It’s hard to believe that spring is in full swing and 2026 is approaching the midway mark! As always, the community foundation team is here to share practical insights and support your charitable goals. We’re always inspired by the many ways our fund holders and donors express their generosity.
This month, we’re taking a step back to reflect on a simple but powerful idea: what does philanthropy really mean—and how can you discover the causes that matter most to you, especially right here in our own community? You’ll find practical guidance for shaping your giving, along with ideas to help you take the next step in your charitable journey, wherever you may be.
Rethinking legacy: Balancing gifts to heirs with the community’s future
Estate planning is about more than deciding who receives what. The community foundation is happy to share trends in the ways donors are thinking carefully about inheritances, family needs, and opportunities to leave a meaningful charitable legacy that supports our community for years to come.
What type of donor are you—scattered, results-focused, just getting started, or deep into it already?
There’s no single “right” type of donor. Everyone is different, whether you already have a fund at the community foundation or are considering starting one. Whatever your “type,” our team can work with you at every stage to organize your giving, explore causes you care about, and shape a plan that fits your goals.
Step by step, it starts with “love of humanity”
Philanthropy may sound like a big word, but its meaning is beautifully simple. The team at the community foundation loves reflecting on philanthropy as a “love of humanity,” especially as we help you move into action with a few important first steps. Discover what happens when we meet for the first time to explore your charitable priorities and the impact you envision.
Thank you for being part of the community foundation! We look forward to working with you and your family. Please reach out anytime you are considering adding or updating elements in your charitable plan. Whether you’ve been giving for years or are just beginning to explore what philanthropy means to you, your commitment plays a vital role in building a stronger, more vibrant community.
—Your community foundation
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Rethinking legacy: Balancing gifts to heirs with the community’s future
Next time you meet with your estate planning attorney, it may be a good idea to check in on your long-term plans and ask yourself questions you might not yet have considered. Some planners, for example, report that more and more clients are reconsidering an automatic estate distribution to heirs. Instead, their clients are evaluating what type of legacies make the most sense and working hard to prepare children and grandchildren to receive that wealth. Times are changing, and regular, careful estate plan reviews with your advisors are more important than ever.
Here are three interesting emerging themes:
They don’t need it—or want it.
Sometimes it makes good financial sense for heirs to disclaim inheritances from their parents. This Wall Street Journal article (subscription required) is instructive, noting that heirs can sometimes benefit from refusing an inheritance, allowing assets—especially tax-heavy ones like traditional IRAs—to pass to contingent beneficiaries in a more tax-efficient way. Legal disclaimers provide post-death flexibility for families to adjust estate plans in response to current circumstances, though they must be executed carefully to comply with strict rules.
Strategic giving leads to local giving.
High net worth donors are becoming more intentional and strategic in their charitable giving, focusing on outcomes, alignment with personal values, and long-term impact rather than making purely reactive or broad-based donations. Alongside these changes is a growing preference for supporting local organizations, as donors increasingly want to see the direct effects of their contributions within their own communities.
Hands-on local involvement and proactive planning go hand in hand.
Donors using donor-advised funds are particularly locally focused, as evidenced by volunteering statistics. These donors are significantly more likely to volunteer their time—especially within their own communities—demonstrating deeper, hands-on engagement with the organizations they support. This combination of higher volunteerism and frequent giving suggests that donor-advised fund donors are not only more active philanthropically but also more personally connected to local causes and community impact.
To learn how these trends might apply to your situation, please reach out to the community foundation! Our team is happy to work with you and your advisors to structure a charitable giving plan—including a donor-advised fund, cause-specific fund, legacy fund, and more—that meets your overall financial and estate planning goals while also ensuring that your wealth can help improve the quality of life in our region for years to come.
What type of donor are you—scattered, results-focused, just getting started, or deep into it already?
Even if you are new to charitable giving, you’ve likely discovered that there’s no single “right” way to approach making a difference. That’s not only normal—it’s a strength! Recent research reinforces what many donors already know intuitively: generosity looks different for everyone. Indeed, more than 80% of Americans report giving in some form, whether through financial contributions, volunteering, or civic involvement. The takeaway is simple: there’s no single profile of a “typical” donor. Instead, each person brings their unique values, goals, and experiences to philanthropy.
That’s where the community foundation comes in. No matter where you are on your charitable journey—just getting started, giving consistently, or thinking about long-term legacy—we’re here to help you shape a plan that fits.
Consider a few examples that may feel familiar.
Here, there, and everywhere
Some donors find themselves giving generously but without a clear structure. They support a wide range of causes, say “yes” when needs arise, and genuinely want to make a difference, but may not have a coordinated approach. If that sounds like you, a fund at the community foundation can help bring everything together. Many donors use a donor-advised fund to organize their giving in one place, making it easier to support favorite organizations while also stepping back to think more strategically about long-term impact. Over time, some donors expand their approach to include additional tools, such as field-of-interest funds or legacy plans, creating a more intentional and lasting charitable “portfolio.”
Results matter
Other donors are highly motivated to give but want to be sure their contributions are making a real difference. If you’ve ever paused before making a gift because you weren’t certain how funds would be used—or wondered how to identify the most effective organizations—you’re not alone. The community foundation can serve as a trusted partner in these moments, helping you evaluate opportunities, understand community needs, and connect with organizations that are delivering meaningful results. For many donors, this added layer of insight turns hesitation into confidence and leads to deeper engagement over time.
Starting small
Some donors feel strongly about giving but worry that their financial situation limits what they can do. They may already be supporting causes they care about, even in small ways, but assume that more structured or impactful philanthropy is out of reach. In reality, many donors begin with modest contributions and build from there. Establishing a fund at the community foundation—even with a relatively small initial gift—can provide a simple, organized way to give. And if you are thinking about the future, incorporating a legacy gift into a will, trust, or beneficiary designation can create a lasting impact without affecting current finances.
Already rolling!
Of course, many donors are already deeply engaged. You may be actively involved with nonprofits, serving on boards, or exploring more sophisticated ways to align your charitable giving with your financial and estate plans. In these cases, the community foundation can help you expand your impact even further—whether through gifts of appreciated assets, multi-generational giving strategies, or long-term endowment planning that supports the community for years to come.
The common thread across all of these examples is that there’s no single starting point—and no single destination. Charitable giving evolves over time, often alongside changes in your life, your family, and your priorities. What matters most is having the flexibility and support to adapt your approach as those changes occur.
That’s exactly what the community foundation is designed to provide. Whether you’re organizing your giving, exploring new opportunities, or planning for the future, our team is here to help you make the most of your philanthropy in a way that reflects your values and goals.
We’re honored to work with donors at every stage of the journey—and we look forward to continuing the conversation.
Step by step, it starts with “love of humanity”
The word “philanthropy” comes from Greek roots, meaning, quite simply, a love of humanity. It’s a big word—but at its heart, it reflects something very personal: the desire to help others, strengthen community, and make a difference in ways that matter to you.
For some people, philanthropy means supporting a favorite nonprofit year after year. For others, it means volunteering time, responding to urgent needs, or thinking carefully about how to create lasting change. However it shows up, philanthropy is not one-size-fits-all. It’s as unique as the people behind it.
That’s where the community foundation comes in.
At the community foundation, we believe that everyone has a philanthropic instinct—it just looks different from person to person. Our role is to help you discover, shape, and act on that instinct in a way that reflects your values, your experiences, and your goals. Whether you already have a clear vision or are just beginning to explore what matters most, we’re here to help you connect the dots.
But how, exactly, does this work? What does it look like in real life to get started with the community foundation?
Often, the starting point is simply a conversation. Here’s what you can expect during your first meeting with a member of the community foundation team.
We’ll review your favorite charities.
Together, we’ll take a look at a list of the charities you already support and review each organization to uncover the reasons you love and support each one. This is a crucial starting point because the community foundation is here to help you make the most of what you are already doing, and then build on that to discover how you can get even more involved.
We’ll chat about your story.
We enjoy hearing from our donors about the experiences that have shaped their lives. As we begin this part of our conversation, we’ll explore questions that help unlock where your charitable passions may lie and why. What challenges have you or your loved ones faced? What opportunities made a difference for you? Often, the causes we care about most are connected to our own journeys. Reflecting on these moments can help clarify where you feel most motivated to give.
We’ll talk about what’s going on in our community.
Which local issues capture your attention or spark a strong emotional response? It might be something you read in the news, a local initiative you hear about, or a cause a friend supports. These moments are often clues pointing toward what matters most to you. The community foundation can help provide context for these issues and share information about which organizations are directly addressing the local challenges that top your list.
We’ll connect with your advisors about structure.
As your charitable purposes come into focus, we would welcome the opportunity to join you for a meeting with your estate planning and tax advisors, or even provide articles you can share with your advisors about charitable giving structures that might help you achieve your goals. Whether your charitable goals are best served via a donor-advised fund, unrestricted fund, legacy gift, IRA beneficiary designation, or anything in between, the community foundation can help implement your charitable intentions in ways that your advisors recommend are best aligned with the rest of your financial plan.
As we take these steps together, remember that you don’t have to have all the answers right away. Philanthropy is a journey, not a destination. It’s okay to start small, to ask questions, and to adjust your approach along the way. Whether you’re ready to establish a fund, looking to deepen your involvement, or simply beginning to think about how you want to give back, the community foundation is here to help. Together, we can turn your love of humanity into meaningful, lasting impact—right here in the community we share.