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The Foundation Connection

SPRING SOIREE

FOUNDATION CONNECTION ZOOM APRIL 4

FOUNDATION CONNECTION!

Join us at NOON the First Friday of each Month during 2025 for “Foundation Connection.”

Each month we will host these zoom meetings on a variety of topics. The April 4th topic will be about Financials – Year End 2024, First Qtr Review & Audit. This is a time for Q & A about planning foundation events so please join us to learn more and to ask questions!

JOIN ZOOM MEETING

AFFILIATE SUMMIT RECAP

LEGACY: PLANNED GIVING AND DISASTER REPONSE

CKCF held its Affiliate Summit March 6th at the Sand Creek Event Center in Newton. The event brought together board members, staff, and community members from 17 (out of 19) affiliate community foundations.

Attendees enjoyed learning from two exceptional speakers: Cari Cullen from the Center for Disaster Philanthropy (CDP), and Mike Lamb, EMBA, CFRE. Both speakers provided invaluable insights with dynamic presentations on disaster preparedness, resiliency, and legacy gifts. Their sessions highlighted how crucial planned gifts are for organizational missions and that aligned perfectly with the goals of this funding.

We are thrilled with the positive feedback from attendees and the impact that the summit is already having on preparedness and donor engagement within their foundations. The knowledge gained from this event will undoubtedly continue to benefit the foundations and their communities in the months and years ahead. Information from the summit can be found ONLINE.

NOW HIRING

NOW HIRING!

Would you or someone you know be interested in a career focused on rural philanthropy?

Valley Center Community Foundation is accepting applications for a Director.

Details can be found online HERE.

NEW PHONE SYSTEM

CKCF HAS A NEW PHONE SYSTEM.

While we still have our main phone number,

316-283-5474, we are encouraging calls to be made directly to our staff. The names and numbers are listed below and can also be found online on our STAFF PAGE.

CKCF Staff:

Angie Tatro, CEO, 316-227-2073

Carrie Herman, Executive Director, 316-866-9791

Melinda Newell, Accounting Specialist, 316-285-8617

Brandi Garnica, Program Officer – Scholarships, 316-217-1150

Melissa Schreiber, Program Officer – Grants, 316-251-4143

Becky Nickel, Affiliate Coordinator, 620-951-4022

Affiliate Staff:

Brandi Mast, Associate Director, Elk County, 316-251-4291

Calvin Pendergrass, Associate Director, Florence, 316-251-4216

Kelly Azevedo, Associate Director, Fredonia Area, 620-218-9231

Macey Mueller, Associate Director, Halstead, 316-251-2434

Kristie Diller, Associate Director, Hesston, 620-869-3061

Chad Hughbanks, Associate Director, Hillsboro, 620-947-0170

Greg Bontrager, Associate Director, Newton & North Newton, 316-866-9801

Paige Barnes, Associate Director, Peabody, 316-243-6799

CKCF OFFICE HOURS:

Monday – Friday, 10am – 3pm

EXCEPTIONS:

Staff and Office Hours will be limited the week of April 7th, and closed on April 10th, as we prepare for the Spring Soiree.
The CKCF Office will CLOSE at Noon on Good Friday, April 18th.

DONOR CONNECTION – APRIL 2025

Imagine the future.

Your community foundation helps bring your charitable goals to life.

Greetings from the community foundation!

Spring has arrived! It is such a pleasure to hear from so many individuals, families, and businesses about how your charitable giving plans for 2025 are taking shape. If you are already working with the community foundation, thank you. If you are considering opening a donor-advised fund or other fund this year, we look forward to it!

Over the weeks ahead, consider spending a few minutes getting up to speed on trends in charitable giving and ways you can incorporate philanthropy into your life. To that end, here are three topics we think you’ll enjoy.

–In the aftermath of tax season, many families are evaluating what they could have done differently to maximize tax efficiencies and support the causes they care about in a more meaningful way. Learn how the community foundation can work with you and your advisors to set in motion the charitable components of your financial and estate plan.

–It’s a tough world out there! Charitable giving is such an important part of disaster relief and responses to other crises. Generous donations support much-needed assistance for people in need and can help speed along recovery efforts. Learn how the community foundation can be an important sounding board as you evaluate ways you can help.

–Wrapping charitable giving into your family’s activities is easier than you might think, whether you’re throwing a “birthday party that gives back” or teaching your kids about budgeting for donations. Check out the community foundation’s quick tips for making philanthropy a part of your kids’ lives in easy, uplifting ways.

Thank you for the opportunity to work together and for your continued commitment to making our community a better place for all. We look forward to our next conversation!

With gratitude,

Angie Tatro,

CKCF CEO

READ THE FULL ISSUE: APRIL 2025