Greater Kansas City Community Foundation

Can you hear me now?

If there ever were a day designed perfectly for a trip to the zoo, Saturday was it! The Kansas City Zoo just keeps getting better and better, and Saturday did not disappoint. It was a wonderful outing. For Lindy, my four-year-old, the highlight of the excursion was a tie between the animals and the promise of junk food at the end of the trip. Every so often a little voice would chirp from the stroller to remind me of my commitment. "What did you say, Lindy? You want to see the cheetahs?" "No," she said. "I want Cheetos." Over by the gorillas she piped up again. "Oh, shall we see the chimps next?" I said. "No, mommy, I said chips. CHIPS!"

What a helpful reminder that good listening skills are a must! Not just at the zoo, but at the Community Foundation, where what's important to you is what's important to us. We promise to listen closely to the charitable causes that are most important to you, and then help you design a charitable plan to achieve the community results you want. As always, you can learn more about these and other services on our Web site.

Oh, and here's a corollary to the "listen well" rule: Read carefully. Which is something my mother and I failed to do. At 5:45, we were settled in on a bench by the giraffes, letting the kids play, when it dawned on me that the zoo might actually have a closing time. I pulled the map out of the stroller, and, sure enough, the zoo had closed at 5:00! Two adults, two strollers, and a seven-year-old, running wildly from Africa to the exit. Now that's a visual that should start your week with a chuckle!

In it for the long haul

I called the house last Thursday evening to let everyone know that I was running a little late. Ann answered the phone. "How was school today?" I asked. Here was her response: "GooOOOOoooOOOOoooOOOOOOoood!" To get the full effect, you have to hit every note on the scale with gusto as you belt out the word in exuberant song. "What was THAT?" I asked Ann. "Oh," she said, "That was 'good' in opera."

What a great idea to linger on such a positive note! Some matters are just not meant to be dealt with in haste. Kind of like the Community Foundation's "Time to Get It Right" leadership initiative. Its premise is that our region must invest in quality education--from pre-Kindergarten to postgraduate--for all of our children, especially the historically underserved Latino and African-American kids. These children are the economy of our future. They deserve a long-term strategy.

You can bet that 10 years from now I'll still be talking about "Time to Get It Right." That's how committed we are at the Community Foundation--board, staff, and interested donors--to investing in Kansas City. Make that "Kansas City" in opera: "KaNNnssSssaAAAaaass CiiiiitttttttttyyyYYYyy!" Music to my ears!

A bright idea

Sometimes it takes a seven-year-old to tell you that you are in a wardrobe rut. My closet has been full of dark colors for as long as I can remember. So I am not quite sure what possessed me a couple of weeks ago to buy a bright orange jacket at Nordstrom's. "Are you going to wear that?" Ann asked with a twinkle in her eye as I headed out the door to work last Tuesday. "Yes," I said. Surprising myself that I sincerely valued her opinion, I added cautiously "Do you think I should?" "Oh, sure," she replied. "It will be fun." And it actually was!

It never hurts to try something new. If you've been thinking about setting up your own personal, corporate, or family foundation fund at the Community Foundation, maybe it's time to take the leap. Establish your fund for less than you might think. Total up your charitable giving budget for the year, and that's a good starting point. Then you can make your 2008 donations out of your fund and see first hand why 189 new families, individuals, and business got started at the Community Foundation last year alone. And guess what? It's fun!

The price is right, too. The minimum fee--a grant to our mission--is just $21 a month, or $250 per year. That's less than my orange jacket.

Can you spell it?

Ann's spelling words last week were "listen," "travel," "explain," "circle," and "speed." We practiced and practiced and she swears she got them all correct on Friday's test. We shall see! I had to memorize the words myself to quiz her in the car. An interesting exercise to dream up a sentence using all five! "Listen and I will explain how to speed travel in a circle." Uh, right.

This got me thinking about a succinct way to describe the work of the Community Foundation. It is kind of a mouthful to say "We fulfill community dreams through the power of giving by increasing charitable giving, connecting donors, and leading on critical community issues to improve our region's quality of life." Briefly stated: More giving, smarter investments, better Kansas City. I'll bet we all can spell those six words...but do you like them? I invite you to post your comments about what investing in Kansas City means to you.

Do the dollars make sense?

The spring break homework for Mrs. Inzer's first grade class at Prairie Star Elementary School was to collect 30 pennies, 10 nickels, 10 dimes, and four quarters. Naturally with an entire week to pull it together, Ann and I waited until this afternoon to dig around in piggy banks and seat cushions. "Why do you think Mrs. Inzer asked you to do this for your homework?" I inquired of Ann (who spent most of her spring break playing radio weather man with a very LOUD amplifying mike). "Well," she said, "you have to know how to count money so you can pay your bills faster." Close enough.

My colleagues and I have fielded some excellent questions lately about the Community Foundation's facts and figures. With over 2,000 funds, ranging in size from a few thousand dollars to several millions of dollars, the Community Foundation's donors granted nearly $200 million toward community causes last year alone. That's a chunk of change! Click here to read some of the most burning questions--and the answers. Maybe the same questions have been jingling around in your mind, too!

It all adds up

I am convinced with mathematical certainty that Daylight Savings Time "spring forward" will always occur on a weekend when that hour is most needed. This year was no exception. The early morning hours of Sunday were filled with kiddos who'd come down with the flu in the middle of the night.

Here's another, happier, mathematical certainty. Let's assume that you routinely give to 32 different charitable organizations in any given calendar year. (Actually, this amazing equation works with any number--32, 5, 15, 61, you name it.) What's the total number of tax letters you need to save for your accountant? Answer: 1. That's right, one. Your personal, family or corporate fund at the Community Foundation allows you to organize your giving in one place.

Don't believe it? Click here and we'll send you the proof. And here's the magic part. You just got back that lost hour--in multiples!

Remembering a Founder

The Greater Kansas City Community Foundation lost a dear friend - and a little piece of history - when Charles Curran passed away recently at the age of 84.

If you've been around Kansas City for a while, you have no doubt heard of an organization called the Kansas City Association of Trusts and Foundations. The Association was formed in 1949 under the leadership of attorney Arthur Mag (Stinson Mag and now Stinson Morrison Hecker). The Association's board was charged with making grant recommendations to the trustees of several local charitable foundations.

Here's the most interesting part. The first president of the Association was Homer Wadsworth, and Chuck Curran was Homer's top staff person. When Homer left the Association to become the president of the Cleveland Foundation (founded in 1914 as the first community foundation in the country), Chuck was his successor, serving as president of the Kansas City Association of Trusts and Foundations until 1986. Meanwhile, at the Cleveland Foundation, Homer Wadsworth experienced the advantages and benefits of a local community foundation, and it was both Homer and Chuck who played key roles to encourage the creation of the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation in 1978, which merged with the Kansas City Association of Trusts and Foundations in 1986. And, as they say, the rest is history.

Read more about Chuck Curran

Coupons with heart

Everyone adores coupons, right? That's what I figured as I rummaged through the junk closet today to find enough artsy material to create a craft for Lindy's preschool Valentine's Day party. (It is so easy to sign up for these things at Back to School Night in August when the parties are months away--good sales tactic!) So I cut a few dozen rectangles out of pink and red construction paper, wrote "1 hug," "3 kisses," "2 hugs," and so forth on each rectangle, grabbed some heart stickers, and called it a craft. I figured the kids could decorate the coupons by sticking on as many hearts as each coupon was worth in hugs or kisses and then present them to their families as a Valentine's Day gift. Turns out four-year-olds are savvier negotiators than I had anticipated. "This isn't good," one sweet little boy told me. "I always give my mom a MILLION kisses." Alas, the Coupon Bank of Laura was not flush with quite that many stickers.

Meanwhile, back at the Community Foundation, my colleagues were busy handing out a different sort of coupon. This coupon is good for $50 off the regular price of a DonorEdge 360 Report. Our Nonprofit Specialists will offer this coupon to the first 25 organizations to earn a 2008 "Check Marked" DonorEdge profile in the first quarter. The 360 is regularly priced at $199, which defrays a small fraction of our Nonprofit Specialists' time but more importantly ensures that both the Foundation and the organization take the process seriously. The 360 is such a vital part of kicking off an organization's successful year . . . . organizations and their boards love to take advantage of the 360 in the first quarter. Smitten? If you think a 360 might be a perfect match for an organization you love, click here to contact our Nonprofit Outreach Team to get the ball rolling. And receive your coupon, of course!   

Wrestling (!) with a personal mission

A couple of years ago, David Westbrook, a good friend and mentor, asked me a question I could not answer. "What's your personal mission?" he inquired. I was at a loss. I'd never even thought about it. "You've got to have a personal mission," David said. "Otherwise, how do you ever really know what you're doing or how to do it?"

It was an excellent point. Over the next few months, I spent some time thinking about it and discovered that "helping others be the best that they can be" is how I would describe my primary goal. And David was right. A clear sense of purpose has made all the difference. After all, this is what's at the heart of the Community Foundation's mission to empower the lives of Kansas Citians through philanthropy. And it applies equally well to bring order to the chaos of my home!

Or does it? Last weekend I encouraged Eva to build her motor skills during a friendly tussle with her sisters in a pile of pillows on the basement floor. "Get back up, Eva!" I said, as she kicked her chubby little toddler legs in a wild frenzy to get back on top of the heap. "You can do it!" My seven-year-old, Ann, never to be outdone by anyone, chimed in "Go, Eva! You're going to be the world's greatest women's wrestler!" Note to self: Save the cheering for the science fair!

All in the Family

Aren’t families fun? Bright and early Saturday morning, my four-year-old informed me that we were going to play house. “I’ll be the mommy,” she told me. “Daddy will be the daddy, Ann will be the sister, and you’ll be the Jayhawk.”

See? There’s always a role for everyone! My colleague, Whitney Hosty, knows a thing or two about families and the role each person can play when it comes to charitable giving. Whitney and her team make passing those giving traditions from generation to generation a delightful experience. Contact Whitney if you’d like to find out more. 

Next time I’ll ask Lindy to explain exactly what is involved in being the household Jayhawk. It might just be a deal I can’t refuse . . . . I wonder if Jayhawks have to do laundry or change diapers?