You Make a Difference...We Make It Easier

2018 Winter Newsletter

At the Community Foundation, our mission is to improve the quality of life in Collier County by connecting donors to community needs and providing leadership on critical community issues.


Give Where You Live Collier Starts Wednesday

The Community Foundation of Collier County has partnered, once again, with the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation to host the fourth annual giving day in Collier County.  Give Where You Live Collier, to be held noon February 21 through 11:59am on February 22, 2018, is an effort to give 38 Collier County basic needs and education non-profits a much-needed boost with donations and a $400,000 matching fund from the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation and a $100,000 match from the Community Foundation.

The on-line giving campaign is designed to transform the way local residents think about - and contribute to - Collier County charities. Built upon the idea that everyone can be a philanthropist, this project affords individuals a simplified means of supporting the education and basic needs efforts of 38 nonprofits through a 24-hour, online fundraiser and reminds the community of the importance of making a difference where you live, even if you are a part-time Collier County resident.

Laying the Groundwork for College Savings

As you gaze lovingly into your infant's eyes, it's probably hard to imagine him or her heading off to college. Although that day may seem a long way off, it will arrive sooner than you think. To help your child get a head start to a secure future, begin by starting a college savings program as early as possible. But where should you start and how much should you save each month? One way to think about saving FOR college is to consider paying for 1/3 with savings, 1/3 with current income, and 1/3 with loans. According to College Board, a "moderate budget" for an in-state public institution in 2017 is about $25k per year, while a private institution will cost about $50k per year.

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MusicScores Pre-K Literacy Violin Program made possible by a Community Foundation grant
Music to Learn By

When Judy Evans, M.M.E., began teaching children to play violin to improve their learning outcomes in 2008, it was the only program of its kind in the nation. A decade later, it has become a model for other communities across the nation and the United Arab Emirates.
 
Evans, founder and director of MusicScores! Pre-K Literacy/Violin Program, was the orchestra director at Pine Ridge Middle and Barron Collier High schools for 26 years, retiring in 2006. An adjunct string methods instructor at Florida Gulf Coast University, Evans' passion for music is boundless-a boon for local pre-kindergarteners preparing for the long road of academia.
Tax Changes Under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017
 
On December 22, 2017, President Trump signed into law the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (the "TCJA of 2017" or the "TCJA"). The TCJA is one of the largest overhauls of our federal tax code in years. Some of the goals of the TCJA include: simplifying the tax code, reducing the tax rates on corporations and reducing the taxes paid by the "middle class".

2018 Individual Income Tax Changes
The following is a summary of some of the changes that were made to the individual income tax rules.

Tax Rates Reduced and Brackets Expanded
Although one of the initial goals of the TCJA was to simplify the tax code and reduce the number of tax brackets, when the TCJA was finalized it continued to have seven brackets, however, the rates were mostly reduced and many of the brackets were expanded. The tables below summarize the new tax brackets and rates for individual taxpayers. The first table reflects the brackets and rates for 2018 under the TCJA and the second table reflects the brackets and rates that would have been in effect in 2018 under the old tax law.

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Philanthropy --The Forgotten  Investment Asset

 
By Kris Putnam-Walkerly, CONTRIBUTOR, Forbes

Why philanthropic giving is a smart investment tool for business.

Socially conscious investors are after more than just financial returns. In addition to making money in the markets, we also want to make a difference. We want to leave a legacy of not just wealth but positive change. However, in our quest to be socially conscious change creators, we often overlook the power of one key asset: our philanthropy.

For most people, philanthropy is the money we give away when we're finished investing and earning in other areas. It's a separate category - not just on our tax returns or financial planning documents, but also in our heads. The idea that one makes money first, then gives it away is about as American as apple pie.

But smart investors realize that philanthropy is much more than charity.  Philanthropy is an investment tool that can transform outcomes for ourselves and for the world.

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Charitable Lead Trusts: An Overlooked Gift & Estate Tool

As a financial planner, it is important to be familiar with various tools that help our clients develop appropriate strategies to meet their lifestyle and legacy goals. Most are familiar with giving cash, donating household items and gifting highly appreciated securities to their favorite charities. Some are even familiar with the benefits of creating a charitable remainder trust, but many are unfamiliar with a frequently overlooked tool, the charitable lead trust (CLT).
 
A charitable lead trust is oftentimes described as being the reverse of a charitable remainder trust - instead of the donor receiving income during their lifetime (or a term of years) with the remaining corpus gifted to charity at the donor's death, the CLT provides income to a charity for a specified number of years, with the remaining assets given back to the donor or the donor's heirs. Although there are multiple variations of the CLT, this article will focus on one type, the non-grantor lead annuity trust.

Contribute to the PAC newsletter!

Do you have information you would like to share with your fellow PAC members? Please contribute an article for the Spring 2018 PAC newsletter, print edition.  Please contact Cindi Withorn for more information at  cwithorn@cfcollier.org  or 239.307.4525.
Changing Needs Funds are a Critical Tool

The Community Foundation needs unrestricted dollars for the Changing Need Fund to allow us to respond quickly to our community's needs and to address unexpected issues as they emerge.  If your clients do not have a particular charitable field of interest and do not want to be involved in the details of grantmaking, donating to our changing needs funds is a perfect choice.  For more information on unrestricted funds, please contact Eileen Connolly-Keesler at ekeesler@cfcollier.org or 239.649.5000.

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