Fast Forward with PPL’s Paul Williams

In MCF’s latest Fast Forward podcast, MCF President Trista Harris sits down for a wide-ranging talk with Paul Williams, president and CEO of Project for Pride in Living.

Topics they discuss include:

• The importance of being rooted in community and using it as an asset.
• The need for scale to make a meaningful impact.
• Paul’s wish for philanthropy to create greater leverage with government.

Listen to the podcast now! And while you’re at it, be sure to check out other recent episodes like:

• MCF Director of Public Policy and Communications Bob Tracy talking with George Cheung of the Joyce Foundation about the foundation’s democracy strategy and civic engagement grantmaking.
• Trista’s interview with Jenny Harms of the National Council on Foundations about how COF is working to infuse regional foundations with new ideas from across the country.

Subscribe to Fast Forward on iTunes or on the podcast player of your choice to always get the latest episodes as we publish them.

Steve Joul Supports Endow Minnesota

Steve Joul, president of the Central Minnesota Community Foundation, has lent his voice to support Endow Minnesota legislation currently before the Minnesota House and Senate.

Joul’s foundation hosts many funds doing good work in Central Minnesota, including the Good Samaritan Fund, the Women’s Fund and several area education foundations.

As he explains, “Collectively, the foundation and its affiliate partners today hold more than $110 million of private philanthropic resources dedicated to making our communities better places to live.”

See what Joul has to say about how Endow Minnesota (HF1530 in the Minnesota House and SF1399 and SF1400 in the Senate) would benefit the communities that these partners serve.

His commentary appears in the St. Cloud Times.

Sampson Supports Endow Minnesota Legislation

Holly C. Sampson, president of the Duluth Superior Community Foundation, knows first hand the power of the 350 endowment funds held at the foundation.

They fund projects that benefit education, human services, the economy, the environment and other projects that improve the quality of life in northeastern Minnesota and beyond.

See what Sampson has to say about how she believes Endow Minnesota legislation, introduced in the Minnesota House (HF1530) and Senate (SF1399 and SF1400), can encourage private giving for public good and keep transferred wealth in our state.

Here’s her commentary from Sunday’s Duluth News Tribune.

– Susan Stehling, communications associate

Applications Open for 2015-2016 Humphrey Policy Fellows Program

The Humphrey School of Public Affairs has opened applications for the 2015-2016 Policy Fellows program, one of the country’s most respected leadership programs for emerging and mid-career professionals.

Fellows will connect with a cohort of 35 people across the work and political spectrum who will broaden each others’ perspectives and expand their networks as they engage in a high-level professional experience. They gain practical skills and experiences to take their career and civic work to the next level.

The Policy Fellows meet once per month between September and June to explore fundamental aspects of leadership, and travel to Washington, D.C. for a multi-day trip with prominent elected officials and national public affairs leaders. Fellows represent business, nonprofit, and public sectors across the state of Minnesota.

Applications are due June 1, 2015, with candidates notified of their status by mid-July. Scholarships are available; those specifically for nonprofit sector participants are made possible by generous gifts from the George Family Foundation and the Jay and Rose Phillips Family Foundation of Minnesota. Applicants from Greater Minnesota are encouraged to apply, and are eligible for lodging assistance.

Learn more on the Humphrey School’s website. Good luck to those applying!

Stormer Supports Endow Minnesota Legislation

JoAnn Stormer, president of Rochester Area Foundation, knows first hand the importance of affordable housing to the city of Rochester.

The foundation’s First Homes initiative has provided access to housing for more than 1,000 households since 2001.

See what else she has to say about how she believes Endow Minnesota legislation, introduced in the Minnesota House (HF1530) and Senate (SF1399 and SF1400), encourages private giving for public good.

Her commentary in today’s Rochester Post-Bulletin does a good job of explaining what a community foundation is, how community foundations are uniquely involved in community betterment, the current generational transfer of wealth and how Endow Minnesota aims to capture some of that money and put it to work in communities throughout our state.

– Susan Stehling, communications associate

 

Bill Encouraging Community Giving Moves Forward

Legislation was introduced today in both houses of the Minnesota State Legislature to enact the Endow Minnesota tax credit. The bill encourages individual giving to permanent endowment funds at community foundations and has the potential to make $120 million¹ per year in new monies available to support community and economic development projects across the state.

Approximately $47.9 billion in wealth will be transferred from one generation of Minnesotans to the next by 2030². Keeping some of these assets in Minnesota communities represents the opportunity of a generation, and Endow Minnesota provides a tool to do it.

Community foundations are publicly supported nonprofit organizations operated by and for the benefit of specific communities or geographic areas. Community foundation endowments are permanent funds that preserve contributions as principal and invest earnings back into the community.

The Endow Minnesota tax credit encourages Minnesotans to invest in their home towns, so the communities endure as places where future generations continue to want to live, work and thrive.

Those contributing to permanent endowment funds of local community foundations would receive a 25% tax credit for gifts between $5,000 and $100,000 annually. (Thus, gifts of $5,000 would result in a $1,250 credit, and so on.) Up to $3 million in tax credits would be awarded annually, and the Endow Minnesota tax credit would expire after 15 years.

Incentives to promote giving to permanent endowments have worked elsewhere, including in Iowa where giving to community foundation endowments has grown by more than 200% since a 2004 inception.

Specific examples from around Minnesota follow: 

Central Minnesota Community Foundation, St. Cloud
Central Minnesota Community Foundation (with affiliate foundations serving Alexandria, Brainerd Lakes and Willmar) convenes residents to work on community problems and connects people and resources to build better communities. Collectively, in the last year, these foundations generated more than $21 million in private support for worthy causes and gave more than $6 million to organizations serving the community. One great example in St. Cloud is the foundation’s active engagement in and leadership of the Greater St. Cloud Community Priorities initiative.

“Community foundations harness the power of private philanthropy to improve the communities they serve. Local donors have the opportunity to leave a lasting legacy that will impact their communities for generations to come,” says Steve Joul, president, Central Minnesota Community Foundation. “This is especially important for rural communities, as their economies continue to experience change.”

Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation
Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation funds NorthForce, a program that links young talent to employers in northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin. It encourages the best and the brightest young people to create careers and lives in the area, and it gives employers access to talented employees. Providing workforce and professional development resources, NorthForce is designed to be the area’s go-to career tool for 18- to 35-year-olds.

“Because of the significant growth in job opportunities in the Duluth area, connecting young adults with local employers is critically important,” says Holly C. Sampson, president, Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation. “The human resources of TwinPortsConnex and the electronic connections of NorthForce are creating new opportunities for our economy.”

Fargo-Moorhead Area Foundation
Fargo-Moorhead Area Foundation is funding a new initiative at the YWCA called Nontraditional Employment for Women (NEW), which provides education and employment to previously unemployed women living in the Y’s shelter or transitional housing. Interested women receive training in a nontraditional field that interests them, such as welding or manufacturing, which increases their incomes and their ability to support their families. In addition to covering tuition, the grant also provides for transportation and childcare, barriers that otherwise can keep women from furthering their education or finding employment.

“Community foundations across Minnesota work in partnership with their communities to create stronger, more vibrant places to live and work,” says Tim Beaton, executive director, Fargo-Moorhead Area Foundation. “The Endow Minnesota tax credit gives Minnesotans an opportunity to make a greater impact by contributing to endowments that provide support to nonprofits, like the YWCA, in perpetuity.”

Rochester Area Foundation
Rochester Area Foundation recognizes that ownership, stability and a sense of pride are core values critical to a successful community. To foster that success, it helps new residents put down roots in the area with its First Homes initiative, which works to ensure an adequate supply of affordable starter homes for working families. Since 2001, First Homes has provided access to housing for over 1,000 households.

“As a community adds jobs, it must also add housing,” says JoAnn Stormer, president, Rochester Area Foundation. “Affordable housing is essential and helps us provide a steady workforce and more secure families.”

—

1. This is a conservative estimate. If only 5% of the projected $47.9 billion in MN wealth transfer is placed in permanent endowments held by community foundations, $2.4 billion will be set aside as permanent community assets, translating into approximately $120 million in new grants annually.
2. Minnesota Generational Transfer of Wealth study

Legislators Talk Education, Transportation and Construction

On Friday, more than 300 of Minnesota’s nonprofit and philanthropic leaders met to hear what Legislative leaders predict for the 2015 session.

Many topics were touched upon, but most conversation centered on what the projected $1 billion budget surplus might mean for state residents and on construction at the Capitol.

Senate Focusing on Education and Workforce Development

Sen. Katie Sieben, assistant majority leader, talked about bills introduced in the Senate last week and mentioned six important ones, with four of those addressing education and workforce development, including:

• Statewide pre-K for four-year olds
• Free tuition at two-year colleges
• An apprentice-like training program to prepare workers for open positions currently going unfilled
• Tuition reimbursement for health care professionals who agree to practice in rural Minnesota

Sieben also believes transportation and reform of the state’s Child Protection system will be addressed in 2015.

Governor Directing Attention to Long-term Investment

Jaime Tincher, Governor Dayton’s chief of staff, said, “Governor Dayton isn’t thinking about how to spend the state surplus, but rather, how to invest it.” She says he’s focused on education and transportation.

The Governor also plans to propose a bonding bill this session, as he believes Minnesota has underinvested in important institutions and infrastructure. “We’re working with you and trying to make our state better for decades to come,” she said.

House Leader Stresses Voting and Civic Engagement

Rep. Paul Thiessen, minority leader, brought up the success of the last Legislative session and said he and his caucus will continue to work to make things better for families across Minnesota.

He expressed dismay at the lack of civic engagement across the country and encouraged people to vote and run for office, saying, “We need candidates from all walks of life and all communities.”

He wants to make it easy for all citizens to vote and said he supports statewide early voting and felony re-enfranchisement. He said there is support in his caucus on these issues also.

Theissen stressed the need for all of us to “connect the dots between voting and civic engagement and the problems we are all working to solve.”

Capitol Construction

Construction at the Capitol, with the resulting lack of meeting space and many other inconveniences, came up multiple times during the morning. Rep. Denny McNamara advised constituents to meet with representatives in their home districts until the construction is complete.

Others recommended consulting the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits At the Capitol tab and the Capitol Restoration Project website for current office locations, parking details and weekly construction updates.

– Susan Stehling, MCF communications associate

Photo: Minnesota State Capitol

Action Alert: America Gives More Act

Time is very short to pass the  America Gives More Act (HR 4719)!

We need you to contact Senators Klobuchar and Franken to ask for their support today — before they return to Washington, D.C., in early September.

The legislation (passed by the U.S. House of Representatives in July) promotes giving to all nonprofits by:

• permanently extending tax incentives for donations of IRA rollovers, food and land,
• allowing individuals to get credit for prior-year taxes for charitable contributions up to April 15,
• and streamlining the foundation excise tax, which reduces the administrative work associated with running a private foundation and enables greater giving.

We Need You To:

• Contact Senators Klobuchar and Franken before they return to Washington, D.C.
• Tell them you support the America Gives More Act.
• Focus on one part of the Act – the IRA rollover (for community foundations) or the simplified excise tax (for private foundations).
• Tell a story to illustrate how this will have a positive impact in the community by increasing giving.
• Ask them to urge Sen. Majority Leader Reid to schedule a vote on the bill as soon as the Senate reconvenes in Sept.
• Invite them to follow-up with MCF if they have questions.

Communication Options:

Contact the Senators at their primary district office. If writing, copy the district director and tax policy staff person, and include your contact information. If calling, ask to speak with the district director, but speak to whom you are directed.

• Amy Klobuchar: http://www.klobuchar.senate.gov
  • District office in Minneapolis: 612.727.5220
  • District Director, Sammy Clark: Samuel_clark@klobuchar.senate.gov
  • Tax Policy, Lara Muldoon: Lara.muldoon@klobuchar.senate.gov

• Al Franken: http://www.franken.senate.gov
  • District office in St. Paul: 651.221.1016
  • District Director, Charles Sutton: charles_sutton@franken.senate.gov
  • Tax Policy, Amanda Perez: Amanda_Perez@franken.senate.gov

Do it today!

This is a rare moment in the Congressional process when the opportunity is real and the time for action is clearly defined.

U.S. Senators are in MN now and will return to Washington, D.C. for only a couple of weeks in Sept. before leaving again to campaign for re-election. Senators must pass the America Gives More Act before they leave to take care of personal political interests.

The likelihood of something happening during a lame-duck Congress in December is uncertain. After that we will be starting over with a new Congress.

Resources: 

• Contact Bob Tracy, MCF director of public policy and government relations, with questions: 612.335.3558 or btracy@mcf.org
• The Forum of Regional Association of Grantmakers: America Gives More Act Overview
• Nonprofit Times: America Gives More Act Overview
• National Council on Foundations: Call for Action
• National Council on Foundations: Sample / Open Letter to U.S. Senators

One More Thing:

Contact Representative Erik Paulsen (MN-3) to thank him for his leadership in advancing legislation to simplify the excise tax and for working to enact this legislation for the past several years.

• Erik Paulsen: http://www.paulsen.house.gov
  • District office in Eden Prairie: 952.405.8510
  • District Director, Kelli Connor: connor@mail.house.gov
  • Tax Policy, Mike Stober: stober@mail.house.gov