Grants Awards 2007 Press Release (June)
2006
• Bainbridge Community Foundation Press Release (October)
• Web Service Press Release 2006 (July)
• Grant Awards 2006 Press Release (June)
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is a community foundation?
Community foundations help local individuals, families, businesses, and nonprofit agencies achieve their charitable and financial goals by providing tools and resources that make giving easy, flexible, and effective.
Why should I give to a community foundation?
1. Builds funds that grow and benefit the community forever.
2. Helps create an individual or family legacy.
3. Offers donor involvement in selecting charities.
4. Can closely monitor local issues, opportunities, and resources.
5. Offers a simple way to fulfill multiple charitable interests with low-cost administration.
6. Has personalized donor service.
7. Accepts a wide variety of assets.
8. Provides maximum tax advantages.
9. Preserves donor intent even when community needs and organizations change.
10. Provides prudent stewardship and investment practices.
What does Bainbridge Community Foundation do?
We focus on helping our donors fulfill philanthropic interests by supporting organizations within our island community. Our goal is to raise funds through significant gifts from donors and to make grants from these funds to support the long-term needs of Bainbridge Island. The Foundation has an in-depth understanding of our island’s unique challenges and the groups and individuals addressing them. The Foundation offers donors an efficient, collective process for their philanthropic actions.
What are the benefits of giving through Bainbridge Community Foundation?
The Foundation has an in-depth understanding of our island’s unique challenges and the groups and individuals addressing them. The Foundation offers donors an efficient, collective process for their philanthropic actions.
How long has Bainbridge Community Foundation been around?
Since 2001, Bainbridge Community Foundation and its donors have given over $800,000 in grants to nonprofit organizations, supporting every facet of community need.
What is the difference between One Call For All and Bainbridge Community Foundation?
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One Call For All
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Bainbridge Community Foundation
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Facilitates an annual giving campaign, does not hold or “grow” the money.
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Manages and invests assets that grow over the long term.
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Generally smaller donations that get sent to nonprofits.
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Establishes donor-advised funds that invest in long-term sustainability of BI.
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Pass through of money, but does not look strategically at long term issues for our community.
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Strategic grantmaking v. annual giving.
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Focuses on short term giving and how to make it easier for check-book givers to give to BI organizations
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Focuses on long-term Philanthropy and how it helps the community for generations to come.
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Why would I give to Bainbridge Community Foundation, when I can give directly to an organization?
- If you are giving substantial amounts to charitable organizations each year, a donor-advised fund offers you personal service, tax advantages and local knowledge that might be attractive to you.
- Due diligence on each organization
- Site visits as part of the Community Grants program
- No tax/IRS hassles that private or family foundations have
- We are the eyes and ears for many needs in the community; we have expertise and knowledge on key issues AND how to grant properly.
- Maybe you are interested in giving to a “community pool” that concentrates on giving to a wide range of organizations that sustain our neighbors and friends.
- With our donor-advised funds, you ARE giving directly to an organization as you make your own grants.
Can I give to any organization?
The organization must have a IRS 501(c)(3) determination letter.
What are my options for giving?
Area-of-Interest Funds allow donors to establish funds that support a specific interest. Donors may direct funding towards environmental causes, youth programs, the arts or other areas of interest. They can also give to an existing Bainbridge Community Foundation Area-of-Interest fund.
Designated Funds enable interested donors to support a specific need, provide endowment support to one or more specific local nonprofit organizations, or create a new program to support a specific local cause.
Donor-Advised Funds allow donors who want to get and stay involved in local philanthropy to do so in an easy, efficient, and affordable way. We keep our donor advisors informed of local giving opportunities while allowing them to recommend grants to specific organizations.
Memorial Funds are available to donors who wish to set up a fund to remember a family member, or to honor a particular event or issue. The Foundation will help manage contributions to a memorial fund as well as direct proceeds to reflect the original intent of the gift.
Scholarship Funds are custom designed to match specific goals, whether donors want to support graduates of a particular high school, students attending a certain college, or students pursuing a particular course of study.
Bequests can be for a certain dollar amount, or a gift of stock, bonds or real estate, or as a residual bequest leaving all or a portion of an estate after debts, taxes, expenses and other bequests have been paid.
Life Income Gifts allow donors to commit cash and other assets to a future philanthropic purpose, while assuring continued current income from those assets by creating a charitable remainder trust.
What’s a Donor-Advised Fund?
- For those who have reached a higher level of charitable giving, a donor-advised fund provides a flexible way to give year round; it’s like having your own foundation without all the IRS hassles and administrative bulk.
- A donor-advised fund is a personal grantmaking vehicle for people.
- Bainbridge Community Foundation offers other funds to serve our community:
- Scholarship
- Memorial
- Designated (i.e. for an arts organization specifically)
- Area of Interest (environmental, animal rights)
Who can give through Bainbridge Community Foundation?
Anyone can donate to the Bainbridge Community Foundation with an outright gift, including a donation of cash or other assets to the Bainbridge Fund. Donors can write a check, donate stocks or give a piece of real estate. All proceeds immediately go to work for the community.
We offer donors a variety of options for giving:
· Establish a fund that best fits your philanthropic goals.
· Give to the Bainbridge Fund, the pool for unrestricted funds and our community grant making.
· Include the Bainbridge Community Foundation in your estate plans.
How do I contact the Bainbridge Community Foundation?
The Bainbridge Community Foundation is here to help the community and to help donors do so as well. Please contact us with your questions and suggestions. Talk with your attorney, accountant or financial advisor about how you might help our community through the Bainbridge Community Foundation.
Contact Information:
Bainbridge Community Foundation
221 Winslow Way West, Suite 305
Bainbridge Island, WA 98110
Executive Director -- Jim Hopper
206.842.0433
Funds and Grants Administrator -- Debbie Kuffel
206.842.0433
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info@bainbridgecommunityfoundation.org
How do I find out about the Bainbridge Community Foundation grant cycle?
Please go the Non-Profits/Grants Information page.
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