President's Corner on Philanthropy Hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and 2014 is getting off to grand start! We are working on closing our year-end books here at ICF and next month I will be able to share some of that information with you. Here’s a hint: thanks to the generosity of our supporters and a big boost from the stock market, it looks like we had a very good year. That’s great news for Idaho philanthropy and nonprofits throughout our state! Now I would like to share with you some exciting news from the Silicon Valley Community Foundation (SVCF). For the last several weeks, the philanthropic world and American community foundations have been abuzz about a gift from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan to SVCF – 18 million shares of Facebook stock worth almost $1 billion. It was the nation’s largest philanthropic gift in 2013 and it was the first time that the largest gift came from people younger than 30. Zuckerberg and his wife clearly understand the power of giving through community foundations. In December 2012, he donated $500 million in stock to SVCF and has also pledged $100 million to New Jersey public schools through SVCF. It is exciting to see 29-year-old Zuckerberg, who Forbes estimates has a net worth of $19 billion, and his wife becoming major philanthropists at a young age. In addition to his giving through the SVCF, Zuckerberg is one of the billionaires who joined Bill Gates, Warren Buffett and others in signing the Giving Pledge to give away at least half of their wealth to charitable activities during their lifetimes, so his philanthropic gifting is far from over. All of us in nonprofits are thrilled to see the next generation of philanthropists emerge and we hope that Zuckerberg will be an inspiration to other young millionaires and billionaires. In addition, those of us at community foundations are proud that Zuckerberg chose “one of us” through which to manage his giving. Of course we love to tout the numerous reasons why giving through a community foundation is beneficial both to those who give and those who receive. A community foundation fund requires less time, money and legal expertise than a private foundation, yet offers most of the same advantages, including endowments and the flexibility to choose new recipients each year. You can establish a fund to benefit one or more specific nonprofits, or a field of interest or geographic region that is special to you. Most special about Zuckerberg’s gift is that it creates both current and future philanthropic wealth for the community in which Zuckerberg and his family live – wealth that will address a variety of needs important to them. That is the simple beauty of endowments. The Zuckerberg funds will continue to grow every year even while they’re being spent. Some day in the future his fund will have distributed more than its original amount and it will still be growing and distributing. For example we have a fund that was established in 1992 for $550,000 (see below “Gem County organizations receive nearly $32,000 from Rawlinson Fund”). It’s grown by nearly 70 percent since then and has distributed nearly $730,000! I would like to remind all of you that you don’t have to be Mark Zuckerberg to have a community foundation fund. The Idaho Community Foundation offers several endowed funds that can be established for $25,000, which can be pledged over five years. Plus you, your friends and family can add to the fund whenever you like and receive tax deductions with each new gift. If you’ve made a resolution to become more involved in your community in 2014, increase your charitable giving, or even to broaden your tax deductions please contact ICF to see if we can help. Hope all of you are off to a great start in 2014! Bob Headlines ICF welcomes new Board Director Dan Klocko ICF welcomes new Board Board Director Dan Klocko of Post Falls will attend his Director Dan Klocko first ICF board meeting in February. Deadline Wednesday for Dan has been the vice president of human resources for two north Idaho grant Kootenai Health since 2006. He is also the Chairman of cycles the Board for the Post Falls Chamber of Commerce. He previously served on the board of the Coeur d’Alene Bistline Fund in ICF gives Chamber of Commerce and has been involved as a almost $48,000 in grants volunteer for the United Way and the North Idaho Housing for arts Coalition. Gem County organizations receive nearly $32,000 He said he is looking forward to working on the ICF Board: “Idahoans are from Rawlinson Fund known for our independence, caring and willingness to roll up our sleeves and get things done. The Idaho Community Foundation exemplifies all these ICF News characteristics and has become a catalyst for bringing people together to create solutions to local challenges.” Dan and his wife Carmen have seven children, ages 2 to 16 years old. ICF's New and Renewing Members December 2013 Deadline Wednesday for two north Idaho grant cycles Deadline for each of the grant cycles below is New Member | Renewing Wednesday, Jan. 15. Late applications will not be Member considered. Benefactor ($1,000 and Junior Garnier and Bud Ashford Military Veterans above) Fund A J and Susie Balukoff, Boise ICF Northern Regional For programs and services for veterans in Bonner and Competitive Grant Ford and Jean Elsaesser, recipient West Bonner Boundary counties. Click to see guidelines or to apply. Library Priest River Applications may be handwritten and mailed to ICF, 210 John and Delores Fery, Boise W. State St., Boise, ID 83702, or submitted via email to Tom and Alice Hennessey, [email protected]. Late applications will not be Boise considered. Darrell Jordan, Bellevue, WA Kissler Family Foundation, Veterans’ organizations including American Legion posts, Disabled American Inc., Boise Veterans chapters, Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States posts, Patron ($500-$999) Vietnam Veterans of America chapters, and Marine Corps League John and Martha Arrington, detachments are eligible. Grants range in size from $250 to $1,500 and must Idaho Falls be used for a charitable purpose. Thomas and Marilyn Beck, Preference will be given to veterans’ organizations that provide: Boise Larry and Marilyn Cope, Buhl ● Food, firewood, and/or emergency relief such as rent and utility Darin and Ann DeAngeli, assistance to meet basic needs Boise ● Medical equipment distribution/lending N. Charles and Polly ● Outreach to homeless veterans or other veterans not currently utilizing Hedemark, Boise services Phillip and Anita Murelaga, Boise The fund was created in 2010 by Marti (Garnier) Ashford and Jim Ashford Gay Simplot, Boise of Sandpoint in honor of their fathers. Sponsor ($250-$499) Northern Region Competitive Grant Cycle C. Richard and Vonnie Lue The ICF grant cycle is open for the north Idaho counties of Benewah, Bonner, Broulim, Rigby Boundary, Clearwater, Idaho, Kootenai, Latah, Lewis, Nez Perce and Betty Carr, Idaho Falls Shoshone. Andrew and Shannon Erstad, Boise In the 2012-13 grant cycle, ICF awarded more than $152,000 to 68 Kent and Kim Fletcher, Burley organizations in north Idaho, nearly doubling the amount awarded in the Guy Hearon and Cheryl 2011-12 grant cycle thanks to major gifts from an anonymous donor and Stewart, Sandpoint from the Gladys E. Langroise Advised Fund in ICF. Approximately the same Irv and Trudy Littman, Boise amount will be available this year. Peter and Barrie O’Neill, Boise Eligible organizations may apply for up to $5,000. Individuals are not eligible. Virginia Willard, Idaho Falls Grant awards will be recommended by the Northern Regional Grants Panel, Sustainer ($100-$249) which is composed of community participants from the counties of the Norman and Ellen Batt, northern region. Distribution of grants is scheduled to begin in June. Caldwell Harvey and Myrna Bickett, For more information or to apply, go to ICF’s homepage www.idcomfdn.org. Gooding Ernest Blackwelder and Sheila Hennessey, Chevy Bistline Fund in ICF gives almost $48,000 in grants for Chase, MD arts Barbara Botsch, Sandpoint Orval and June Hansen, The F.M., Anne G. and Beverly B. Bistline Foundation Fund Arlington, VA in the Idaho Community Foundation will provide $47,681 Leo and Pauline Harf, Boise in grants to arts-focused nonprofits in southeastern Idaho. Tom and Shana Hennessey, The Bistline Fund, which became an ICF fund in 2011, Mountain Home gives grants twice a year. Previously it was the F.M. and Mark and Lynn Hofflund, Anne G. and Beverly B. Bistline Foundation, a private Boise foundation founded in 1999 by Pocatello philanthropist John and Deb Holleran, Boise Beverly Bistline and named in honor of her parents. Ronald and Mary Hughes, Boise Recipients of the fall/winter grant cycle are: Bill and Jackie Jackson, Boise Bistline Fund grant James and Kathryn Mertz, A.J. Winters Elementary School (Montpelier) – recipient the National Oregon Trail Center in Caldwell $1,790 to update equipment and software necessary to Montpelier Walter and Patricia Nelson, produce a class movie and share it with the entire school Gooding and community. Barbara Pleason-Mueller, Hayden Lake Blackfoot Community Center, Inc (Blackfoot) – $4,615 to purchase an Bill and Lynne Ringert, electric pottery kiln, pottery wheel, tools and supplies that support pottery Hammett projects for the community. Jim and Mary Schmidt, Blackfoot Performing Arts Center (Blackfoot) – $1,500 for 150 students Grangeville to attend the evening concert at the Intermountain Jazz Festival. Catherine Shalz, Boise James and Karin Thompson, Idaho Public Television (Boise) – $3,000 to sponsor the Great Boise Performances program on Idaho Public Television in southeast Idaho.