Brainerd, MN – The Brainerd Lakes Area Community Foundation (BLACF) is celebrating 25 years of serving the Brainerd Lakes area. BLACF was established in 1998 by our founding members, John Sullivan, Rod Converse, Kevin Close and Bernie Roberts. This past Thursday, BLACF joined some of the founders, current and past board and staff members, community leaders and donors at a celebration event at Confidence Learning Center to celebrate this momentous occasion. The Foundation, along with fund holders has given out over $8.5 million in funding to nonprofit charities through grants in the past 25 years providing incredible impact to the Brainerd Lakes Area!
Bernie Roberts shared how the Foundation got started and that the idea came from God to the founding group in one of their weekly bible study coffee meetings, as an easy way for individuals to support charities they care about. Bernie and Rod Converse shared that they were thrilled that they were able to help spark the charitable fire that has been burning and building for over two decades. They shared how this fire will continue to burn and grow and how the potential impact in our local communities is enormous.
Donor advised funds have become the fastest growing charitable giving tool in the United States because it is one of the easiest and most tax advantageous ways to give to charity. When you contribute cash or other assets to a donor advised fund at a public charity, like the Community Foundation, you may be able to take an immediate tax deduction. Funds may be invested for tax-free growth, and donors may make future grant funding recommendations to virtually any IRS-qualified charity. BLACF makes this process extremely easy with a one-to-two-page fund agreement, depositing the initial gift and guiding donors to help make future gifts. The Foundation handles all the tax reporting, vetting of organizations to ensure all IRS requirements are met, allowing the donor to simply do the fun part in sharing where they would like their money to go.
According to Executive Director, Terri Foster, “The Brainerd Lakes Area will see an even bigger impact in the coming years from funds held at the Foundation and noted legacy gifts that individuals have identified in their estate plans to support local charities. One of the best ways someone can ensure the vitality of the community and provide a hand-up to our neighbors in need is by starting a charitable fund or consider leaving a gift in their estate – even 5% could bring incredible change.” Foster also noted how grateful she and the community is to the foresight the Founders had in establishing this Foundation to allow for such impact. It truly is such an asset and a blessing to have such a giving community and the ability to meet the needs in the Brainerd Lakes Area now and into the future as those needs may change.”
The Brainerd Lakes Area Community Foundation (BLACF) attracts and administers charitable funds for the benefit of the local Brainerd area. Since 1998, BLACF has grown to over $18 million in assets and awarded over $8.5 million in grants to nonprofits. The BLACF is governed by a local board of directors and is a partner of CommunityGiving, which is a collaborative of community foundations creating efficiencies that maximize donor impact. Collectively, CommunityGiving administers over 1,000 funds, totaling nearly $195 million. Learn more at CommunityGiving.org/Brainerd.
