November Focus: Finding Hope in Personal Giving

Donors

Nov 1

Resilient Hope in Delaware County

AS WE APPROACH THE END OF ANOTHER YEAR, we are reminded how important it is to care for our community. We all appreciate the goodwill of our neighbors, the support of our loved ones, and the gifts of our planet in one way or another. As we reflect on this year, we find hope prevailing.
Delaware County knows how to find resilience in flux – change has always been a part of our community’s history. As we navigate changes, we find that generous giving sparks hope, providing our neighbors and friends the tools to thrive. Donors ensure that local initiatives and organizations have the resources to do what they do best, and personal giving means we can all play a part in the good work. In this article, we highlight common types of funds and unique types of personal giving, and we share the stories of local changemakers and their passions.

Common Types of Funds

Endowed funds give donors the chance to direct their giving in any number of ways. Contributing to an existing fund, or establishing a new fund, allows you to support the causes that matter most while taking advantage of the benefits that come from Foundation-guided giving. Unrestricted funds offer broad, responsive support to changing community needs, while Field of Interest funds, Donor Advised funds, and Designated funds offer pathways to more nuanced giving. Read on to hear more about these types of personal giving and meet the people who are using these to spark their own gifts.

**Wayne and Mia Johnson – Unrestricted Giving**
Unrestricted giving has an impact like no other. Contributing to the Unrestricted Fund of The Community Foundation or beginning a named unrestricted fund builds on a decades-long legacy of community care and generosity. Unrestricted giving is essential to supporting Delaware County’s changing needs, and these gifts will go on to support our community in perpetuity, whatever comes our way.
Mia Johnson has been on the Foundation Board since 2021, and she and her husband Wayne are committed to supporting Delaware County. Both Johnsons are passionate about higher education and hold executive administrative positions within Ivy Tech Community Colleges. The couple is active in countless nonprofits and community initiatives throughout the region.
When a matching campaign became available, the Johnsons seized the opportunity to begin the unrestricted Wayne and Mia Johnson Fund to continue their good work. “Our story began in Muncie, and we have decided to raise our family in this community,” says Mia. “Starting an unrestricted fund with the Community Foundation has always been a goal for us... We are excited to watch this fund grow and make a positive financial impact here in Delaware County.”

**Nancy Smith - Field of Interest Funds**
Field of interest funds allow a donor to select a broad category of causes that they wish for their fund to support. Unlike a donor advised fund, the donor does not consult on specific grant decisions – instead, the team at the Foundation ensures that grants match the spirit of their overall field of interest.
Nancy Smith finds that her field of interest fund is the perfect way of ensuring that her philanthropy benefits the causes she cares about while still allowing flexibility within those causes. The Nancy J. Smith Fund benefits animal welfare and elderly care in Delaware County, two of her passions.
“Muncie is a great place, but Muncie is a community with a lot of needs... I think the Foundation has their finger on the pulse of where those needs are and can identify them better than any individual person can,” says Nancy. She has served on boards for Minnetrista, the Riley-Jones Club, Ball Memorial Hospital Foundation, and YWCA.

**Jack and Jane Buckles – Donor Advised Funds**
Donor advised funds offer a unique way for donors to direct the specific projects that their funds support. By pursuing advised giving through the Foundation, donors can support personalized causes while still benefiting from a professional endowment structure and advising.
Jack and Jane Buckles were one couple who took advantage of donor advised giving through their 1999 Buckles Family Fund. The Buckles were Indiana natives committed to making a mark on their homeland, and philanthropy was an important part of their work. “I know that I’m supporting a number of worthwhile community needs, and I’m helping to plug the gap for those who are not as fortunate. It’s what we’re supposed to do, what we’ve been taught to do—to reach out to those who for one reason or another need some help,” said the couple.
Following their passing, their fund continues to carry out their commitment to community through the involvement of their loved ones. Recent benefactors of their gift include Animal Rescue Fund, which honors Jane’s love for animals, and Shafer Leadership Academy.

**Carol and Joe Trimmer – Designated Funds**
Designated funds are a targeted way to ensure that a specific organization benefits from an endowed gift with the Foundation. At the time that designated funds are established, donors select the charity that they want to support, and grants from the fund are used solely for the needs of that charity, in perpetuity.
One local organization that has benefitted from a designated fund is the Delaware County’s Court-Appointed Special Advocate program, or CASA. Nationwide, CASA uses trained volunteers to advocate for children in the court system, many of whom have experienced abuse or neglect. Carol Trimmer, a longtime volunteer and Advisory Board member of Delaware County CASA, knew that a designated fund was "the right vehicle for ensuring that CASA will continue to thrive.”
“The program sometimes needed funds above and beyond those appropriated by county government,” Carol explained. “What if we had a safe and secure fund that could be tapped when the need was really great?” In 2013, Carol and her husband Joe established the CASA of Delaware County Fund. While Carol passed away in 2019, her advocacy and commitment to Delaware County will continue to carry on her legacy of light and love for years to come.

Unique Types of Giving

Whatever type of fund you choose to support, your donation makes an impact today, tomorrow, and always. While it can be fulfilling to see the fruition of your work firsthand, some of our donors have taken different paths to giving. Read on to hear about the power of a legacy and the opportunity of anonymous giving.