40 Below News and 2010 in Review!

My Fellow 40 Belowers,

As we look forward to the excitement of 2011, I just wanted to take a couple of moments to highlight 40 Below's successes over the past 12 months:

Lipe Art Park, a public art installation park along Fayette St in the Near West Side, has grown! Local artist Brendan Rose installed the Art Shark in May and Josh Mushaty was commissioned to paint a mural on the Shark entitled the "Rebirth of Syracuse." The Stewards of Lipe Art Park (SLAP) have developed a phased master plan to grow the park (viewable at www.lipeartpark.com) and has secured $12,000 in grant funding to start implementation.

This past Summer the Public Arts Task Force (PATF) was a key partner in ArtsWeek in Downtown Syracuse as they brought together over 30 local artists for a spontaneous public gallery show called ArtStrong. ArtStrong transformed a vacant store front on Warren St. into a pop-up gallery from July to August and hosted a 5 @ Dime Party, which sold local artwork at the low cost of $10. PATF also helped lead the 2nd annual Syracuse Mp3 Experiment, which brought together improv enthusiasts for an event that was part guerrilla theater, part flash mob, and all fun.

The Civic Engagement Task Force (CETF) held exciting monthly meetings on the 1st Monday of every month and provided the opportunity for 40 Belowers to learn more about Syracuse First, the new SUNY Oswego Metro Center, Food Bank of Central New York, the American Heart Association, Assault City Roller Derby, and the Humane Association. CETF also hosted informal social networking receptions on the 3rd Monday of every month; past locations included World Lounge, Dolce Vita, Funk N Waffles, Al's Wine and Whiskey Lounge, and the new Dey Brother's Building. Finally, CETF hosted its fourth Successful Involvement Fair in May, which allowed 40 Belowers to directly network with over 30 local non profits.

The It's All Here Syracuse Task Force had a great 2010, with outstanding participation from new and returning members, and a focus on bringing to its members some of the great things Syracuse has to offer. In 2010, It's All Here developed partnerships with the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra, Syracuse Stage, and the Syracuse Opera, offering discount tickets and pre-performance happy hours for 40 Below members. Attendance far exceeded expectations, and 40 Below looks forward to long-term relationships with these incredible cultural organizations and more in the future. It's All Here also led a research effort with Syracuse University that targeted students and 40 Belowers to learn about perceptions of our city and what 40 Below can do to better engage our constituents. Currently in development is a brand new website for It's All Here: www.itsallheresyracuse.com the new site will be launched in the coming months and will feature more robust information about all of the great resources and activities in Syracuse, and how to get involved. Additionally, It's All Here is working on a new TV spot and extended-length web-based videos to post on our new site and facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Syracuse-Its-all-Here-campaign/39838064422). Look out for an invite to a launch party for these great new assets to promote our fabulous city!


Instead of hosting our annual Summit in 2010, 40 Below decided to partner with Pipeline 4 Progress-the Young Professional group in the Southern Tier-in planning a statewide Summit on behalf of We Live NY-an organization of young professional leaders from across the state working to attract and retain young talent in both upstate and downstate communities.

This conference, the 2011 We Live NY Summit, will take place from March 24 - 26 at the Statler Hotel at Cornell University. Registration is now open and tickets cost only $25 at www.welivenysummit.com. To get involved in our planning effort please email Ben Sio at bsio@centerstateceo.com for additional information.


40 Below will use the successful Summit as a kick-start for new programming and initiatives in our community so stay tuned.

I'd like to wish each of you a peaceful and relaxing rest of the holidays. If you are looking for any exciting activities during your time off, check out some of the events we've listed below.

WCNY New Year's Eve Celebration
Looking for a fun party to attend on New Year's Eve? WCNY, CNY's Public Broadcasting station, will host and air a live televised event that celebrates CNY's great accomplishments of 2010. Enjoy delicious cuisine, live music from Atlas, and a champagne toast at midnight! Be a part of a broadcast that your friends can watch at home! 315-453-2424 x268 or http://www.wcny.org/


First Night CNY at Onondaga Lake Park

AmeriCU Credit Union's First Night is a family friendly festival celebrating the Central New York community. This event is perfect for families of any age! How do you get in on all the fun? Pre-sale tickets will be available for $5. Day-of tickets will be sold for $8. Ages 5 and under free! Show your tickets at the Dunkin' Donuts stand and receive one free complimentary hot beverage at the festival (while supplies last)! Tickets will be sold at Wegmans, Herb Philipson's, and local area NAPA Auto Parts stores.

5:00 PM- Lights on the Lake Stroll and family fun activities begin.
5:00-7:00 PM- Kids songs on stage
7:15 PM- Early balloon launch for kids
7:00-9:00 PM- Live local entertainment
9:30 PM- Todd Hobin Band followed by
Pop Sensation SEAN KINGSTON!
11:59 PM- "Orange" ball drop with Gerry McNamara
Midnight- Fireworks over Onondaga Lake


It's All Here Task Force's next two events include a Happy Hour/Task Force Meeting on January 20 at Empire Brewing Company at 5:30pm. We'll provide snacks and 1 free drink ticket for each attendee. Syracuse Stage is also hosting a 40 Below Happy Hour on Thursday, January 27 before the showing of RENT. More information and where to buy tickets can be found here: http://itsallheresyracuse.com/new-partnership-syracuse-stage

Happy Holidays from the Staff, Steering Committee and Task Forces from 40 Below!

Rory Lawrence
Steering Committee Chair

Community Foundation Awards $677,260 in Grants

Syracuse, NY (December 27, 2010) - The Central New York Community Foundation awarded $677,260 in grants to 24 charitable organizations in Onondaga and Madison Counties from its unrestricted and field‑of‑interest funds.

Performance Management Grants

Eight grants were awarded to help organizations assess their effectiveness through better data collection and measurement. The organizations will be part of a year-long cooperative to share lessons learned with each other and eventually with the wider Central New York community.

ARISE Child & Family Services received $20,000 to evaluate their programming using an electronic medical records management system that will also improve scheduling and service delivery efficiencies.

Consumer Credit Counseling Service received $20,000 to evaluate the effectiveness of its financial counseling and financial literacy education programs.

Enable received $20,000 to implement an evaluation system for its anti-aggression programming.

Greater Syracuse Works received $60,000 to collectively implement a web-based workforce development and case management system that will allow providers to share outcome indicators.

Jewish Home of CNY Foundation received $20,000 to conduct data collection research on programs that benefit the community’s elderly population through the Institute at Menorah Park for Applied Research and Aging.

Jowonio School received $20,000 to measure various aspects of the school’s model and its impact on family skills, with the goal of sharing its best practices with other childcare providers.

Salvation Army received $40,000 to create an evaluation system of several collaborative projects by implementing shared databases between agencies in the areas of juvenile justice, foster care and child welfare.

Vera House received $20,000 to expand its database management system to include its emergency shelter services.

Community Grants

Sixteen grants were awarded through the Community Grantmaking program to fund new and innovative projects across a variety of charitable fields and sectors.

Camp Good Days and Special Times received $5,000 to start a year-long monthly program for campers that will sustain the bonds formed during its normal summer programs.

Catholic Charities received $33,000 to renovate and relocate the pre-kindergarten classroom from the basement to the first floor of the Northside CYO.

Center for Community Alternatives received $22,160 to train JOBSPLUS! staff on the unique challenges to employment faced by individuals with criminal records.

Food Bank of CNY received $75,000 to renovate and relocate to a larger food distribution center.

Friends of DeWitt Parks and Recreation received $7,000 towards playground equipment used by children in the after-school and pre-school programs at the David Kilm Learning Center.

Imagine Syracuse received $10,000 to add new music programs that expand the Young Musicians Project, Syracuse’s first inner city youth orchestra.

Meals on Wheels received $15,100 to upgrade software that improves efficiencies by integrating client records, delivery logistics and volunteer tracking. This grant was also supported in part by the Carriage House Foundation Fund, a field-of-interest fund at the Community Foundation.

McMayon/Ryan Child Advocacy Site received $50,000 to furnish office and therapeutic spaces with child-friendly furniture at its new downtown child advocacy center, a state of the art investigative, medical, therapeutic and support facility for abused children.

Near Westside Initiative received $25,000 to establish a micro-loan program to assist new and existing small businesses on the Near Westside.

The Newland Center (formerly The Learning Place) received $14,000 to work with Literacy Volunteers of Greater Syracuse towards a new data management system that will align its governance, operations management and outcomes measurement more closely with established standards.

Nosotros Radio received $3,500 to examine its fundraising activities, management structure and programming, and create a strategic plan to strengthen and improve its educational and cultural services to the community.

Person to Person Citizen Advocacy Association received $10,300 to improve recruitment and reporting of volunteers through a centralized database that will collect, track and share information between on- and off-site users.

St. Camillus Health & Rehabilitation Center received $62,200 to purchase new equipment for use with rehabilitation patients. This grant was also supported in part by the Carriage House Foundation Fund.

Upstate Medical University Foundation received $22,000 to help refugees and new immigrants access health care facilities by improving the navigation program, and producing and distributing native language health materials.

Wacheva Cultural Arts received $3,000 to purchase software that will track and evaluate the demographic trends of those taking dance classes and leverage that impact with community partners and constituents.

WCNY TV/24 – Public Broadcasting Council of CNY received $100,000 to assist with the cost of renovating the station’s new broadcast and education center on the Near Westside.

The Central New York Community Foundation has served Central New York for over 80 years, receiving, managing and distributing charitable funds for the benefit of nonprofit organizations. Grants are awarded for programs in the areas of human services, arts and culture, education, environment, health, economic development and civic affairs. The region’s largest endowed philanthropic foundation, the Central New York Community Foundation awards more than $5 million in grants to nonprofit organizations annually. The Community Foundation, of 431 East Fayette Street, Syracuse, NY 13202, can be reached at (315) 422-9538 or www.cnycf.org.

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Nonprofit health-planning organizations outline merger

Business Journal of Central NY related that the Health Advancement Collaborative of Central New York (HAC-CNY) and the Central New York Health System Agency (CNYHSA) today announced plans to merge.

The collaboration is supported by over $1 million in state, foundation, and corporate grants, the organizations said in a news release.

The organizations will use a grant of $115,000 from the Buffalo-based Community Health Foundation of Western and Central New York and a $35,000 contribution from Rochester-based Excellus BlueCross Blue Shield to underwrite the costs of the consolidation process.
An additional $1 million grant under New York's Health Care Efficiency and Affordability Law for New Yorkers Grant Program provides funding over two years to build the infrastructure for the collaboration and to conduct three studies.

The studies will focus on unnecessary emergency-room use, the need and demand for long-term care services, and the identification of future priorities based on a comprehensive assessment of regional health and health-service needs.

Formed in 2005 and based in Syracuse, HAC-CNY is a nonprofit collaboration of leaders and organizations in health care, business, and insurance that aims to address concerns over health-care access, quality, and cost in the area.

CNYHSA, based in DeWitt, is a nonprofit regional health-planning agency focused on system and program planning, policy development, data and financial analysis, utilization research, and project review.

Accelerate CNY Set for April 14 at Holiday Inn Syracuse-Liverpool

Mark your calendars to attend the 5th Annual AccelerateCNY event... where knowledge and innovation are shared!

AccelerateCNY is the region’s premier tech development conference for businesses, innovators and entrepreneurs to explore the latest trends in technology, manufacturing, energy and the environment. This year’s expanded event will feature a regional technology expo with a "Pitch-Fest" designed to showcase new technologies to the community, as well as connect regional companies with investors from across the country.

“The Spirit of Innovation - Bold ideas to reinvent businesses”
Keynote by Spirit Airlines CEO Ben Baldanza.
Program runs from 8:30 - 5:00 p.m.

Your $75 fee includes:

Informative workshops
Luncheon keynote by international business leader
Networking with industry, academic & community leaders
Free parking
Continental breakfast, coffee breaks, lunch, afternoon networking reception

2011 Nonprofit Workshop Series by CNY Community Foundation

First Workshop Starting Soon!
Creating Your Nonprofit Business Plan
A Two–Part Workshop Series at the CNY Philanthropy Center

Featuring:
Thomas Kruzcek
Executive Director
Falcone Center for Entrepreneurship,
Whitman School of Management

Dates: January 18 & January 25, 2011
Time: 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm
6:00 - 6:30 pm: Light dinner served
6:30 pm - 9:00 pm: Workshop
Location: Central New York Philanthropy Center
431 East Fayette Street
Syracuse, NY 13202
Cost: $25 per person
REGISTER HERE

Business plans are an essential part of establishing and running a nonprofit. They are a tool for building support from funders. This workshop will help you create a business plan to use in managing your organization. You will be provided examples, given hands-on help, and leave knowing how to write a solid plan.

You will learn:

• Essential components of a business plan
• The difference between a strategic plan and a business plan
• Why the Executive Summary will be the most important two pages you will ever write
• How to create financial projections that need to be included
• Key nonprofit elements for the business plan that make it different from a typical business plan

More Spring Workshops:
Introduction to Grant Writing
February 24, 2011
Strategic Partnerships
March 29, 2011

Contact Us
Central New York Community Foundation
431 East Fayette Street, Suite 100
Syracuse, NY 13202
www.cnycf.org * 315-422-9538 * info@cnycf.org

How Will the New Tax Law Affect Your Nonprofit, Your Employees, and the People You Serve?

Yesterday Congress passed the $857 billion tax package negotiated by President Obama and congressional Republicans. President Obama is expected to sign the legislation today.

The Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act (H.R. 4853) has numerous components of interest and concern to nonprofits – as employers and as mission-based organizations involved in local communities. This list presents portions of interest to most nonprofits, nonprofit employees, and the people they serve:

• Tax Rates Maintained: All of the individual tax rates put in effect in 2001 and 2003 are maintained through 2012, including those for upper-income tax brackets. Most immediately, this means that nonprofit and other employers will not have to adjust employee withholdings for income taxes.
• Individual Payroll Taxes Reduced: Employees receive a two percent reduction in the Social Security tax they pay. For 2011, nonprofit and other employers will need to reduce the individual's share of payroll withholding from 6.2 percent to 4.2 percent. To illustrate what this change means, an individual earning $50,000 will see $1,000 in tax savings.
• Estate Tax: The bill restores and reduces the federal estate tax at a rate of 35 percent and increases the exemption level to $5 million, two changes that many fear will eliminate previous incentives for the wealthy to give.
• Charitable Giving Incentives: The IRA rollover and other expired charitable giving incentives (promoting donations of food, land, computers, and books) are restored for the remainder of 2010 and through the end of 2011, which should help promote giving.
• Unemployment Benefits: The legislation extends the enhanced program of 99-weeks of unemployment benefits through 2011. This allowance may prevent additional strain that would have hit many nonprofits that provide services to those with no income.
• Alternative Minimum Tax: Middle-income taxpayers will not be subject to the alternative minimum tax in 2010 and 2011 because the bill renews a "patch" that limits the application of the AMT to approximately four million upper-income individuals. Without this patch, many taxpayers would have seen an automatic increase in their tax rates.

The following link will take readers to a 12-page summary that provides greater detail about the bill, including provisions that might be of interest to particular nonprofits (e.g., those providing child care, adoption assistance, certain education): Summary of the Reid-McConnell Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization and Job Creation Act of 2010.

Also, the IRS just released instructions to help employers implement the 2011 cut in payroll taxes, along with new income-tax withholding tables that employers will use during 2011. See Notice 1036.

1101 Vermont Avenue NW | Suite 1002 | Washington DC 20005

Central New Yorkers pledge nearly $6 million to United Way of Central New York

From the Post Standard.com

The United Way of Central New York has raised nearly $6 million toward its 2010 fundraising goal of $8.2 million.

Frank Lazarski, United Way president, said some area companies that have completed their workplace campaigns raised more money than last year. “On balance we are in a pretty good position to come close or surpass our $8.2 million goal,” he said.

The campaign ends April 13.

The annual campaign has fallen short of its goal for the past two years because of the weak economy. Money raised is used to help nonprofits shelter the homeless, feed the hungry and provide other human services in Onondaga County.

“The need in the community is high,” Lazarski said. “The food pantries and soup kitchens are reporting more people are seeking help, many of them unemployed or underemployed and having trouble making ends meet.”

Friday was the deadline for 42 nonprofits to submit applications for the next three-year United Way funding cycle that begins July 1. Those agencies have already passed a fiscal and management review by the United Way.

The United Way received requests of about $9 million, twice as much money as it will have to give out annually. That means the application process will be very competitive. Some agencies asking for money to fund programs will be rejected or get less money than requested, Lazarski said.

The minimum annual grant is $12,500. Some big agencies get about $200,000 a year.

More than 100 volunteers will review the applications. The United Way will make a decision on the applications in April.

“The process is challenging and rigorous and it needs to be,” said Michael Melara, executive director of Catholic Charities of Onondaga County, a United Way agency. “Those dollars come from generous donors and we want to assure donors they have made a good investment.”

Last year the United Way provided $4.4 million to 39 agencies, $2.7 million to nonprofits designated by donors, about $300,000 to Success By 6 and volunteer programs, and spent about $658,000 on administration and financial management.

How to Change the World…

…Whatever the size of your wallet. These ideas, with budgets from $20 to $20,000, can help better the lives of others—and your own.

Got any plans for next week? Perhaps you could begin changing the world.

Yes, household budgets remain tight. But you don't have to be a lottery winner to make a difference in your community or halfway around the globe. People who are winding down first or primary careers and looking for new directions are discovering that for the cost of a weekend getaway, they can help change the world. Or start to.

Bob and Jo Link, for instance, retirees in Portland, Ore., serve on a nonprofit board that awards scholarships in Belize. Mr. Link, age 69, also troubleshoots computer problems for African refugees. This after the couple spent two years in the Peace Corps, helped with Hurricane Katrina cleanup, assembled computers for schools in Guatemala and worked with deaf orphans in Peru.

The cost to them? A few plane tickets, some scholarship donations and sweat equity.

"When you do this kind of stuff, you get back more than you really expect," Mr. Link says. "A lot of people wouldn't, or couldn't, put two years into the Peace Corps, but they could afford to spend a week in Peru."

We decided to look for ways that people, whatever the size of their savings, can change the lives of others—and their own. So go ahead: Pick one of the following budgets and write it on your calendar: "CTW."

$100 and Under

SERVICE PROGRAMS: In some cases, you actually can get paid while you're helping to make a difference.

The Links, for instance, earned $300 apiece each month in the Peace Corps, where about 7% of the organization's volunteers last year were age 50-plus. Closer to home, AmeriCorps, one of the largest national-service programs, is aiming for 10% of its 85,000 participants to be at least 55 years old—up from 4% in fiscal 2009.

AmeriCorps volunteers receive federal stipends averaging $11,800 for a commitment of 10 months to a year. They can also receive education grants of as much as $5,350, which, starting this year, they can transfer to their grandchildren, says Patrick Corvington, chief executive of the Corporation for National and Community Service, the agency that runs AmeriCorps. Work varies from part-time service in a volunteer's own community to full-time opportunities across the country. Options include helping to rebuild communities on the Gulf Coast and installing solar-electric systems in low-income California neighborhoods.

BECOME A LENDER: For what you spend today on lunch, "microfinance" allows you to play a big role in jump-starting modest entrepreneurial undertakings around the world—whether it's boosting inventory at a produce stand in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, or providing additional nets to fishermen in Cambodia.

f you're interested in lending to an individual entrepreneur overseas, Kiva.org lets you choose the borrower on its website. If the loans are paid back, you can fund another loan, donate the proceeds to Kiva or get your money back. DonorsChoose.org, where you can pick a classroom project to fund with as little as $1, sifts proposals by cost, school poverty level and subject. Requests might include $140 for dry-erase markers or $2,000 for camcorders and laptops for budding filmmakers.

Heifer International, through which $20 buys a flock of chickens or $5,000 delivers an "ark" of animals to a family or village in Asia or Africa, finds that many people age 50-plus seek out the cause around holidays. Then, as they learn more about it, many wind up joining study tours to the communities raising the animals, coordinating fund-raising efforts in the U.S., or working at several Heifer learning centers, says Steve Stirling, executive vice president for marketing in Little Rock, Ark.

$300 to $4,000

GIVING CIRCLES: One way to get more bang for your charity buck is to join a so-called giving circle, a group with a common interest that pools its resources and collectively decides where to put its combined money to work.

In the 1960s, Sally Bookman studied social anthropology at the University of California, Berkeley. Now she leads a Dining for Women chapter with two dozen women, many of them retirees, attending monthly dinners in Santa Cruz, Calif. At each meeting, they eat a potluck dinner and chip in about $30 each to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries.

The national Dining for Women group, based in Greenville, S.C., picks the cause du jour and sends educational materials to local chapters. But the members' life experience gives the gatherings their flavor, says Ms. Bookman, 67. "At one meeting we were learning about women in a remote village in the jungle in Peru, and one of our members had been to that village for three days with her husband," she says.

If you join a giving circle, you can choose simply to write checks, or take a more active role researching where the circle's money might have the most impact.

"VOLUNTOURISM": Trips on which people do volunteer work, typically overseas, have exploded in number and type in recent years.

How do you choose among the estimated 10,000 trips out there? Ask how the work you do will fit into the overall scope of the on-the-ground project, says Alexia Nestora, founder of VoluntourismGal.com, an industry blog. If you're working with children, ask how what you do will build on what the previous volunteer did. (You don't want to be the 20th volunteer to teach them to sing "Itsy Bitsy Spider" in English, for example.) Also make sure the operator provides emergency medical insurance and has an employee living in the country who speaks English in case of political upheaval or a natural disaster.

Mark Sanger, a 58-year-old retired transportation engineer in La Grande, Ore., has taken several weeklong trips with Globe Aware, a Dallas nonprofit that coordinates volunteer travel work. In a tiny Costa Rican village, his crew slept in A-frame cabins and helped villagers build housing in hopes of drawing national-park tourists and generating additional income. He also spent time eating meals in local families' homes, where you could "see how they interact with their kids, what pictures they have on their walls." He enjoyed his next trip even more, teaching English to children in Cambodia.

"It was like a whole other world opened up to me," he says. "There's a sense of adventure…without your life in danger every day. It's a nice balance of doing something interesting, exciting, different and incredibly rewarding."

Your room, board and airfare in some cases are tax-deductible if you travel with a nonprofit. Vincent Mirrione, 69, of Newman, Calif., has taken seven trips with Cross-Cultural Solutions, a nonprofit operator in New Rochelle, N.Y., for six to eight weeks at a time. His work at a Guatemala soup kitchen and orphanage, Russian senior centers and a project that Mother Teresa started in India have wound up costing about $300 a week after the tax break, he says.

BACK TO SCHOOL: Retraining, as a classroom teacher, for instance, can jump-start a second career as well as benefit others.

"Green," of course, is hot. Clover Park Technical College, Lakewood, Wash., offers a number of environmental-sustainability programs, which include classroom study and hands-on field work. The programs last 12 weeks to two years, depending on an individual's goals.

Pam Kirchhofer, 49, enrolled there in a 15-month sustainable-building program after she was laid off as a personal-finance counselor. The attraction: "You're helping people save money by conserving energy and resources, and…you're being a good steward of the Earth," she says. The tough part: "I haven't had a math class in 28 years, and we just did an energy audit of this woman's house using algebraic equations."

$5,000 to $10,000

JOIN A BOARD: A director on a board? You? Why not?

"Almost half of all nonprofit board seats never get filled. Nonprofits would love to have more qualified candidates, but they don't know how to tap into really talented people in the community," says David Simms, a partner with Bridgespan Group in Boston, which advises nonprofits. (One new resource for a board-seat search: The websites where nonprofits place want-ads for volunteers also are starting to post vacant board seats.)

Bonnie R. Harrison, 61, a retired Corning Inc. executive, became involved with Southern Tier Hospice in Corning, N.Y., after serving as her father's caregiver while he was also receiving hospice services. To join the board, Ms. Harrison asked her father's hospice nurse to write a recommendation. Shortly after Ms. Harrison retired last year, the hospice board's chairwoman stepped down, and Ms. Harrison was asked to take her place.

"The challenge of working along with the board, the staff and different organizations has been a great help in making the transition away from a high-pressured job," she says.

BECOME A BENEFACTOR: So, you like the idea of having a charitable vehicle to help others, but you aren't Bill Gates. Consider a donor-advised fund, a good tool for people who want to give away amounts starting at about $5,000 a year.

Such funds can be set up through big financial-service companies, like Fidelity Investments, as well as university, religious and community foundations. The fund will invest your assets and make grants based on your guidance. Typically, you become eligible for an immediate tax deduction.

"It might be a little more than you can handle doing on your own, yet you don't want to set up the superstructure of a foundation," says John Gomperts, the recently named director of AmeriCorps. "You might go to a community foundation and say, 'I want to give this money away, and I care about the humane care of animals, so please give me some suggestions and administer this for me.' "

$20,000 and Up

START A NONPROFIT: You have a cause you're passionate about, and nobody seems to be tackling it. So you dream of starting a nonprofit to that end. Expect to spend at least $10,000 to $20,000 on start-up costs, including the legal expenses involved in creating an organization and asking the government to grant you a tax exemption, called 501(c)3 status.

First question: Are you sure there are no similar efforts? The U.S. has about 1.5 million nonprofits, and "many of them are doing phenomenal work," says Mr. Simms in Boston.

If your idea truly is unique, try to find a community foundation to "incubate your effort so that you can worry about the service you want to provide" instead of setting up the business end, says Christopher Stone, faculty director of the Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations at Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass.

Elaine Santore is the 59-year-old co-founder of Umbrella of the Capital District, a Schenectady, N.Y., organization that helps older adults, in part by matching them with retirees-turned-handymen. She and her partner jump-started the program before receiving their not-for-profit status. "I would clean houses if need be, and he would mow yards," she says. "It's good to be hands-on at first so you know what it's like."

ENDOW A SCHOLARSHIP: What if you win the lottery, or your stock options go through the roof? The sky's the limit: You could fund scientists trying to cure cancer, build a new stage for your local symphony, or even start your own university and town, as did Domino's Pizza founder and philanthropist Tom Monaghan.

One of the more popular big-ticket items, though, is creating your own college scholarship. With $1 million, you could set up an endowment that should last for decades, says Becky Sharpe, president of International Scholarship & Tuition Services Inc., Nashville, Tenn., which administers privately and publicly funded scholarships.

Joe Scarlett, retired chairman and chief executive of Tractor Supply Co., Brentwood, Tenn., started a family foundation in 2005 with $2.5 million to provide college scholarships to business students from middle Tennessee, and he hired Ms. Sharpe's company to run the award program.

"We generate way too few business leaders in our country, so we wanted to focus our scholarship money on business," says Mr. Scarlett, 67. The foundation now has a balance of approximately $24 million, thanks to additional gifts from the Scarletts and growth in its value, and is expanding its efforts, supporting students in high schools and even preschools.

Original Article by Kelly Greene from WallStreetJournal.com

Future Fund of Central New York seeks grant applicants

The Future Fund of Central New York is requesting grant applicant letters of intent from nonprofits working to improve health and wellness. Organizations in Onondaga and Madison counties that promote nutrition education and wellness programs to underserved populations are eligible to receive grants. Programs could include development of urban gardens, education or prevention of childhood obesity, and promotion of women’s health issues.

The letter of intent deadline is Jan. 19, 2011. The award will be announced in May 2011. Tax-exempt, nonprofit organizations serving Onondaga or Madison counties are encouraged to apply. One grant of up to $5,000 will be awarded.

More information about the Future Fund and a letter of intent form is available at www.cnycf.org/futurefund. If you have any questions, please contact Ivy Biswas at 315-883-5544 or ibiswas@cnycf.org.

The Future Fund of Central New York is a member-driven giving circle administered by the Central New York Community Foundation. Its mission is to involve and empower emerging philanthropists to make our community a better place to live and work. Annual membership dues are contributed to an endowment at the Community Foundation, and members vote on the grant topic and projects. While the endowment builds, matching donors provide the funding for immediate grantmaking.

The Central New York Community Foundation has served Central New York for over 80 years, receiving, managing and distributing charitable funds for the benefit of not-for-profit organizations. Grants are awarded for programs in the areas of human services, arts and culture, education, environment, health, economic development and civic affairs. The region’s largest endowed philanthropic foundation, the Central New York Community Foundation awards over $5 million in grants to not-for-profit organizations annually. The Community Foundation, of 431 East Fayette Street, Syracuse, NY 13202 can be reached at (315) 422-9538 or www.cnycf.org.

Future Fund of Central New York Seeks Grant Applicants

December 14, 2010 - The Future Fund of Central New York is requesting grant applicant letters of intent from nonprofits working to improve health and wellness. Organizations in Onondaga and Madison counties that promote nutrition education and wellness programs to underserved populations are eligible to receive grants. Programs could include development of urban gardens, education or prevention of childhood obesity, and promotion of women’s health issues.

The letter of intent deadline is January 19, 2011. The award will be announced in May 2011. Tax-exempt, nonprofit organizations serving Onondaga or Madison counties are encouraged to apply. One grant of up to $5,000 will be awarded.

More information about the Future Fund and a letter of intent form is available at www.cnycf.org/futurefund. If you have any questions, please contact Ivy Biswas at 315-883-5544 or ibiswas@cnycf.org.

The Future Fund of Central New York is a member-driven giving circle administered by the Central New York Community Foundation. Its mission is to involve and empower emerging philanthropists to make our community a better place to live and work. Annual membership dues are contributed to an endowment at the Community Foundation, and members vote on the grant topic and projects. While the endowment builds, matching donors provide the funding for immediate grantmaking.

The Central New York Community Foundation has served Central New York for over 80 years, receiving, managing and distributing charitable funds for the benefit of not-for-profit organizations. Grants are awarded for programs in the areas of human services, arts and culture, education, environment, health, economic development and civic affairs. The region’s largest endowed philanthropic foundation, the Central New York Community Foundation awards over $5 million in grants to not-for-profit organizations annually. The Community Foundation, of 431 East Fayette Street, Syracuse, NY 13202 can be reached at (315) 422-9538 or www.cnycf.org.

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SBA, Microsoft create technology guide, online course

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) today announced a new technology resource is available for small business owners.

The SBA and Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft Corp. have teamed up to create "Business Technology Simplified," a free guidebook that offers tips on how to use technology and innovation to make businesses work more efficiently, the SBA said in a news release.

The guidebook includes material on simplifying work tasks, do-it-yourself marketing, time management, and finding and cultivating customers.

"Business Technology Simplified" is available in a printed format at the SBA Syracuse district office. Computer users can also access the guidebook online at the Microsoft website.

It's also available as a free distance-learning course, according to the SBA.

The course is available at www.sba.gov/training.

How to Donate like a Pro

In a Time of Tighter Budgets—For Benefactors and Charities Alike—It's More Important Than Ever to Make Your Gifts Count. Here's How

Investors demand a good return from their assets. Now donors are increasingly seeking the same for their charitable dollars.

Many philanthropists, large and small, are anxious about writing checks—and many endowments have yet to recover fully from the bruising they took during the financial crisis. Finding the worthiest, most-efficient organizations to maximize the impact of your donations couldn't be more pressing.

Yet identifying the best charity can be as difficult as picking a good money manager, with philanthropists left to navigate a world of tax forms, ratings systems and often misleading jargon. It's easy just to write a check and hope for the best—but you stand the risk of getting a poor return on your charitable investments.

Making matters more complicated: Many long-cherished tax breaks are coming under fire. Next year could bring the return of limits on itemized deductions, including those for donations, if Congress doesn't extend the Bush-era tax cuts for couples earning more than $250,000 ($200,000 for individuals). Even if Congress extends the cuts for all, the idea of cutting back charitable tax breaks is still in play: President Obama's deficit commission this week proposed limiting the deductions for large gifts to amounts above 2% of adjusted gross income.

All this is making donors rethink their giving strategies, says Patrick Rooney, executive director of the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University. "They want to make sure now more than ever that they're using their money wisely."

Overall giving is down sharply from its recent highs. Among high-net-worth households—who account for the bulk of individual charitable dollars—average giving dropped 34.9% to $54,016 in 2009, from $83,034 in 2007, according to a survey conducted by the center and sponsored by Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

The downward trend appears to be continuing. One in five people say they are giving to fewer organizations than in the past, according to a November poll from Harris Interactive. A third are giving in smaller amounts this year than last. And the percentage of people not giving at all has doubled to 12% in 2010 from last year.

There are a host of charity-rating agencies to consult, but to get a more-accurate picture, consider volunteering your time before giving money. Do your own research: Talk to beneficiaries, visit work sites and study a group's finances yourself to judge the effectiveness of its programs.

That's what Denise Winston did. The former business banker "always just wrote a check," she says. But after leaving her job and starting her own financial-education business in 2009, the Bakersfield, Calif., resident became more frustrated over how little of her donations were going to beneficiaries. She decided she would spend time volunteering with different organizations before giving, partly to get a better sense of her time and money's impact.

"I'm closer to the person receiving support," she says. "Anyone can write a check. But I like to give things you can't buy."

Here's how to navigate the system and make sure the dollars you donate are making the biggest impact possible.

Article continued at Wall Street Journal.com, includes ways of gauging donor's impact and red flags that donors should watch out for.