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Allentown, Pa., December 27, 2019—The Lehigh Valley Community Foundation (LVCF) said thank you and farewell to five long-standing members of the Board of Governors at a recent meeting.  The members completing their terms of service at the end of 2019 are Denise Blew, W. Beall Fowler, James Margolis, Mike Stershic, and Matt Sorrentino, Esq.  Board of Governors Vice Chair Bonnie S. Coyle, M.D., M.S. presented the departing members with citations at the November board meeting at DeSales University.

Denise Blew served two periods as a member of the Board of Governors. She first served a seven- year period from 2003-2009 and a second three-term period from 2011 to 2019. “Serving 13 years as a member of the Executive Committee, Denise’s unwavering commitment and contributions to the Community Foundation will forever be linked to its growth, impact, and success,” said Bernie Story, President and CEO of LVCF. “She served as Vice Chair of the Board from 2011-2012 and Chair of the Board from 2013-2014.”

Throughout her entire tenure as a Governor of the Community Foundation, Blew served on the Finance Committee and remained a reliable and unwavering voice for the wise investment and management of Foundation assets. She served as Vice Chair in 2005, Chair from 2006-2008. She returned to the committee in 2010 and served as Chair for the past 6 years. Denise served 13 years on the Legal Affairs Committee, three years on the Planning Committee, and five years on the Personnel Committee, including one as Chair. She served as a member of the Audit Committee from 2005-2006 and again from 2015-2019. She has served as the Board of Governor’s Treasurer for the past five years.

W. Beall Fowler served three terms as a member of the Board of Governors from 2011 to 2019. “Beall’s understanding of the community’s needs was invaluable, providing leadership as a member of the Grants Committee in 2011-2012 and later as Chair of the Discretionary Grants Committee from 2014-2016,” said Story. “His personal generosity and commitment to the Foundation’s growth have been exemplary and have helped to significantly increase the Foundation’s charitable assets and its ability to serve the Lehigh Valley in perpetuity.”

Fowler served as Vice Chair of the Board in 2014-2016 and Chair of Board from 2017-2018, providing leadership to the organization during the 50^th anniversary year and ensuring success of the Foundation’s Be the Spark year of special grantmaking. He served as Chair of the Board Affairs Committee from 2017-2018, the Executive Committee from 2014-2019 and is a recent member of the Finance Committee in 2019.

Jim Margolis served three terms as a member of the Board of Governors from 2011 to 2019. During his entire tenure, Jim has helped guide grantmaking, serving on the Discretionary Grants Committee from 2011-2016, and later on the Community Investments Committee from 2017 to 2019. “Jim’s insights and wisdom have been invaluable to Foundation’s effectiveness in grant making, helping solidify the Foundation’s status as trusted funder—addressing the essential needs of the Lehigh Valley,” Story noted.

Matt Sorrentino, Esq., served three terms as a member of the Board of Governors from 2011 to 2019. During his entire tenure, he has been a member of the Legal Affairs Committee, serving as chair for the past six years. He has served on the Board Affairs Committee for the past five years, and helped shape the Foundation’s by-laws as chair of that committee from 2012-2014. Additionally, Matt has served on the Development Committee from 2011-2015, the Executive Committee from 2014-2019, and as Board of Governors Secretary for the past five years.

“Matt brought an attorney’s insight and expertise, helping the Foundation navigate the complexity of the issues during key times of growth and transition,” Story said. His leadership has strengthened the Foundation internally, providing oversight and enhancing its due diligence, and policies, and procedures.”

Mike Stershic served three terms as a member of the Board of Governors from 2011 to 2019. He served as Vice Chair of the Board in 2013-2014 and then as Chair of the Board from 2015-2016, providing leadership to the organization during a time of growth, and increased capacity. He was instrumental in the planning and implementation of the 50^th anniversary year activities.

He has helped shape the leadership of the organization as Chair of the Board Affairs committee from 2012-2017. Stershic helped guide the organization as a member of the Executive Committee from 2012-2019. He served as vice chair of the Marketing Committee from 2011-2014 and was a committee member until 2016.  He joined the Finance Committee in 2017 and has served for the past three years.

“Mike’s continued commitment is exemplified by his leadership as Chair of the Board of Associates,” said Story.  “Established in 2018, the Board of Associates, under Mike’s leadership has greatly enhanced the Foundation’s community engagement and visibly among community leaders.

Program Expanded Through Partnership with Two Rivers Health & Wellness Foundation

Allentown, Pa., December 18, 2019—In 2018, the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation (LVCF) established the Nonprofit Effectiveness Pilot that targets support to strengthen governance, management, and operations of nonprofit organizations.  LVCF invested a total of $100,000 in ten nonprofits in the region to foster capacity building efforts in 2019.

LVCF announced that the ten organizations funded in Year One will be renewed, each receiving $10,000, as part of a continuing cohort in the second year of the pilot.  In addition, the Volunteer Center of the Lehigh Valley and Humanitarian Social Innovations were selected to participate in 2020, each receiving $10,000 grants.

Two Rivers Health & Wellness Foundation is partnering with the Community Foundation to help expand the reach of the Nonprofit Effectiveness pilot by providing $10,000 grants to four organizations serving Northampton County.  Safe Harbor and Equi-librium will each receive $10,000 grants to join the pilot.  Two Rivers will also provide $10,000 grants to expand the programs for two organizations currently in the pilot who are also supported by LVCF’s Nonprofit Effectiveness grants. The Hispanic Center Lehigh Valley and the Easton Area Community Center will each receive a total of $20,000 in grants, with half coming from Two Rivers Health & Wellness Foundation and the other half from LVCF. Through both foundations’ joint investments, there will be 14 organizations funded through these grants in 2020.

Organizations receiving a $10,000 nonprofit effectiveness renewal grants from LVCF include:

• Bethlehem Area Education Foundation
  Data Management Tool
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Lehigh Valley
  Creating a Sustainable Business Model
• Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center
  Planned and Individual Giving Fundraising Plan Development and Implementation
• Communities In Schools of the Lehigh Valley
  Communities In Schools Intranet
• Community Bike Works
  SOS: Smarter Operations and Staffing – Year 2
• Easton Area Community Center
  Smart Operations- Staff Optimization and Development
• Hispanic Center Lehigh Valley
  HCLV Capacity Building – Manager of Operations
• Lehigh Valley Center for Independent Living (LVCIL)
  Development & Marketing Consulting Program
• Third Street Alliance for Women & Children, on behalf of the Lehigh Valley Regional Homeless Advisory Board – Board Capacity Building
• Young Women’s Christian Association d/b/a YWCA Allentown
  Strategic Plan for Empowerment, Equity, and Social Justice

New Programs Receiving Nonprofit Effectiveness grants in 2020:

• Volunteer Center of the Lehigh Valley
  Mining, Measuring & Managing Data to Increase Volunteer Engagement & Traffic
• Humanitarian Social Innovations
  Sustainable Growth for Maximum Community Impact

Organizations receiving a $10,000 nonprofit effectiveness from Two Rivers Health & Wellness Foundation:

• Easton Area Community Center
  Smart Operations- Staff Optimization and Development
• Equi-lilbrium
  Ensuring Long-Term Success through Innovation and Growth
• Hispanic Center Lehigh Valley
  HCLV Capacity Building – Manager of Operations
• Safe Harbor Easton
  Board Development and Strategic Planning

About the Two Rivers Health & Wellness Foundation

The Two Rivers Health & Wellness Foundation brings people, organizations and resources together to improve the health and well-being of all people in Northampton County. They partner with nonprofit organizations, individuals, businesses, government leaders and other foundations to find solutions to critical health issues.  Learn more at: https://www.trhwf.org/

About the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation

With a diverse and respected Board of Governors, the Community Foundation is a tax-exempt 501(c)3 organization located in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The Foundation is cause-neutral and supports all areas of community needs in in the Lehigh Valley and beyond in compliance with the National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations. To learn more, visit:  www.lehighvalleyfoundation.org.

Over the years we have had worked with many donors and their advisors on their place-based philanthropy, often involving multiple generations of a family. It is both fascinating and inspiring to hear family traditions of integrating philanthropy into holiday gatherings to develop intergenerational bonds, to instill empathy, and to teach family values. We found these ideas from the 21/64 advisory group in New York to be a great start to thinking about new traditions for the next generation of philanthropists.

Children who help others are more likely to have a broader view of the world than the lives they lead. Connecting with those in need helps young people to fend off entitlement and find an avenue for personal fulfillment. We hope that you’ll be inspired to engage with your family and community during this season of giving and in the new year.

Click on banner to download the guide:

The holiday season is a popular time for giving to the causes that matter most to you. The Lehigh Valley Community Foundation is your partner in philanthropy, and we are here to help you make the most impact with your year-end giving.

Donating long-term appreciated securities—rather than selling the assets and then donating the cash proceeds—is one of the easiest ways for donors to increase their charitable dollars and maximize their impact on the community. If it’s time to rebalance your portfolio, consider a charitable gift with the appreciated positions.

Are you over the age of 70 ½ and do not need the liquidity of your IRA’s required minimum distribution?  Consider a Qualified Charitable Distribution or a “QCD” as an establishing gift for a designated fund or an area of interest fund at LVCF.  We have seen this gift type grow in popularity since its benefits became permanent in 2015 and the standard deduction increased during 2017 tax reform. If you are the right age and have one or more IRAs, a QCD may be a solution to be both charity-generous and tax-thrifty. The latest on the law…

To be eligible for a charitable tax deduction, you may need to initiate certain contributions now.  Some assets such as mutual funds and restricted stock take longer to accept and process, so advanced planning is required to meet year-end deadlines.

With the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act’s higher standard deduction, donors can benefit from grouping multi-year donations into a single tax year.  This is also referred to as donation “bunching.”  Donation bunching can also be done in combination with donating appreciated stock.  LVCF’s charitable fund menu provides an array of options for donors considering bunching. 

Bunching is a tax strategy that involves grouping or “bunching” deductible expenses or charitable contributions in a particular tax year in order to maximize tax savings. It is typically used by taxpayers who itemize their deductions on their income tax return, as opposed to taking the standard deduction.

The concept behind bunching is to concentrate deductions into a single tax year in order to exceed the standard deduction threshold, which is a fixed amount that taxpayers can claim as a deduction without having to itemize their expenses. By bunching deductions in a single tax year, taxpayers may be able to itemize and claim more deductions than they would be able to in individual years, resulting in a larger overall tax deduction and potentially lower taxable income.

It’s important to note that the tax code and regulations surrounding bunching can be complex, and it may not be beneficial for everyone. Bunching may require careful planning and consideration of factors such as the timing of expenses, the taxpayer’s overall financial situation, and the applicable tax laws. It’s always recommended to consult with a qualified tax professional to determine if bunching is a suitable strategy for your specific tax situation.

Through creative gift planning at the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation, you may be able to do more for yourself and for the causes that matter to you.

ASK CARRIE | Ask me which type of fund is right for you and how the Community Foundation can help you create a lasting legacy and make a difference in the community….

Carrie Krug Nedick
Director of Donor Services

840 West Hamilton Street, Suite 310, Allentown, PA 18101
610 351-5353  Ext. 10 | carrie@lvcfoundation.org

Over the years we have had worked with many donors and their advisors on their place-based philanthropy, often involving multiple generations of a family. It is both fascinating and inspiring to hear family traditions of integrating philanthropy into holiday gatherings to develop intergenerational bonds, to instill empathy, and to teach family values. We found these ideas from the 21/64 advisory group in New York to be a great start to thinking about new traditions for the next generation of philanthropists.

Children who help others are more likely to have a broader view of the world than the lives they lead. Connecting with those in need helps young people to fend off entitlement and find an avenue for personal fulfillment. We hope that you’ll be inspired to engage with your family and community during this season of giving and in the new year.

Click on banner to download the guide:

Biz, Latino leaders push for accurate 2020 Census By: Brian Pedersen(link sends e-mail)
November 18, 2019

With millions of dollars in federal funding depending on the accuracy of the 2020 biennial census, business and Latino community leaders in the Greater Lehigh Valley are working to ensure every resident is counted.

“In Pennsylvania, we receive $39 billion each year from census-derived data to support federal programs,” said Megan Briggs, director of community investments at Lehigh Valley Community Foundation.

LVCF is taking a leadership role in the census, investing staff-time, resources, and funding to ensure every person is counted in 2020.

“An undercount of the estimated 670,000 Lehigh Valley residents puts federal funding at risk, while also decreasing the amount of representation our community has in government,” Briggs said.

The census, which is conducted every 10 years, is required by the Constitution. In addition to being used to allocate seats in Congress, it’s also used to determine where billions of dollars in federal tax dollars are spent.

Census data is used by businesses to determine markets and weigh new locations. It’s also used to allocate money to fix ailing infrastructure, such as roads and bridges; education programs, including worker training critical to attracting and retaining companies.

For those reasons and more several organizations are stepping up to get a complete and accurate count on Census Day on April 1, particularly among the immigrant populations who are often reluctant to respond.

LVCF, an Allentown nonprofit, committed $65,000. LVCF is collaborating with nonprofit organizations to get an accurate count in Census track areas in Allentown’s Center City, Bethlehem’s South Side and Easton’s West Ward. These areas were undercounted by more than 30 percent in 2010, resulting in a 10-year loss of federal funding.

Four nonprofit organizations are receiving $10,000 grants to implement a variety of tactics to address these areas and beyond as part of LVCF’s Civic Engagement: Census 2020 Initiative. These organizations are Promise Neighborhoods of Allentown, Hispanic Center of the Lehigh Valley of Bethlehem, Project of Easton, and Make the Road Pennsylvania of Allentown.

LVFC also has a Census Equity Fund to support several initiatives, including: providing organizations with technical assistance and training, building awareness through events for nonprofits, and collaborating with the region’s nonprofit, business and government stakeholders.

“An undercount will increase the demands placed on the area’s nonprofits and the philanthropic community to try to fill the gap of decreased federal funds and services,” said Bernie Story, LVCF president and CEO. “Instead of needing to make up that gap, we are proactively funding efforts and investing resources to ensure a complete and accurate count.”

In Berks County, efforts are underway to focus on getting an accurate count in target areas that include Reading and part of Maxatawny Township outside Kutztown University.

In Reading, some of these areas include parts of the downtown known to have transient populations and many immigrants, said Isabel Monterrosa, publicity coordinator for the Berks Complete Count Committee at the Center for Excellence in Local Government at Albright College in Reading.

The other area with an undercounted population in 2010 was Maxatawny Township, which stemmed from off-campus housing at Kutztown University.

“We expect that might be a problem at Alvernia University because they expanded into more off-campus housing,” Monterrosa said.

Undercounts occur when students sublet their properties to other students who are not on the lease, she added.

Counting immigrants

Undercounts can occur with immigrant populations fearful of having their status questioned even though the federal government removed a citizenship question it intended to include on Census 2020.

Part of the outreach effort involves educating people so they know the question is no longer there and that Census takers take oaths to protect the privacy of the individuals from whom they obtain data, Monterrosa said.

With more people counted, more funding is available for a wide range of programs.

“The Census data is the information that is used to develop and deliver programs all over the place,” Monterrosa said.

Communities use the money for grants for business expansion and economic development, and businesses rely on the data to project growth and help with hiring, said Monterrosa, who acts as a liaison to the Census bureau.

“The goal is to bring awareness of why it’s so important to our community,” she said. “All of the social programs will receive federal funding. They are going to benefit from these services.”

While the business community is becoming more aware of the importance of the Census, many in the general public don’t know that completing the survey is a civic duty, like voting and serving on a jury.

The 2020 Census is also the first that allows residents to respond online. This, too, Monterrosa said, will present challenges in terms of ensuring people who do not have Internet access can complete it. Access to the web is being provided via a mobile lab through the local libraries, said Dave Myers, an adviser with Berks Alliance, a nonprofit. Those labs can be sent to neighborhoods that lack internet access.

In Berks County, officials estimate that 4 to 5 percent of the county’s population, between 16,000 and 17,000 people, were missed in 2010, Myers said. “Because of that, there was a lot of funding that was missed.”

Collecting data

The Census counts everyone, including people who are homeless, in correctional facilities and nursing homes, he added.

The Berks Complete Count Committee raised $160,000 to create the outreach effort, he said.

“We have to make sure everyone is counted,” Myers said. “It’s important, obviously for funding and political reasons, but also for the data used.”

Census data affects housing affordability, business location decisions and other economic factors.

“It could mean an analysis that precludes a retailer from looking at our community,” Myers said.

From transportation funding that fixes and repairs roads and bridges to calculations of available labor force, the funding has a wide business impact.

In Central Pennsylvania, one organization is preparing to launch an initiative at the end of the year geared toward educating people, particularly the Latino community, about the importance of getting an accurate count for Census 2020.

George Fernandez, owner of Latino Connection, a marketing and communications agency in Penbrook, Dauphin County, said his organization is starting a grassroots campaign called Inspiration 2020, designed to educate people throughout the state wherever they work, live and play. The organization will use a van to drive to different sites where it hopes to meet people and educate them about the Census in the Latino community.

“We are looking for partners that want to welcome us on their job site,” Fernandez said.

With the upcoming federal election and Census 2020, Fernandez believes it’s a critical time for Latinos.

For its campaign, the organization is promoting what it describes as four pillars: music, family, faith, and community. On 60 TV screens throughout corner stores and bodegas around the state, the organization will talk about the Census and why it’s so important, he added.

“A lot of the decisions businesses make today are based on data from the census,” Fernandez said, but acknowledged there is fear of it in the Latino community.

Focus on Latinos

The Latino population is growing, which makes education around the Census that much more critical, Fernandez said, noting that Reading elected its first Latino mayor, Eddie Moran, and county commissioner, Michael Rivera.

“Latinos are front and center of the Presidential election,” Fernandez said. “I think the efforts around education are vital to the success of Pennsylvania. Pure education is going to be vital to our success.”

David Black, president and CEO of the Harrisburg Regional Chamber and Capital Region Economic Development Corp., say they are poised to start the education campaign early next year.

“We’ll be doing a push at about the time the census information starts dropping in people’s mailboxes and people start canvassing,” he said.

The Harrisburg business community has not shown much concern or awareness about Census 2020, according to Black.

“We want to make sure we are counted and they try to get things as correct as possible, not just for our region, which is a growing region in Pennsylvania like the Lehigh Valley, but Pennsylvania as a whole,” Black said.

Millions in federal funding that support vital services in the Valley are at stake

Allentown, Pa., November 11, 2019—The Lehigh Valley Community Foundation is dedicating funding and resources to ensure a complete and accurate count for the Census 2020. LVCF is partnering with nonprofit organizations to support efforts aimed at getting an accurate count in Census track areas in Allentown’s center city, Bethlehem’s southside and Easton’s West Ward, which are areas that were undercounted by more than 30% in 2010, resulting in lost federal funding—for the past ten years.

Four nonprofit organizations are receiving $10,000 grants to implement a variety of tactics to address these areas and beyond as part of the Community Foundation’s Civic Engagement: Census 2020 initiative.  They include: Promise Neighborhoods of the Lehigh Valley, Allentown; Hispanic Center of Lehigh Valley, Bethlehem; Project of Easton, Easton; and Make the Road Pennsylvania, Allentown.

“LVCF is taking a leadership role in the Lehigh Valley to invest staff-time, resources, and funding to ensure every person is counted in the Census 2020,” said Megan Briggs, director of community investments at the Community Foundation.  “In Pennsylvania, we receive $39 billion dollars each year from census-derived data to support federal programs ranging from investments in infrastructure and technology to supporting healthcare and education. An undercount of the estimated 670,000 Lehigh Valley residents puts federal funding at risk, while also decreasing the amount of representation our community has in government.”

The Community has established and seeded the Census Equity Fund at LVCF to support numerous initiatives:

• Funding key organizations that serve historically undercounted communities in Lehigh and Northampton counties
• Supporting projects that will build awareness about the importance of the Census and increase community’s participation in the count
• Providing organizations with technical assistance and training
• Co-chairing a regional complete count committee (CCC) with the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission, and staff are represented on five regional CCCs
• Partnering with the region’s nonprofit, business, and government stakeholders
• Planning several events and initiatives to build awareness in partnership with other organizations throughout the region
• Reaching at-risk areas through media campaigns
• Building awareness through events for nonprofits and area philanthropy

“An undercount will increase the demands placed on the area’s nonprofits and the philanthropic community to try to fill the gap of decreased federal funds and services,” said Bernie Story, LVCF president and CEO. “Instead of needing to make up that gap, we are proactively funding efforts and investing resources to ensure a complete and accurate count.”

The Community Foundation grants for Census 2020 are directed towards organizations that have the network, relationships and trust in the community to effectively convey the importance of the census.  Those funding in 2019-2020 include:

Promise Neighborhoods of the Lehigh Valley, a community organizing agency serving center city Allentown, will utilize neighborhood connectors, laying the groundwork for door-to-door outreach with neighbors, work with local businesses to increase awareness. They are planning community events, pop-up booths and other initiatives to engage the community. They will support their grass-roots approach with social media and other culturally-appropriate marketing content.

Project of Easton conducts literacy, adult and family education (ESL classes), and workforce training programs with wraparound services. They will engage low-income clients many of whom are limited English-speaking adults, families and seniors about the 2020 Census. ProJeCt will distribute Census materials and offer linguistic and technological support, not only through their programs but also to Food Pantry clients, helping to reach low-income families who may not have the computer access.  They will provide computer labs for people to complete the census online, and distribute educational materials.

Hispanic Center of Lehigh Valley empowers individuals to become more self-sufficient by helping low-income community members connect to social services, employment, English language and computer classes, healthy foods, affordable housing, and other community resources.  HCLV will work on increasing awareness and building engagement among the Hispanic population by conducting street outreach working with college networks. They will also utilize their intake center to raise awareness.

Make the Road Pennsylvania, dedicated to organizing the working class in Latino communities and building power for justice, will produce educational materials for community leaders, conduct workshops and training, serve as a hub for community members, and conduct two rounds of door-to-door outreach.

For more information: visit www.lvcfoundation.org/census2020

The Hispanic Center Lehigh Valley and the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation partnered to host the 2019 Health Equity Summit: Census 2020 that was attended by over 100 representatives from nonprofit organizations, governmental agencies, and others. The half-day summit, focused on the importance of the census and the link between hard-to-count communities and health equity in the Lehigh Valley.  It was held on Tuesday, November 5, at Lehigh University, Iacocca Conference Center.

The morning included information about the impact of a complete and accurate count on the health of the Lehigh Valley community, as well as the nonprofit sector as a whole. The summit featured breakout sessions for nonprofit staff to learn about hands-on strategies to implement in order to ensure a complete and accurate count for the Lehigh Valley.

The program began with a panel discussion featuring Susan Wild, U.S. Representative (PA -7th District); Norman Bristol Colón, executive director, Governor’s Census 2020 Complete Count Commission; Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development; Rajika Reed, Ph.D., Senior Network Director of Epidemiology & Strategy, St. Luke’s University Health Network; and Bernie Story, CEO & President, Lehigh Valley Community Foundation.

Three breakout sessions followed they include the following:

Erin A. Yasenchak, Partnership Specialist, U.S. Census Bureau, Census 101 focused on the basics of the census including the impact, at-risk areas, and more.

The Hard-to-Count Communities & Interventions That Work session was designed for those who are interested in learning specific strategies on how to successfully engage with hard-to-count communities. The panelists included Pas Simpson, Promise Neighborhoods Lehigh Valley; Antoinette Cavaliere, ProJeCt of Easton; and Victoria Montero, Hispanic Center Lehigh Valley.

Kevin Greene, Chief Operating Officer, FACES International, presented Communication Strategies for Census Outreach, which was a discussion about the current communications campaign for community outreach for the 2020 census and how nonprofits can plug into the outreach efforts.

See all the photos on LVCF’s Flickr page at: Health Equity Summit: Census 2020

You can download the slide decks from the presentations below:

Pennsylvania Talking Points | Census 2020 | Click for PDF