With St. Patrick’s Day right around the corner and the old sentiment “Luck ‘O The Irish,” I came across an article talking about where success originates.  Is it luck…serendipity…or hard work?  Quite the question to ponder when one looks back on where you’ve been. I feel so fortunate to be a part of the FM Area Foundation.  This organization is the largest and oldest community foundation in our r…

As you prepare to gather with family and friends over the Thanksgiving holiday, we invite you to reach out to the team at the FM Area Foundation for suggestions on how to incorporate charitable giving into the festivities.   For example: –Take this opportunity to brush up on the rich history of charitable giving in America. –Consider asking each family member to conduct quick research on a comm…

In the classic book The Go-Giver: A Little Story about a Powerful Business Idea, authors Bob Burg and John Mann share how Joe, a young professional, uses unselfishness to ultimately find business success.   Among the philosophies:    –Your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you take in payment.   –Your income is determined by how many people you serve and how well …

Inflation, interest rates, income tax, and the IRS are ever-present topics during discussions with your clients. Right now, there’s a lot to talk about, especially related to charitable giving.   Let's look at two examples of hot topics that may take a front seat in your client conversations this fall as you are helping your clients consider their options for structuring charitable giving and ph…

Many donors elect to use a donor- advised fund at the community foundation as an organizing tool, frequently recommending grants to their favorite charities in ways that mirror the ways they would make donations outright. Often, contributions to a donor- advised fund are in the form of highly- appreciated stock or other hard-to-value assets that generate a favorable tax outcome.  Using a donor-ad…

When the Inflation Reduction Act was signed into law in August, many taxpayers were relieved that the Act did not include heavily- debated proposed tax hikes that were so prominent in early versions of the legislation. What’s weighing on a lot of taxpayers’ minds, however, even more heavily than the few changes to income tax rules, is the Act’s $80 billion in funding increases for the IRS. The IR…

If you’re a business owner, at some point you may begin thinking about an exit strategy. Before you start putting out feelers to potential acquirers, you may wish to explore the benefits of contributing an ownership interest in your business to a donor-advised fund or other type of fund at the FM Area Foundation.  If you’ve owned your business for several years–or decades–you could be sitting on …

At first glance, philanthropy and positive psychology appear to have very little in common. Philanthropy is a term generally associated with giving money to charities, doing good in the community, and creating social value. Positive psychology usually conjures up images of an academic approach to emotional strengths and virtues that enable people to thrive. But there is indeed a connection. Afte…