Tag Archives for giving in memphis

Where to give in Memphis?

Memphis has a heart for giving – and we also have causes worth supporting. With so many asks coming in on a daily basis, and with a number of worthy organizations tugging at our heartstrings, it can be hard to land on which organization you want to support through your Christian giving. But if you know how much you want to give in a year, then there is an easy solution – create a donor-advised fund.

Creating a donor-advised fund through the Christian Community Foundation affords you time and the opportunity to give strategically. Donor-advised funds allow you to budget, plan and execute your giving in one move without designating a nonprofit. So, when a need arises or your heart is touched, you can immediately make a grant to the nonprofit of your choice from the pool of money you’ve set aside for giving.

Donor-advised funds are a flexible, convenient way for you to donate money when you aren’t sure of where to give. With a donor-advised fund, you receive an income tax deduction in the year that a contribution was made to the account – and you no longer have to keep up with donation receipts for every nonprofit or charitable contribution you make. You also can easily make a grant request online, and we’ll write, mail and confirm donation for you. We do all the leg work! Through CCF, you can also donate assets including cash, stocks, bonds or even real estate. This flexibility allows you to contribute what you want when you want with no extra stress or inconvenience! 

In our city, the opportunities to donate seem endless. And it’s amazing that we have a nonprofit landscape so committed to tackling our community’s most challenging issues. We want to empower you to use the gifts you’ve been entrusted with to impact the community. You can do this most effectively with a donor-advised fund.

We know that the giving process can be overwhelming at times, which is why we are here to help every step of the way. If you need assistance in setting up a donor-advised fund or with any donating needs, feel free to contact us at (901) 682-6201.

What does generational giving look like?

When you take a look at the breakdown of givers, the numbers tell an interesting story. Baby Boomers make up 43% of givers, while Generation X makes up 20% and Millennials 11%. It seems clear that age correlates with generosity, and younger givers appear to be behind. Undoubtedly, younger individuals and families have more expenses – from student loan debt to child care – and are also less established in their careers. Baby Boomers and Gen Xers are likely past most of these expenses, leaving them with more disposable income to give.

While it’s easy to attribute the generational drop-offs to age (and some can surely be attributed to age) there are additional factors, like lack of education on the matter. Younger generations may also be giving in other ways, such as giving their time to causes. No matter the reasoning, the best way to learn about giving is through demonstration. At Christian Community Foundation, our family of givers is comprised of people spanning a wide range of ages. And, we believe that giving isn’t about the amount of money you can contribute, it’s about establishing a practice of generosity. What we can say firmly is this – giving is a learned behavior, and our youngest givers do so because they learned the behavior from people they love.

As a foundation centered on helping others find ways to donate to causes they care about, we aim to provide all routes necessary to help you help others. These efforts are made to aid organizations right in our own backyard. And what better way to help following generations learn about helping our community than through the help of family? We want to bring that spark of helping others back to life – and strategic giving starts with education.

That’s why we’ve created the NexGen Fund. This donor-advised fund was created to start conversations on giving in your family. With the help of more established generations, younger people can learn the values of giving at any age. While most funds require a minimum investment to be established (which is intimidating to some younger donors), NexGen has no such requirement. You or a family member can create a fund in another’s name, and upon access to their own funds, the mentee can continue to give and distribute. Creating a trickle-down effect can help improve your family’s knowledge on giving to those in need. This is a plan of action waiting for family members following in your footsteps.

Creating this type of fund allows future generations to distribute it to organizations in need. Why is this important? Because at the center of Christian faith, giving is the ministry of God at work. We are called to keep hope alive, and we can’t do it without you!

Do donations through CCF make a difference in Memphis?

Local nonprofit organizations are a driving force in improving the quality of life within our community. It is our duty as citizens to support these organizations, as they are bettering the very place we call home.

Nonprofit organizations assist other businesses in the community to drive economic development, provide greater access to the arts, amplify cultural awareness, ensure citizens receive a quality education, confront our city’s greatest health care challenges, and foster spiritual growth and revival for people in need — they virtually lend a hand to every sector of the community.

Nonprofits act as the arms and legs to our community’s boldest dreams – they turn the belief that our city can be a better place for everyone into action. Supporting local organizations provides us the opportunity to see our communities turn into the place we’ve always envisioned it to be. Last year, our donors gave more than $40 million in grants to local nonprofits through their donor-advised funds. These donations undoubtedly allowed nonprofits to expand their operations and make a bigger impact on their clients and community.

Even if our donors choose to give to worthy nonprofits around the globe (that also need our support), they’re still inadvertently supporting local nonprofits through our Hope for Memphis Fund! The Hope for Memphis Fund is a grant program sponsored by CCF that pours money directly into Christian nonprofits in the Greater Memphis Area.

To support our organization’s operations, CCF charges a small administration fee on each donor-advised fund we manage. These fees cover our operational costs, which we responsibly manage. At the end of each fiscal year, we determine what our surplus funds are, and all of those funds are made available to nonprofits through the Hope For Memphis Fund grant process. The surplus funds have grown year over year, exponentially expanding the impact we can make through Hope for Memphis Fund grants.

The Hope for Memphis Fund is dear to CCF, as it’s a simple way to live our mission. These grants serve as the arms and legs of our efforts to transform our city.

Help us continue to keep the hope alive on this journey to advance our community! Together, we can support development in the city of Memphis and its surrounding areas. Mother Teresa once said, “I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.” So, let’s do our part to turn the ripples into waves by supporting local nonprofits with CCF!

How to be more generous

Memphis is no stranger to generosity and giving. In 2017, Business Insider named Memphis the most generous city in the United States, with citizens reportedly giving an average of 5.6 percent of their incomes to charity.

We encourage you to strive to be more generous: with your friends and family, with others, with your community, with yourself. But how?

Committing to monetary donations is an easy way to grow your generosity this year. When finding time to serve is challenging, and deciding where to give seems daunting, Christian Community Foundation is here to facilitate your desire to practice gratitude through generous giving. Creating a donor-advised fund through CCF affords you the opportunity to donate now and determine where you’d like to recommend grant disbursement later. In the meantime, we’ll grow your funds tax-free through wise investments.

If you don’t know where you’d like to give, that’s OK. The beauty of creating and contributing to a donor-advised fund is that your donation counts today as a charitable gift (a tax benefit), but doesn’t have to be distributed until you feel called to grant the funds. This process is perfect if you want to begin a new habit of giving but don’t feel called to support any one organization.

With that being said, if you’re looking for an organization to support now, we can help there as well. Our donors contribute to thousands of 501(c)(3) certified nonprofit organizations annually, each with unique and valuable missions that make our world a better place to live. At CCF, we divide them into three categories:

  • Giving for the Kingdom – giving to organizations whose mission facilitates the building of God’s kingdom.
  • Giving for Common Grace – giving to an organization whose mission provides essential services that positively impact lives and communities.
  • Giving Hope for Memphis – giving to organizations whose work is changing the landscape in Memphis.

Making the decision to give generously is challenging for many, and we recognize that giving requires sacrifice. But as a facilitator of generosity, we know that giving radically changes the lives of those who receive and those who give. We want you to experience the power of giving.

2019 is the perfect time to begin giving back to our city. Interested in learning more about what we do and how you can start giving back? Give us a call at 901-682-6201!