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Happy March! The year is in full swing! It is read across America Day - happy birthday Dr. Seuss! What is Read Across America? Read Across America Day was established by the National Education Association (NEA) in 1997 with the goal of promoting reading among children. Coinciding with Dr. Seuss’s birthday, the day naturally evolved to also celebrate the legacy of this beloved children’s author. His whimsical tales and rhymes have since become central to the festivities, although the day encourages reading of all kinds. As a child, I loved reading the Chronicles of Narnia. As a mother, I loved reading Green Eggs and Ham to my children. Share with us your favorite childhood book!
Every day, it is our pleasure to work with so many individuals, families, and businesses to establish charitable funds and legacies to achieve the community impact that means the most to you. For those of you who have not yet established a fund but are considering it, thank you! We look forward to learning more about your charitable goals and identifying ways Allegan County Community Foundation can help.
–This is a great time of year to reflect on the causes you love and the reasons you love them. Whether it’s a favorite charity because you’ve served on the board of directors for years, or an organization you’ve recently begun supporting, ACCF’s tools can help you deepen your involvement and meet your estate planning goals at the same time.
–Missed deadlines are no fun, especially where tax rules and the IRS are concerned. If you intended to make a Qualified Charitable Distribution in 2024 but missed the deadline, take a moment right now to be sure you are planning for 2025. QCDs are excellent tools for people who’ve reached the age of 70 ½, and ACCF can help you make the most of the opportunity.
–Having choices is a good thing, right? Of course! But that doesn’t mean it’s not overwhelming to be faced with a lot of options, especially where charitable giving is concerned. That’s where ACCF comes in. We can help you sort through the options, simplify a strategy, and set a plan in motion to achieve both your philanthropic and tax planning goals.
Positively Impacting Allegan County,
Stephanie
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On October 1st, 2023 the Allegan County Community Foundation became the local affiliate for Allegan County's Dolly Parton Imagination library. Since that time 63,000 books have been delivered to children in Allegan County under the age of 5. In honor of Read Across American, please consider making a donation to support this effort. A donation of $3 is one book for one child for one month. A donation of $36 is a year of books for one child!
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Join us for Allegan County Gives on Wednesday, March 19th! This powerful day of community impact is your chance to give back through your time, talent, and treasure.
From 12-2 PM, stop by The Silo in Allegan for our 2nd Annual Volunteer Fair—connect with local nonprofits and explore ways to engage with your community through volunteer opportunities
Plus, ACCF is celebrating its 60th birthday by matching donations—up to $60,000! Donations to eligible funds will be matched, maximizing your impact. Invite friends to join in and help us reach this goal!
✅ Matching limits: $5,000 per donor, $10,000 per organization (first come, first serve)
✅ Donate online starting March 19th or by mail (postmarked by 3/19)
Don't miss out on this chance to make a difference!
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The ACCF scholarship deadline is approaching quickly, but there’s still time to apply! With over 60 scholarships available, there are plenty of opportunities for students pursuing college, trade school, or other post-secondary education.
The deadline to apply is March 10, so don’t wait—start your general application today to see which scholarships you qualify for! One application could connect you to multiple funding opportunities.
Encourage the students in your life to finish their applications! Share this with friends, family, and classmates so no one misses out.
Questions? Reach out at scholarships@alleganfoundation.org.
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SUMMER CAMP SCHOLARSHIPS
Are you a student in 8th, 9th, 10th, or 11th grade attending a public school in Allegan County? Don’t miss the chance to apply for the Jack and Susan Thiel Music Camp Scholarships! These scholarships help cover the cost of attending a summer music camp, so you can take your passion for music to the next level.
With the assistance of the Allegan County Community Foundation, the Thiel Family established the Jack and Susan Thiel Music Fund. In addition to being educators for many years, both Jack and Susan incorporated music into their lives through participation in church music programs, community theatre/musicals, as well as countless hours of volunteer work in support of the vocal and musical arts.
To apply for this scholarship, interested students should create an account on the Allegan County Community Foundation scholarship site. Once an account is created, please select the summer camp scholarship option and continue. If you need assistance, please contact us at scholarships@alleganfoundation.org or 269.673.8344
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These young changemakers have been hard at work making an impact in Allegan County. They recently awarded grants to local organizations, including Allegan County 4H (pictured below), and are now reviewing scholarship applications to support their peers pursuing their educational goals.
We’re looking for new members from Martin, Hopkins, and Wayland for the 2025-2026 year! If you know a high school student who is passionate about making a difference in their community, encourage them to apply to be part of TAG. It’s a great opportunity to develop leadership skills, learn about philanthropy, and help allocate funding to causes that matter.
Stay tuned for more updates, including insights from our county-wide youth needs assessment, coming soon!
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Thank you for helping us SPREAD THE LOVE during the 2025 Peanut Butter Drive. Our food drives would not be successful without the continued support of our incredible community. The participating pantries are still tallying their totals; please stay tuned for the final impact! | |
A new year is in full swing, but you’ve still got plenty of time to consider your charitable impact and how you’d like to make a difference in 2025. A great way to do that is to reflect on the difference you’ve already made through the years.
For starters, think about how the many causes you’ve supported have resulted in tangible, positive improvements in the quality of life for so many people in our community. Indeed, many people are drawn to charitable giving and decide to establish a fund at Allegan County Community Foundation because of personal experiences with charities during a time of need. For example, perhaps a loved one benefited from groundbreaking medical research funded by charitable donations. Or maybe you or a family member overcame personal challenges with the help of nonprofit counseling services, or your business might have thrived thanks to a nonprofit-supported arts district or mentorship program. Nonprofit hospice care may have provided comfort and support during a difficult time with a family member. Even a cherished pet may have come into your life through a nonprofit animal rescue. What’s more, many people find that their happiness increases through acts of giving. When you know you’re helping someone, it makes you feel good!
The team at ACCF is here to help you shape your charitable giving plan for 2025 and beyond. We’d welcome a conversation to review key components of your philanthropy and help you make the biggest impact possible. For example, we can review:
–Opportunities to accomplish your charitable giving goals this year through gifts of appreciated stock
–Opportunities to incorporate gifts to your fund in your estate plan and create a lasting charitable legacy
–Examples of how you can join forces with other fund holders to support larger initiatives
–Examples of donors who are not only pursuing their own charitable priorities, but are also supporting ACCF work to improve quality of life in our region for generations to come
–Reviewing historical grants to charities from your donor-advised fund and examples of the impact of those grants, which in turn can help inform future grant making to the causes you love
–Ways your grants and the charities you support are helping achieve positive community change in priorities identified as critical by ACCF
If you'd like to discuss your giving strategies or explore new ways to maximize your impact, please don't hesitate to reach out. We're here to help you achieve your philanthropic goals and create lasting change in our community.
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A Qualified Charitable Distribution (“QCD”) is a useful tool if you’ve reached the age of 70 ½ and want to give to a designated, field-of-interest, or unrestricted fund at Allegan County Community Foundation. Indeed, in 2025, you can direct up to $108,000 from your IRA to many types of funds at ACCF, although donor-advised funds are not eligible.
But what if you intended to make a QCD in 2024 and time got away from you? Perhaps you even initiated a QCD on December 31 but it was too late to qualify for 2024 because of the way these transactions are settled between administrators and recipients. This is a complex topic for sure, and you’ll want to discuss the details with your tax advisors. At a high-level, here are a few considerations if you missed the opportunity last year.
First and foremost, ensure you have taken your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) for 2024 if you are required to do so. Failing to take your RMD can result in significant penalties, so this should be your top priority. If you missed your RMD deadline because you were planning to make a QCD, you should file IRS Form 5329 and request a waiver.
While you can't retroactively make a QCD for the previous year, you can get a jump on 2025. Indeed, there are lots of reasons to make your QCDs early in the year. For example, it’s smart to try to avoid potential conflicts with the "first-dollars-out rule,” meaning that the first dollars withdrawn from an IRA will count toward your RMD. QCDs early in the year help ensure that it will count toward your RMD before taking any other distributions that might be taxable. And of course, avoiding the year-end rush is imperative.
We are always happy to work with you and your advisors to help you carry out your charitable giving goals, whether you’re exploring a QCD or any of the many ways you can support the causes you love. We look forward to working with you this year!
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As you consider your 2025 giving priorities, you’ll no doubt recall that writing a check to favorite charities is not the only way to support the causes you love. But sometimes it seems easiest to reach for the checkbook because it’s overwhelming to think about all the options.
You might be experiencing what’s known as the “paradox of choice,” a phenomenon where an abundance of options actually decreases your satisfaction and diminishes your decision-making ability. Too many choices can cause decision fatigue, anxiety, and regret over potentially missed opportunities.
We understand! We can help you evaluate potential assets that would make great gifts to your donor-advised or other type of fund at ACCF, including:
–Gifts of publicly-traded stock, allowing you to potentially avoid capital gains tax.
–Giving shares of closely-held business interests to your fund as part of a long-term business succession plan.
–Gifts of real estate, including farmland or commercial property, allowing you to potentially avoid capital gains tax and reduce the value of your taxable estate if future estate taxes are a concern.
–Beneficiary designations on retirement plans, and even “Qualified Charitable Distributions” from your IRA to a designated or field-of-interest fund if you are over the age of 70 ½.
–Naming your fund at ACCF as the beneficiary of a life insurance policy, or even transferring a whole life policy and making annual tax-deductible contributions to ACCF to cover the premium.
–Gifts of oil and gas interests, cryptocurrency, and collectibles are also possibilities for adding to your fund at ACCF.
The bottom line here is that our team can help you work through the possibilities. We’ll make sure that the daunting range of options doesn’t prevent you from making the best decisions to achieve both your financial planning and charitable giving goals.
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Don't forget to check out our Community Calendar for upcoming events and opportunities in Allegan County! It's a great resource for staying informed and getting involved. | |
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Many of you have reached out asking about the uncertainty regarding Federal grants and the impact on Allegan County.
Executive Orders Affecting Nonprofits
The National Council of Nonprofits has compiled a chart of Executive Orders affecting nonprofits since January 20th. Some of the EOs won’t take effect immediately, and many are expected to be immediately challenged in court. This chart outlines some of the EOs that may affect nonprofits directly or indirectly. This document will be updated frequently, so please use this link to see the most up-to-date version:
https://www.councilofnonprofits.org/files/media/documents/2025/chart-executive-orders.pdf
NPS is here to guide you through options and strategies for how to engage your donors, communicate and respond during this time.
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