Philanthropy 831 Blog

Tax-Savvy Year-end Giving Tips

Fri, 16 Nov 2018 22:34:59 GMT

Foundation President Marilyn Calciano’s giving capitalizes on new tax law.

At the Community Foundation, we can help you think strategically about how you give and how to make our community a better place. We work to ensure that your donations make the greatest impact on the causes you care about while maximizing your tax advantages. As you look to make the most of your year-end giving, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

Give Appreciated Stock Instead of Writing a Check

"I was able to start our family fund at the Foundation by selling stock that had more than doubled in value over time. It was really easy to do, and I especially appreciated avoiding the capital gains since it was a charitable gift. Our fund will enable us to support great causes over many years."

-Cynthia Druley, Foundation Trustee

If you have stocks or other publicly-traded securities that are worth more than what you paid for them, consider using these for your charitable giving this year.

Let’s say you have stock which cost you $2,000 that is now worth $10,000. If you sold the stock and paid the tax on the $8,000 capital gain (which would be $1,600, if taxed at a 20% rate), you could then donate the sale proceeds and take a charitable income tax deduction of $8,400.

But, if you give the stock directly to the charity for them to sell, you will avoid the capital gains tax, the charity will get $10,000, and your charitable deduction also will be the full $10,000. The Foundation can accept marketable securities of any kind.

Charitable “Clumping” and the Use of a Donor-Advised Fund

With the new limits on the tax deductibility of state and local taxes and mortgage interest, you might be debating whether it makes sense to itemize, especially if your typical annual charitable deductions won’t add enough to help you exceed the new standard deduction ($12,000 for individuals, $24,000 for couples).

Consider “clumping” several years of charitable donations into a single year and adding it to (or using it to start) a donor-advised fund. This will allow you to take an increased charitable tax deduction this year, and then advise distributions to your favorite charities in subsequent years, while also taking advantage of the increased standard deduction in those later years.

“I love being able to get the tax benefit of year-end gifts with one simple transaction. I can check my year-end charitable giving off my to-do list, and then select the non-profits I want to support in a meaningful way over discussions with my family when things are less hectic.”

-Marilyn Calciano, Foundation Board President

Why not do both? Gifting Stock AND Using a Donor-Advised Fund

Not all charities are equipped to handle gifts of stock or other publicly-traded securities. Community Foundation donors with advised funds enjoy the convenience of gifting appreciated securities to their funds, avoiding the capital gains tax, taking a deduction equal to full market value, and then advising distributions over time to the charities they wish to support.

Let us Do the Legwork

Working with the Community Foundation gives you access to our extensive knowledge of the local nonprofit community and the broad charitable needs of our county. That helps you stay informed about the organizations that you support and the effect your giving can have on the future of our community. We can set up a donor-advised fund for you in one meeting.

We look forward to helping you make your giving easier, more effective, and rewarding, to create the lasting change you want to see in this community. To speak with our team, please contact Sam Leask, Philanthropic Services Director, at sleask@cfscc.org or (831) 662-2060.

Feed Local Kids’ Souls, Now and Forever

Fri, 16 Nov 2018 21:18:34 GMT

New swimmers from the Watsonville YMCA., a program supported by the Shoebox for Kids Fund.

Ever met a 22 year-old who plans to live forever? In the case of the Shoebox For Kids Fund, it’s not a fantasy, it’s the truth. Established in 1996 by a donor who prefers the spotlight be on giving, the fund was set up as an endowment, providing a permanent resource for enriching the lives of local youth.

Broad Interests, Deep Impact

For the Shoebox for Kids Fund donors, their vision was to provide children with services beyond the basic needs of food, shelter, health care, and the like. They saw an opportunity to improve youth’s lives through afterschool and enrichment programs, arts, science, recreation and sports programs. In the donors’ words, efforts that would "feed their souls."

The fund has powered dozens of soul-feeding programs like Boys and Girls Club’s Live Oak afterschool club, Food What’s personal growth work with teens, and recreation programs at the Watsonville YMCA. This year, the fund supported a pioneering teen mentoring program led by Big Brothers Big Sisters and profiled on our blog.

A Flexible Way to Accomplish Charitable Goals

Shoebox for Kids is an endowed field of interest fund, an attractive choice for donors looking to fund areas of need they care about, in perpetuity. Field of interest funds are flexible enough to fund a variety of recipients and to adapt to changing community needs over time. If preserving your anonymity or facilitating collaborative giving by family members and friends is important to you, it can do those things too.

Earnings Add Up to a Legacy of Good

Over its 22 year history, the Shoebox for Kids Fund has attracted about $16,000 a year in gifts, for a historic total of nearly $400,000. In that time, over $165,000 in grants have been awarded. Had the money been squirreled away in an actual shoebox, the balance remaining would sit at $235,000. Instead, invested for long-term growth by the Community Foundation, the fund balance has crested the $500,000 mark. That’s the power of endowment. That’s an enduring legacy of looking forward and giving back.

Would you like to learn more about how an endowment might serve your charitable goals? We’d be happy to help by answering your questions and assisting you in developing your charitable vision. To speak with our team, please contact Sam Leask, Philanthropic Services Director, at sleask@cfscc.org or (831) 662-2060.

Learning About our Field, From the Field

Fri, 05 Oct 2018 22:31:37 GMT

Philanthropic Services Associate Alexa Klingler (top row, second from left) and Grants Officer Nallely Martinez (in front, in yellow) with colleagues from the Community Foundation of Western Nevada.

Recently my colleague Nallely Martinez and I got the opportunity to travel to the Community Foundation of Western Nevada (CFWN) in Reno. We spent two purpose-driven days exchanging information with our peers, exploring new ways to improve our grants management systems and donor services. Along the way we got to make new connections and enjoy the community of Reno - especially the thriving arts scene!

PROSPECTING FOR PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS

Our visit was a chance to compare notes with a foundation in which we shared a database, a similar asset size and a similar number of donor advised funds. The goal was to find benefits for the donors and nonprofit partners that our grantmaking connects. We joined up with our counterparts and dove into comparing internal procedures, process flows, and the little tips and tricks that help our grants administration run smoothly.

We shared our playbook for adopting an electronic grant payment system. Our effort on that in 2018 has helped hundreds of nonprofit partners receive and deploy their grant funds days or even weeks faster than in the past. Our Reno friends also cribbed notes on our automated document management filing maneuvers that save us hours every week. We strategized together on how best to handle scholarship application review and processing.

Bright Spots from Washoe County

Aside from back office details, our hosts spoke with pride about how they approach their mission work. They prioritize educating their community on estate planning, with a free in-depth workshop series. Their corporate philanthropy program is building a coalition of local companies focused on impact for the community and engagement with their workforce. We learned about their fruitful initiatives supporting youth and caregivers, and their work to protect people from financial abuse.

Arts Enrich, Lead to Opportunity

We were lucky enough to be visiting Reno during Art-town, a month-long celebration of Reno’s creative side, with including 500 different art events! We got to explore the nonprofit Reno Art Works, a lively workspace and gallery for artists, and sponsor of youth art programs such as the Nevada Youth Empowerment Program. With an advisory member of Reno Arts & Culture Commission, we discussed ways nonprofits ensure that the arts flourish in all areas of a community. It was a great reminder of the richness that projects like Open Studios contribute to own community each October.

As our trip came to a close, our brains were tired but our hearts were full - full of love for what we do to better the communities we live in. Nallely and I had a fulfilling visit: we expanded our knowledge of community foundation best practices, made professional connections we can draw on in the future, and renewed our passion for the awesome work we’re privileged to get to do every day!

Investment Options Continue to Grow

Fri, 24 Aug 2018 18:50:02 GMT

At the Community Foundation, we grow with you and your philanthropy.

Regardless of what issue moves you to take action, we can help you transform your philanthropic dream into a meaningful reality that evolves with your needs. When you entrust your charitable dollars to us we help you meet your giving goals through sound financial principles and careful stewardship. Along with our standard investment choices there’s new options available to meet our donors’ objectives.

NOW OPEN TO SELECT OUTSIDE FUND MANAGERS

We know that professional advisors spend years getting to know clients and their financial goals, and work hard to help clients reach their highest aspirations. Did you know that for funds established with $1 million or more, donors may now recommend their trusted investment advisor to manage their fund within the Foundation?

TEAMING UP FOR GREATER GIVING

Our Finance Committee and staff qualifies recommended advisors after reviewing the advisor’s credentials and proposal for investment policy, asset allocation, investment selection and fees. Our policy lets advisors retain client relationships and develop portfolios more closely tailored to their clients’ investment preferences. Long-standing advisor-client relationships combine with our personalized donor services. The result? Growing assets available for philanthropy and donors equipped to fulfill their charitable visions.

VALUES-BASED INVESTING

While investment strategies that diverge from the Foundation’s are subject to approval by our Finance Committee, we welcome custom approaches. One donor hopes to show that gender equity pays off, with the investment returns to prove it. Their outside fund manager selected a portfolio of domestic stocks, screened through a gender lens, including only companies with strong representation of women in governance and senior management. The family named the advised fund the Women’s Inclusion Fund and hopes to yield a triple payoff of advancements in workplace equity, financial performance and grantmaking to nonprofits supporting women and girls.

IMPACT INVESTMENTS

Our Community Investment Revolving Fund (CIRF) provides another opportunity to achieve both financial and social gain. With a gift of $25,000 or more to the CIRF, donors can put their capital to work for local social good, like housing affordability, sustainable agriculture and economic mobility for our county’s diverse workforce. The CIRF fund makes cost-effective, flexible loans, or impact investments, to local projects needing access to capital to solve local problems. The fund recently received its initial gift from a donor, and new investments will be made as the fund grows.If you are looking for a ready facilitator for your philanthropic vision, you certainly have one in Community Foundation Santa Cruz County.

To learn more about our tailored and flexible donor services, please contact Philanthropic Services Director Sam Leask at 831.662.2060 or sleask@cfscc.org.

Agency Fund Spotlight: Jacob's Heart

Fri, 24 Aug 2018 03:02:24 GMT

Lymphoma survivor Mariela Medina with Jacob's Heart Founder and Executive Director Lori Butterworth

Over 40 non profits in our community trust the Community Foundation to steward funds for current and future use. While some of these funds are long-term, revenue-producing endowments, the Community Foundation also offers nonprofits a way to invest surplus money without committing those funds to a permanent endowment in non-endowed agency flex funds.

FLEXIBLE BY DESIGN

For Jacob’s Heart, an agency flex fund at the Community Foundation was the right solution. The children’s cancer support service group saw a way to save non-endowed dollars in a professionally managed long-term fund that will generate investment income over time. The big upside was that the principal and the earnings would remain fully accessible with a vote of the nonprofit's board.

“It’s reassuring to have the money in a flex fund. It gives our board the confidence that if we need to make a strategic investment of capital in our operation, the money is there,” said Lori Butterworth, Founder, and Executive Director. We welcomed the Jacob’s Heart Stewardship Fund for Santa Cruz County to the Community Foundation in 2015.

“As the incidence of childhood cancer continues to rise, the Jacob’s Heart board has committed to ensuring that we will be able to meet this growing need in the future,” said Lori. “The flex fund is our investment in improving the quality of life children and families who will, unfortunately, need our support in the coming years.”

The flex fund frees Lori and Jacob’s Heart from the responsibility of actively managing investments and investment managers. That means more time for doing what they’re the best in the world at – offering extraordinary service to children with cancer and their families on the Central Coast.

EXPERT HELP WITH COMPLEX GIFTS

An added benefit to being an agency fund holder is that our experienced staff can assist with complex gifts that a donor may offer. In 2015, when Lori learned that a generous donor hoped to make a gift to Jacob’s Heart from the sale of a property in another part of the state, she called us.

“The donor wanted to give a portion of an undeveloped parcel in Riverside County that she was about to inherit. We were able to help Lori and her board through the due-diligence process that is so essential in considering the acceptance of any real estate gift,” said Foundation Philanthropic Services Director Sam Leask.

“After examining the findings of the an environmental report, a title report and market estimate of the property’s value, Lori’s board felt comfortable in accepting the proposed gift. They later offered the donated property for sale and the resulting six-figure proceeds provided a very welcome financial boost to the organization,” said Sam.

Lori recounted how easy it was working with our team. “We were not prepared to handle this transaction by ourselves. We needed an expert that knew the options, how to meet the donor’s intent, and how to maximize benefits for Jacob’s Heart. Sam made the whole thing easy,” said Lori.

Lori Butterworth being interviewed by intrepid journalist and brain tumor survivor Ben.

MISSION FOCUSED AT (JACOB'S) HEART

While they can watch their fund’s earnings grow, Lori and her team can return to the currency they prefer to deal in: smiles for brave kids, high-fives for superhero siblings and loving support for weary parents. Most importantly, the flex fund helps ensure that until there’s a cure, Jacob’s Heart will be here.

To learn more about how an agency fund may benefit your nonprofit, please contact Philanthropic Services Director Sam Leask at 831.662.2060 or sleask@cfscc.org.

Cooking Up A Menu of Opportunity With El Pajaro CDC

Mon, 14 May 2018 20:18:53 GMT

How do you go from struggling to get by to getting ahead in Santa Cruz County?

To find out, we recently caught up with Carmen Herrera-Mansir and her team at El Pajaro Community Development Corporation. On a tour of their business incubation programs in Watsonville, we learned about companies like RVS Technology Group, El Nopalito Produce, and Lidia’s Oaxacan cuisine stand at the Watsonville Farmer’s Market.

What do they have in common? All three were founded by immigrants who, like so many before them, strived to turn their dream of economic independence into reality. All three are successful graduates of El Pajaro Community Development Corporation’s small business development programs.

The recipe is a familiar one: equal parts ingenuity, work ethic, and a willingness to take risks. But the secret ingredient was the sprinkles of help they got along the way from El Pajaro CDC in the form of expert technical assistance, business incubation, and micro-lending. El Pajaro’s offerings are bilingual, culturally relevant, and targeted to low-income and minority business owners, a reflection of the nonprofit’s dedication to promoting equal access to economic opportunity.

Thanks to generous contributions from donor-advised fundholders like John M. Sobrato and the Driscoll’s Charitable Fund, the Community Foundation has invested over $150,000 in El Pajaro CDC’s mission work since 2012.

Our tour showed off some of the 30 businesses who make the commercial kitchen facility a vibrant regional food hub. In a state of the art facility, a new generation of Pajaro Valley entrepreneurs turn local farmers’ harvests into delectable treats, healthy snacks, and edible products ready for market. We learned of their investment in a new co-packing facility that will help clients scale-up their production by turning over the manufacturing to El Pajaro staff.

At the Plaza Vigil in the heart of Downtown Watsonville, we walked the storefronts and heard stories of how access to prime retail space and tailored business support keyed success for dozens of low-income entrepreneurs. Ricardo Rocha’s recipe for success included a Cabrillo College computer science degree, business development consulting from El Pajaro, and office space in Plaza Vigil in which to grow his customer base.

RVS Technology has taken flight, moved to a bigger location, hired more staff, and grown its portfolio of clients including Second Harvest Food Bank, Scurich Insurance, and Erik’s Deli. Each year more than 200 individuals like Ricardo get help nurturing their businesses thanks to El Pajaro’s services.

Our visit satisfied our hunger for insight into the real economic gains of investing in entrepreneurship. Local giving blended with proven solutions helps those who dream turn “one day” into “day one.” Now that’s something to savor.

Startups Boost Social Good with Tech Shares Initiative

Fri, 06 Apr 2018 15:11:54 GMT

(Above: Part of the team working on Tech Shares: Marilyn Calciano (from left to right) is President of Community Foundation Santa Cruz County, Susan True is Chief Executive Officer, and Freny Cooper is Vice President.)

Best-in-class mountain biking trails, world renowned surfing, a solid offering of coworking spaces and access to talent have helped Santa Cruz grow as a tech community. While the community has its fair share of challenges (housing, traffic, environment and education at the top of the list), there’s no denying that Santa Cruz is great place to lay down roots. The beach and mountains may be a big a draw but it’s the community that keeps people here. Now start-ups have a new way to invest in the place they call home thanks to the Tech Shares initiative by Community Foundation Santa Cruz County.

“We’re inspired by a growing number of early stage companies that want to instill a strong culture of creating social good at the company’s roots,” says Susan True, CEO of the ‎Community Foundation. “These tech leaders are compelled to make Santa Cruz County a better place to live now and in the future. We are here to help do exactly that.”

The Foundation has worked with local companies to create Tech Shares as a way for local start-ups to donate founders’ stock to the Foundation at little or no cost to the companies while integrating social good into their organizational values early on. With the new Tech Shares initiative Community Foundation Santa Cruz County joins a handful of foundations around the country with a strong enough start-up base in their community to take this innovative approach to philanthropy.

“The Santa Cruz tech community has a strong moral compass for social entrepreneurship, are stewards of our natural resources and serve the community,” said Santa Cruz New Tech Meet-Up Founder Doug Erickson. “I’m glad to see the Community Foundation providing guidance to these budding entrepreneurs.”

One early stage company, still in stealth mode, has already donated 20,000 founders’ shares to the Foundation. Discussions involving several more gifts of founders’ stock are in progress. While there’s no guarantee of a payout on these founders’ shares, capturing even a small fraction of the $87 billion in resources venture capitalists invested in 2017 would benefit the community significantly. It’s been done before with companies like eBay in the 90s, and the trend continues today with partnerships like Tableau and the Seattle Foundation, the Pledge 1% initiative and more.

By opening the door for local start-ups to engage in strategic philanthropy, the Foundation helps early stage companies infuse social good into their company culture, attracting new talent and getting their name out in the community and in front of potential investors. At the same time the Foundation builds inroads with the tech community to raise awareness around some of the community’s most pressing issues. In essence, Tech Shares signals Community Foundation Santa Cruz County’s good faith in local start-ups to invest in Santa Cruz and make big bets on a more positive future for Santa Cruz County.

“If it works, this becomes a sort of virtuous cycle,” said Sam Leask, Director of Philanthropic Services at the Foundation. “These companies are saying ‘We benefit from being part of this community, so we are including the community from the beginning. If we’re successful, the community is successful too.’”

Interested in learning more about Tech Shares? Email Director of Philanthropic Services Sam Leask or visit www.cfscc.org/techshares.

This article originally appeared in Santa Cruz Tech Beat.

Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter Endowment Supports Compassionate Change

Tue, 20 Mar 2018 20:40:31 GMT

In this guest blog post, Teresa Ruiz Decker takes a deeper look at what sparked Joanie DeNeffe (above, right) to create a new endowment for Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter's community education programs.

There’s a quick flash of fire in Joanie DeNeffe’s eyes whenever she talks about protecting animals in our community. As a dog trainer and decades-long supporter of the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter, Joanie (pictured above right) has become intimately familiar with the challenges and powerful community impact of the county’s only open-admission animal shelter.

“The shelter isn't just here to help animals,” said Joanie. “It's also here to help people who love animals and create programs to support those people with the resources and knowledge they need to be better animal caretakers.”

The steadfast shelter volunteer saw the positive impacts of community programs but also understood how challenging it is to sustain programs. So after years of hands-on involvement and watching the shelter bloom with its current leadership, Joanie decided to start an endowed fund for the shelter. She partnered with Community Foundation Santa Cruz County to create a fund focused on educational programs that target animal homelessness and abuse. Joanie sees education as an opportunity to change human behavior and in turn create more compassion, kindness, and empathy for animals and our community as a whole.

“Animals allow us to see our softer side without asking anything in return, and they give us so much love,” said Joanie. “We need to be able to get in touch with that softer side, especially in these times. For me, that means we need to step it up in a bigger way.”

Joanie also gave other animal lovers a way to contribute to the future of animals in our community. Any community member may now add to the endowed fund through current contributions or as gifts from a will or living trust.

“That flash in Joanie’s eyes is a symbol of the passion I’ve seen in so many people I meet and speak with around Santa Cruz County. Seemingly every day, people are feeding a passion to make our community an even better place,” said Community Foundation Santa Cruz County CEO Susan True. “I feel Joanie is part of a larger movement of people in the county finding meaningful ways to contribute their resources of time, money and expertise. I’m moved by their generosity each and every day.”

The shelter plays a unique role in animal welfare by taking in any animal in need including cats, dogs, horses, rabbits and more. The shelter also responds to emergency calls related to animals, provides medical aid, takes in all lost pets and pets surrendered by owners, provides fostering and adoption services, the county’s only comprehensive free/low-cost spay and neuter program, and community education programs.

In 2017 alone the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter took in nearly 5,000 animals. These are staggering numbers that reflect a larger problem locally and nationally. That’s exactly why Joanie and Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter General Manager Melanie Sobel say education and proactive programs play such a pivotal role in animal welfare at the shelter and in the community.

“This is about changing people's behavior. You have to do that through proactive programs and services that offer prevention, training, humane education and community outreach. Otherwise, you are spinning your wheels,” said Sobel. “You can’t adopt your way out of this problem.”

While many of shelter’s services are supported by county funds, education typically falls outside of county financial support. Private gifts from donors like Joanie become critical sources of income not only for education, but also for staff like Carla Braden, the shelter’s animal behavior, and training coordinator.

Carla focuses on behavior modification for undersocialized dogs that come to the shelter. She uses her background as a certified professional dog trainer and behavioral consultant to address special behavioral challenges – from never being on a leash or being confined to a backyard, for example. With her expertise and border collie Wren at her side, Carla helps dogs overcome fear or aggression, putting them on a path for adoption and happier, healthier lives overall.

“An important part of this is also assessing the animals for safety in the community and for matchmaking. We want the animals to be happy in their future lives, and we also want the adopters to be happy with their animals,” said Carla. “We can do a lot more behavior modification here than I could by doing one-on-one sessions with potential owners. Resource wise, I wouldn’t be able to go to 60 different people’s homes and make the kind of progress that we can make here at the shelter.”

While it’s clear Carla’s work plays a pivotal role in healing animals and the eventual match-up with appropriate adopters, her position is still considered a luxury in the animal shelter world. Carla said her job and educational programs just wouldn’t be possible without private donations.

“That's why the endowment is really special. It enables people to have a greater commitment to and understanding of the animals in our community,” said Sobel. “It's our hope the endowment will grow and support programs like Humane Education, Planned Pethood (offers free and low-cost spay and neuter, microchips, and rabies vaccinations) and Door to Door (provides education and resources for pets and families in need), which help us reach different communities, too.”

Perhaps the animal shelter’s tagline “Open Door Open Heart” perfectly sums up what makes the shelter so different from other animal agencies and so worthy of our community’s support. By providing an open door to help animals in our community, the shelter teaches us all to have greater compassion for animals and each other.

Honoring Laura Brown: A Champion for Community Causes

Wed, 17 Jan 2018 00:05:17 GMT

I was saddened by the news of the recent passing of Laura Brown. Like many in Santa Cruz County, I considered her a trusted colleague and advisor.

Laura with her husband Jess Brown, long-time supporters of the Community Foundation.

The Regional Water Management Foundation (RWMF), a subsidiary of Community Foundation Santa Cruz County, might not exist were it not for Laura and the people she helped bring to the table when she served as general manager of the Soquel Creek Water District.

The future of our county depends upon ensuring a sustainable water supply. Our region is entirely dependent on local sources from groundwater and streams and these sources are managed by multiple agencies.

As a founding member of the RWMF’s board of directors, Laura was instrumental in making the connection between the mission of local water agencies to provide a safe and reliable supply of water and the Community Foundation’s mission to make Santa Cruz County a better place to live for all residents.

Laura understood that the planning, coordination and collaboration were required to address the range of local water resource challenges in our community. She helped forge the partnerships between groups participating in this integrated regional water management and the Community Foundation that led to the creation of the RWMF in 2007.

In the decade since, working in close coordination with our partners, the Community Foundation has received nearly $15 million in grant funding to support local planning and projects for water supply, water quality and watershed restoration. Our ability to get this funding for local water needs was made possible by the leadership Laura provided.

We all benefited greatly from her vision, pragmatism, determination and deep community knowledge. Laura wasn’t all business. We will all miss talking with her about life, family and events. We are saddened, too, that Laura's passing follows the loss of Karen Christensen, another RWMF founding leader. They both left Santa Cruz County a far better place.

Laura’s collegiality and can-do spirit are what comes to mind when I think of her. I owe a debt of gratitude to Laura for her role in fostering and supporting the RWMF. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to have known her and worked with her and for her efforts to secure water for all of our futures.

Tim Carson is program director of the Regional Water Management Foundation. He joined the Foundation in 2008 to support efforts to increase funding for local water resource planning and projects.

A Year-End Message of Thanks and Gratitude!

Thu, 21 Dec 2017 22:58:04 GMT

The tradition among my family and friends is to share our gratitude through simple statements of thanks and a squeeze of our hands. Young and old begin our meals with, “I squeeze because…”

These squeezes reveal the stories of simple moments and big milestones. My nephew teaches me about his day, “I squeeze because I got to swim with my Dad.” My son reveals his love of tradition, “I squeeze because we are all here together.” My teacher friend celebrates, “I squeeze because my toughest student – ever - invited me to her college graduation.” My friend recovering from serious illness says, “I squeeze because my heart is beating.”

Indeed, over the years, I have squeezed for everything from the sunset, to laughter with friends, to the gathering of family and for the intimate moments of adoption, of lives we celebrate, of births, marriages and new beginnings. As each year draws to a close, it is a special time to gather, to celebrate and to share stories about the moments that make up our lives. It’s a special time for strengthening bonds with those I love through simple expressions of gratitude.

This year, I’m especially grateful to have been brought into a much larger family, one that includes all of you. Santa Cruz County is a community made up of the people who have dreamed of a better future for the generations that will follow us. As I settle into my new role as CEO, I am touched by the generosity shown through your willingness to share your vision for the future and to give me honest feedback about our collective efforts to date.

What strikes me most in my conversations these past few months is how much each of you deeply care about this place we call home. Santa Cruz County is a special place. And like all special places, we have some of the same complex challenges facing all communities: education, housing, employment, the changing environment and building a more equitable economy. At the same time, we’re blessed to have extremely innovative and committed people, businesses and organizations, ready to share their ideas and expertise. For that, we can all be thankful.

In keeping with my family tradition of expressing gratitude, here are some moments I am grateful for:

The incredible opportunity to lead the Community Foundation into its future;
Our shared history of solving problems through generosity of spirit, time, wealth and service;
The people who have cared deeply about our community and have moved us forward on key issues; and
Your optimism, your urgency, your insistence that we can do better.

On behalf of the board and staff of the Community Foundation, I want you to know that each one of you is a part of our family. I look forward to what we will accomplish together in 2018 and beyond.

Susan True is the CEO of Community Foundation Santa Cruz County. You can contact her at STrue@cfscc.org.

Our Leadership Search Pays Off!

Mon, 11 Sep 2017 22:23:56 GMT

We Have Our Next CEO!

On September 7, our board announced the hire of Susan True as our next CEO, following a national search. Susan starts October 11. She takes over from Lance Linares who led us for 22 years.

A local Santa Cruz County resident, Susan is a seasoned nonprofit professional. She’s known to many of you, having served as executive director of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Santa Cruz County and First Five Santa Cruz County. She was also an elected trustee on the governing board of Cabrillo College.

Our board made its unanimous choice of Susan a couple months ago. We waited until now for the public announcement, to give her time to make plans with her employer, personally inform her job partners and complete a number of important tasks.

Susan joins us after working at the Kenneth Rainin Foundation, in Oakland, as the director of education strategy and ventures.

An investment in planning brings smooth leadership transition!

Last fall when Lance told me of his planned retirement at the end of this year I saluted him for his great work and cheered him on. I wasn’t nervous wondering what to do next. Why? The board, through Lance’s leadership and the counsel of Anthony Tansimore, had a succession plan.

It’s important for me and our board to maintain the trust you have in the Community Foundation, through all kinds of changes. Having a game plan ready for the inevitable day when our leader steps away made our work much easier. That doesn’t mean these last few months were a piece of cake. Everyone needed to step up and give extra.

We had good people driving the plan!

I want to thank the entire board for their level of engagement and commitment to the process.

A special call-out goes to Marilyn Calciano. She’s our board vice president, who chaired the search committee. She was joined on the committee by board members Freny Cooper, David Doolin, Janet Heien, Carlos Palacios, and community members Dina Hoffman, Jess Brown and Martina O’Sullivan.

It was the committee’s task to first find our search firm, Carlson Beck, and then to oversee the recruitment process and recommend to the board a final candidate.

Once that phase was completed the baton was given to Julie Haff, who chairs what we call the Thrive Committee. They're responsible for shepherding the CEO onboard and transition process. Joining her in that work are board members Marilyn Calciano, Mike O’Farrell and myself, along with community and former board members Ceil Cirillo and Ralph Miljanich.

Hats off to Lance, who kept us moving forward through this transition. I also gained a deeper appreciation of our staff, professional, committed people every one of them.

We're looking forward!

In October, Susan takes over a strong and stable organization. A community foundation with the know-how to make things happen today. And, one with the expertise in building the kinds of funds needed to keep good things happening for generations to come.

I’m confident that Susan is the right person with the right blend of professional and personal skills to lead us forward.

Terry Medina is board president of the Community Foundation, and a member for the past eight years. The retired police chief for the City of Watsonville, he is a partner and consultant for Belcher, Ehle, Medina and Associates. He supports and gives to many local nonprofits.

Update on Our CEO Search

Fri, 05 May 2017 05:40:38 GMT

CEO search marches forward!

The board will soon meet and begin interviewing CEO candidates. The announcement of a new hire is still expected later this summer.

Last month, Sally Carlson, managing partner at Carlson Beck, our executive search firm, gave an update to the full board and staff.

At the briefing, Sally shared two items that might be of value to any local nonprofit board planning a new executive hire.

No surprise local cost of living a recruitment challenge!

Carlson Beck made hundreds of “touches” or contacts with prospective candidates, interviewing many.

The high cost of housing in Santa Cruz County is again on the rise. No surprise it came up in conversations. It's an obstacle for many candidates, particularly those living outside of California.

Our board has tried to put together a competitive salary and benefits package. One that would provide a fair and attractive standard of living to our next CEO.

Having staff salaries that attract and keep the best candidates in today's job market is important for all nonprofit boards. It's not something that can be put off or kicked down the road till later.

What one can offer affects the size and quality of the candidate pool. It can determine whether a national search is realistic or not.

We’re quirky! Are we?

Some locals embrace the unique or playful labels put on our California West Coast home. Know they do create stereotypes, not always positive or accurate, outside the region.

"Quirky," "odd" and "idiosyncratic" were among the words used to describe our county. Because of that, a few good candidates said they didn't think they'd be a fit living and working here.

Those perceptions, true or not, affect the ultimate success of our job searches. Knowing this beforehand can help when preparing materials and messaging to potential candidates.

Stability, good stewardship and planning win the day!

Over the years I participated in many leadership transitions and hires. This one is going so well I'm almost amazed, though shouldn't be. The board and staff planned for this day, creating a succession plan and standing at the ready behind it.

Plans are worthless without people to drive them. This is where our board has stepped up.

The search committee has put in many volunteer hours. Led by Marilyn Calciano, board vice president, (and staffed by CFO Sue Farrar), the committee is up to the task.

We've also launched what our succession plan calls the Thrive Committee. This ad-hoc working group will help steer the CEO onboarding, with Julie Haff as its chair.

Another key piece in our puzzle is Lance Linares, our current CEO.

Later this fall we'll invite you to meet and welcome our next CEO. With Lance here through the rest of 2017, it gives us the opportunity to celebrate both past and future. It's the kind of thoughtful leadership transition you and our other supporters deserve.

At the briefing there was no release of the names of interested candidates. 

Sally did share two items that might be of value to any local nonprofit board planning a new executive hire.

At the briefing there was no release of the names of interested candidates. 

Sally did share two items that might be of value to any local nonprofit board planning a new executive hire.

At the briefing there was no release of the names of interested candidates. 

Sally did share two items that might be of value to any local nonprofit board planning a new executive hire.

The high cost of housing in Santa Cruz County, when compared to other parts of the country, is again on the rise. It's an obstacle for many candidates, particularly those living outside of California.

A few potential candidates told her they thought they wouldn’t be a fit for living and working here.

We Don't Charge to Charge Your Electric Vehicle!

Thu, 13 Apr 2017 17:40:30 GMT

I’m delighted to share with you that we've installed a new, two outlet, charging station for your electric vehicles!

No cards! Free! And, easy to use!

The new charger replaces the one we've had in our parking lot since 2011.

It's pictured below (with Officer Manager Jennifer Boyle). Already in use, it was put in free of charge by our friends at Triad Electric.

Part of the planning for us to get LEED Gold for our green building was getting a grant to install a ChargePoint station.

It worked fine for a few years, but recently started giving us problems and finally conked out.

We had no plans to end service, especially given the regular volume of users: 431 in 2016, or an average of 36 users per month (as shown in the graph above).

We searched for alternatives and found our new model. So, if you have an electric vehicle and need a charge, check us out.

You'll find us listed with directions on PlugShare.

It's part of our commitment to living and working green!

Lance Linares is CEO of Community Foundation Santa Cruz County. You can subscribe to Lance's blog posts and follow him on Twitter.

A Nonprofit Works to Preserve Our Elkhorn Slough for Future Generations

Thu, 23 Feb 2017 22:17:18 GMT

I visited the Elkhorn Slough between recent downpours to see my old friend Mark Silberstein, executive director of the Elkhorn Slough Foundation, a nonprofit land trust established to conserve and restore the slough and its watersheds.

Since the road to the visitor center was washed out, we took a back path to view Sand Hill Farm, a key parcel purchased by the Foundation in 2016. It connects the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve with a three-mile stretch of protected land in the Elkhorn Highlands.

Mark explained that the terrain ultimately became unsuitable for growing strawberries and yielded little to the owner. It was also dumping lots of silt and other matter into Elkhorn Slough.

After acquiring the farmland, the Foundation worked with Pajaro Valley Laser Leveling, one of the many Peixoto family companies, to grade it. They also had to remove tons of old plastic and other debris used in the strawberry operation.

Now that the Sand Hill Farm has been saved, the Foundation will continue to raise funds to restore the land. It also wants to make it available for a future organic farming operation, one that supports local agriculture and provides needed capital for the Foundation's restoration and educational programs.

On top of getting to see and learn first hand about this innovative restoration project, Mark (pictured above right) and I had a great time marveling at the beauty of the Elkhorn Slough and the Monterey Bay, an area we're lucky to call our home.

Lance Linares is CEO of Community Foundation Santa Cruz County. You can subscribe to Lance's blog posts and follow him on Twitter.

Leadership Transition Moves Forward

Thu, 09 Feb 2017 21:41:38 GMT

Yes, we’re on track with our CEO transition, using our succession plan to guide us.

As shared on our news page, we retained the firm Carlson Beck to find our next CEO.

The firm, headquartered in San Francisco, specializes in recruiting top notch leaders for philanthropy and nonprofits. Going forward, they’ll manage all aspects of the search, advising and working with us throughout the year.

Right now, much of the heavy lifting is being done by our search committee.

As Marilyn Calciano, our board vice president and search committee chair said, "We looked far and wide for a qualified search firm, sending out over 20 requests for proposals.”

In selecting a search firm, we talked with our community foundation colleagues and drew from research we did to prepare for this day.

Other board members working with Marilyn on the committee are: Freny Cooper, Larry Donatoni, David Doolin, Janet Heien and Carlos Palacios. Three people not currently on our board also sit on the committee: Dina Hoffman, Martina O’Sullivan and Jess Brown. The committee is staffed by Sue Farrar, our CFO and administration director.

Together they are a formidable, experienced group that knows all parts of our county, the workings of the Community Foundation and the larger world of philanthropy and nonprofits.

I feel good about where we are today. We have a strong team. We’re operating on full-power and looking realistically to the future.

As the process unfolds, we’ll share information, including the job description, as it becomes available.

I also ask that all inquiries about the position and search for candidates go directly to Carlson Beck. For other comments or feedback use the comment field below.

More to come!

Time to Reaffirm Our Values

Wed, 01 Feb 2017 19:35:16 GMT

not just politics but values

As I begin my last year as CEO I feel a strange tug from within as I take time to reflect on the past and our future.

In many ways, things could not be better for our community foundation.

Our assets approach $111 million and our final 2016 grants to nonprofits should be close to $7 million.

Our board is deep in leadership experience and community knowledge. Our staff is experienced, energetic, and dedicated.

But still, I’m troubled for the future.

I’m troubled by the uncertainty that is coming from signals sent by the new administration in Washington DC.

Change and uncertainty often go hand in hand. Regardless of how one voted in the presidential election getting something different was inevitable.

"This country cannot afford to be materially rich and spiritually poor."

-Abraham Lincoln

Those within our nonprofit sector are the same as other people around the country. And, what I'm hearing and seeing from many is anger, concern, nervousness and a feeling their work is going to get much harder.

Harder, because the new administration's statements and early executive orders are being viewed as more than simple changes in political philosophy. They're seen as real threats to the values of our social sector.

Similarly, because our community foundation’s work is driven by the shared values of those that established and support this organization, we have to listen and be ready to respond.

A community foundation is built for permanence and meant to weather changes, whether in the financial markets, the White House, or our own communities. We gain strength and an understanding of how best to respond by returning to our mission and core values.

The grants we make are one of the most direct ways we express our values and how many of you know us best. In deciding each year what to fund we need to tie aspirations, commitment and community needs to those values.

To that end I know that:

We will continue to envision a dynamic region that can flourish with vital and inclusive communities, with strong and effective nonprofit organizations and with local people responding and giving to community needs.

We will continue to strive to work to strengthen the ability of local nonprofits to be effective in delivering their services, whether its arts performances or senior meals.
We will continue to foster greater levels of understanding and cooperation among Santa Cruz County’s diverse cultural, ethnic and socioeconomic groups.
We will continue to look for innovative ways to connect businesses, government and the social sector for the benefit of all county residents.

There is no reason now to stray from these values. And, for whatever lies ahead, can we help everyone and fund everything? Of course not.

But, we can honor the legacy of our donors, working hard to ensure that all county residents benefit from your community foundation and its values.

Lance Linares is CEO of Community Foundation Santa Cruz County. You can subscribe to Lance's blog posts and follow him on Twitter.

We're Standing Up for Causes that Matter

Thu, 19 Jan 2017 23:24:42 GMT

The Fund for Women and Girls

Since the November announcement of our newly established endowment, the Fund for Women and Girls, we’ve raised $2 million towards our 2017 goal of $2.5 million!

We owe the fundraising success to our donors who agree that to level the playing field for everyone it's worth investing more in education, mentoring and job training to help local women and girls succeed.

We knew we couldn’t do everything that might help all women and girls in the county. So, we used local data and asked people already working in these areas where we should first focus our attention.

Both the data that shaped our grantmaking strategy and the people we talked with pointed to the Pájaro Valley and the overwhelming need among middle-school aged girls for greater guidance and help in charting a course for their future.

So, that’s where we start. Our first project, the Girls in the Pájaro Valley Initiative, targets a small group of middle-school age girls to benefit over three years from services devised through a collaboration of nonprofits offering after (and out of) school programs.

Nonprofits Rally

Wow! We had a great meeting with local nonprofits to discuss our first project from the fund on February 13.

In response to an invitation to apply, 18 different organizations came to meet each other and explore how they might work together, with us, the schools and families in the Pájaro Valley to improve the future for girls.

While acknowledging that collaboration isn’t easy, they shared some good ideas from their experience about why developing a collaborative partnership for this work is worthwhile.

Things like:

Keep your eye on the prize (i.e., the future success of girls in the Pájaro Valley).
Focus on what you do best, and trust the partners to do the rest.
Be sure your organization’s mission and plans align with the goals of the fund and first project initiative.
Commit to making the time needed to build relationships that are needed to work as a group.
Keep your board and staff informed so when key players leave your organization stays up to speed.
Consider your organization as part of a larger web of activity directed toward a cause, not as the hub of the action.

During our session, small groups practiced designing a collaborative or network of agencies that could meet the goals of the funds first investment:

Girls enter high school healthy, future-directed and academically prepared.
Youth serving organizations have the capacity to use data to design programs for girls within a larger network of partners.

I was inspired by the group's ability to put their own organizational interests aside and think hard about what might make the difference in getting a girl on the path to success.

As someone said, it was like we were creating a community hug around the girls!

Organizations will be working over the next six weeks to develop proposals for the initiative.

I'm excited to see and share what happens next!

Christina Cuevas is the program director at Community Foundation Santa Cruz County. You can subscribe to her blog posts and follow her on Twitter.

Easy Stocking Stuffers for Your Favorite Nonprofits

Mon, 28 Nov 2016 23:35:40 GMT

#GivingTuesday and Santa Cruz Gives provide you with easy, quick ways to make a charitable gift before year's end to one or more of your favorite nonprofit organizations in Santa Cruz County.

The #GivingTuesday fun happens today, November 29!

Launched in 2012, by the Belfer Center for Innovation and Social Impact at the 92nd Street Y, a cultural center in New York City, it offers a global giving alternative to the shopping frenzy of Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

#GivingTuesday is more of a happening, with no central organization collecting or distributing contributions. There are no fees charged to the participating charitable groups, who individually collect and manage their own giving.

In 2015, more than $117 million was raised online, with participation in 71 countries around the globe.

In Santa Cruz County, I counted over 40 local groups rallying behind #GivingTuesday.

You'll find familiar nonprofits (using the online search tool) seeking your support during the one-day fund drive in Watsonville, Aptos, Capitola, Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley, Felton and Boulder Creek.

Have you heard the buzz around Santa Cruz Gives?

It's a local project of Good Times Santa Cruz, the free weekly newspaper, in partnership with the Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz County, doing more than their fair share of the heavy lifting.

Now in its second year, Santa Cruz Gives follows (and goes beyond) an earlier effort we spearheaded with Ron Slack, the former publisher of the Good Times, that raised nearly $900,000 for local nonprofits, between 1996 and 2013.

The easy-to-navigate online platform provides you with all you need to give to one or more of the 33 local nonprofits raising funds between now and December 31.

Santa Cruz Gives is similar to another worthwhile regional partnership fundraising effort, Monterey County Gives!, led by the Monterey County Weekly. It benefits from a fund the weekly established at the Community Foundation for Monterey County, which also provides administrative support.

Great Ways to Give Local

With these easy ways to give online, today or through December 31, let's do it! Let's put some gifts in those online holiday stockings, for nonprofits and the people they serve!

Luis Chabolla is the communications director at Community Foundation Santa Cruz County. You can subscribe to his blog posts and follow him on Twitter.

Created by the team at the Belfer Center for Innovation & Social Impact at the 92nd Street Y—a cultural center in New York City

Are We Ready to Greet the Community Foundation's Next Leader?

Mon, 21 Nov 2016 21:54:24 GMT

Let's get ready to meet our next CEO!

The Community Foundation has announced my retirement at the end of 2017, after I shared my desire to step down. Board President Terry Medina has written a blog post about the leadership transition ahead.

It's time.

When I turn in my keys, it will be 22+ years, more than a third of my life, that I will have spent at the helm of this dynamic philanthropic organization.

I’ve always felt there are inherent dangers when one individual, and his or her personality, becomes so entwined with their organization that one cannot easily separate the two. That happens most often with founder-led organizations (thus the term "founder's syndrome"), as well as those with long-standing executives.

I don't want that for our community foundation. I don't want that for you.

Our board and staff are strong. The organizations is in a healthy and stable position. We've grown much in the last two decades and built the kind of community capital that makes us ready to look to the future, with a new leader.

What I'm most proud of

The creation of the Diversity Partnership Fund, and now the Fund for Women and Girls, represent the kinds of community assets we're building that will be able to respond to specific needs in our county, forever.
The work we've done growing our donor-advised funds has allowed us to distribute significantly more money into the community than what is generated from our endowments. We had two donor-advised funds when I came here. We now manage 75 such funds.
The formation of the Regional Water Management Foundation illustrates how our structure can be flexible in addressing local water management needs and our board's ability to be innovative in the name of social good.
And, of course, building and opening the Jack and Peggy Baskin Center for Philanthropy, in 2010, where more than 9,000 people have come, met and used our space and services.

Help in the transition

Through our succession planning the board knows the benefits of having a long runway for my departure and the expected arrival of our next CEO.

I've assured the board that I'll be on hand to help with a smooth transition of leadership.

A lot depends on where the next CEO comes from and what skills and local knowledge they bring with them. I'll be available to introduce them to people and acclimate them to the nuances of our county and the world of community foundations.

What's next for me?

Besides getting a chance to enjoy my subscription to the Sunday New York Times, I have many projects that involve my family and personal passions I want to dive into after I leave.

Some of you know my long history of archiving recorded music of the world, collecting rocks and other round objects, including bottle caps, along with my love of baseball, especially the S.F. Giants.

I expect there will be travel, with my wife Laura Sutherland. Our son Walker recently married and our daughter Madeleine will soon. That will certainly change the family dynamics . . . in a good way!

There are many trails I want to hike, books to read, music to hear and films to see.

To paraphrase the late great Dan Hicks, How can you miss me if I don’t go away?

But, that won’t happen for a while. Plus, there are a number of exciting Community Foundation projects that I’ll have my hands on before my successor begins.

Lance Linares is CEO of Community Foundation Santa Cruz County. You can subscribe to Lance's blog posts and follow him on Twitter.

We Have a Plan for Our Future

Mon, 21 Nov 2016 21:51:34 GMT

I’m no stranger to retirement, having done it twice.

First, of my own accord when I stepped down in 2009, after serving in law enforcement for 42 years, 20 as chief of the Watsonville Police Department. And, then again in 2013, after filling in as the interim chief while Many Solano underwent successful cancer treatment.

So, when Lance Linares, our CEO of 20 plus years at the Community Foundation, shared his desire to step down at the end of 2017 (see news alert), I had a few words of sage advice ready for him.

First, make sure your board, key supporters and staff are informed and prepared for the transition; second, keep the public in the loop; and third, start planning some dream, bucket list, vacations.

Kidding aside. While I wholeheartedly support Lance’s decision, I do so knowing he leaves us in a strong and stable position, one in which we’re well-equipped to navigate a smooth transition to new leadership.

Some of the things Lance has done to get us here:

Spearheading the $9 million capital campaign to build our home in Aptos;
Applying his relationship-building and fundraising skills to growing our total assets from $6 million in 1995 to $108 million today;
Overseeing the accreditation of the Community Foundation as a national standard bearer of accountability and transparency; and,
Bringing philanthropy consultant Anthony Tansimore in to help the board create a succession plan for the inevitable departure or retirement of senior staff.

As a former police chief and administrator I know the value of thoughtful planning for the future.

As our current leaders in philanthropy grow older and look to retirement or new careers, it’s incumbent upon us as forward-thinking boards to make sure we’re ready for what's ahead.

Given the calm we feel right now having a leadership transition plan in place, I was surprised to learn from Lance how few other community foundations and nonprofit have gone through a similar process within their own organizations.

In fact, so few other community foundations in California have done so that Lance has been invited by a number of our colleagues to visit and share our work with their boards, which he did and continues to do.

And, now it’s time to field test the plan!

Our board is ready. We just kicked into action a search committee, chaired by Vice President Marilyn Calciano.

The committee expects to have a firm selected before the end of the year to undertake a national search for our next leader.

We expect to be ready to announce our new CEO next fall.

Lance will be with us until the end of 2017 and help acclimate the new person.

Our board is engaged and ready for the work ahead. We have a professional staff that I’m proud of and a plan to guide us!

Over the next few months, you can expect to see updates from me on our leadership transition.

In the meantime, if you have feedback or questions for us please leave them in the discussion field below.