It’s mission to empower communities through various educational opportunities spanning a diverse range of fields—from art, culture, entertainment, health, wellness, and technology—recently found further support via a grant from the Cultivating Inland Empire Latino Opportunity (CIELO) Fund at IECF.

Inland Empire Community Foundation distributed the grant, which CCC Executive Director Tizoc DeAztlan said greatly helped support the non-profit organization’s annual Mobius Conference, which ran April 15-16. 

“We were able to bring together more than 500 students and six different programs throughout the Coachella Valley over several days,” DeAztlan said. “The grant helped us find resources to facilitate that conference.

“These are definitely challenging times and there’s just a lot of pressure on our youth, families, and community and these groups deserve opportunities and access to resources,” he added. 

The Mobius Conference is yet another draw during Coachella Valley’s active festival season. The annual gathering unites gifted thought leaders, artists, performers, and pacesetters to spark inspiration and opportunity.  

DeAztlan noted the broad range of ability and influence in the desert and that something like Mobius is important for people to gather thoughts and connect in a productive way. 

“We have really talented and helpful students in the Coachella Valley,” he said. “They have diverse interests. Thanks to the grant, we were able to deliver pertinent and productive programming that was free to the students. It brought them together and allowed them to really imagine and scratch a little bit of that intellectual curiosity.” 

The conference took place across several sites throughout the Valley, utilizing varied engagement formats. A select group of talented leaders, educators, students, and activists worked together, holding space for attendees. 

A diverse mix of programs were offered.  

Mentorship Sessions, for instance, featured top speakers (Dr. Bettina Love/Columbia University, Chi Chi Adenihun/ Youth Mentoring Action Network) while The Thought Collective found change agents like artist/producer Asad Ali Jafri (Kaleidoscope Dreams Foundation) and singer/songwriter/pianist Leila Milki offering valuable insights. 

Soul Session, Justice Session, Health Session, and Hospitality Happy Hour also tapped into important topics while focusing on engagement. 

“Hopefully, we’ve motivated people in their studies and in their future career paths,” DeAztlan said. “More than anything, we wanted to bring in quality, thoughtful, and community-centered folks. We’re happy when we hear students asking important and powerful questions and watch them interact with different people throughout the country.” 

Students from all three local school districts, as well as those from College of the Desert, and beyond, attended. 

DeAztlan added that the recent conference only fuels CCC’s efforts to keep growing.  

Since its inception, the organization has worked diligently to provide free educational programming for students and the community. Generating inclusive, thoughtful, multicultural, and community-driven coding practices for the future will always be key.  

But DeAztlan also wants to make a mark. 

“When we have something like the Coachella Music Festival making this area the media center of the world for two weekends, everybody wants to be here,” he said. “But the reality is, there are rural areas that are underserved and don’t have access to cultural institutions or certain programming. We’re able to provide that for students over these couple of days. That’s important.” 

To that end, making connections is a major throughline in CCC’s efforts. 

“That connection, that engagement with students is critical, especially right now because there’s a lot of heaviness,” he said. “A lot of folks might be feeling a little helpless. They may not know how to channel their passion. Codex committees are composed of individuals that want to channel that energy and focus it on our students here, making sure they have access to opportunities.” 

This story will appear in the Desert Sun, May, 2026.

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Resources from IECF will help Soulful Soil Farms continue its efforts building gardens, cultivating farms, and uniting communities via teaching sustainable agriculture and land stewardship.

“The grant is allowing us to acquire essentials we need for the program, such as farm tools and trainings for myself and board members,” said Tina Marie Davis, founder and CEO of Soulful Soil Farms. “It’s been uplifting and allows us to grow even more.”

That bodes well for the intrepid nonprofit, which employs hands-on education and partnerships with key stakeholders to increase access to fresh food and promote overall wellness. Davis says the nonprofit likes to equip people with the tools to grow, regardless of the size of their space.

Several programs like S.A.G.E (Sustainable Agriculture and Garden Education) lean into inclusivity, particularly with youth. S.A.G.E teaches youth and other community members how to not only grow food, but to understand food systems.

To that end, participants learn everything from soil health and composting to water conservation and small-space gardening.

Davis said the program is ideal for partnerships, too, and can be brought to most sites, offering hands-on garden education. Soulful Soil Farms will install and set up a garden, customize educational programming, offer ongoing training and support, and align curriculum with sustainability and wellness.

Meanwhile, the nonprofit’s community gardens are safe spaces and allow individuals and families to grow their own fresh food and, in turn, build deeper connections.

Youth workshops and other curriculum-based classes are also offered.

It all began at home, however.

“I grew up on a farm in the city of Compton,” Davis said. “There were chickens, goats, horses—everything but cows.”

Most of her childhood was spent there, in fact, turning soil, planting seeds, and learning through trial and growth.

As an adult, Davis went into the medical industry, specifically medical care, but soon learned it “wasn’t my lane.”

“The first time a patient that I cared for passed away, I just couldn’t do it past that,” she said. “I transitioned to pharmacy work and acquired a farm tech license. I quickly learned that with Western medicine, their focus is on money, not the cure. After a couple of years in pharmacy, I got out of it because it just didn’t align with my spirit.”

Administration and claims work followed, and she eventually worked her way up to Director of Claims. But something shifted when her own ailments increased.

“I have high blood pressure, and cancer runs on my dad’s side of the family,” she said. “I’ve lost some family members to cancer. Suddenly, I realized, ‘Well, I’m in healthcare, but I’m not in healthcare.’

Davis felt drawn back to where it all began—growing up on a farm and being on the land.

“It was a full circle moment for me,” she said.

She went down the “rabbit hole” of healthy food choices, particularly juicing, and doing everything she could for herself to offset the high blood pressure and Lupus, which she had been diagnosed with in 2010.

“They [the medical industry] throw pills at you, and as long as the benefits outweigh the side effects, it’s approved for the population,” she said. “But those pills made me way sicker than just my regular ailments.

“At some point I just thought: why not grow my own food?” she added.

It was only a matter of time before Soulful Soil Farms launched.

“I’m very much about entrepreneurship and being self-sustaining,” Davis said. “So, as I learn, I teach, and I feel like the younger generation—the younger I can get to them, the better—I can really help cultivate the next generation of farmers.

“That’s one of our big goals,” she added. “Farm, feed, teach, repeat.”


This story originally appeared in the Press Enterprise, May, 2026.

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The IECF will provide NORA (Nurture, Outreach, Resiliency, and Advocacy) with the needed financial leverage to strengthen one of its key programs.

“We are so incredibly grateful to be receiving this grant, which will be used for our T.E.A.L Healing Program,” said Adriane Lamar Snider, CEO of NORA. “We know that these are extremely difficult times for families experiencing the stressors of life and just trying to navigate some of the issues that are going on, specifically when there’s an issue of domestic violence, sexual assault or child abuse.”

The T.E.A.L Healing Program provides psychoeducation, trauma processing, and encourages self-sufficiency for women and children survivors of domestic violence through their journey of healing. The hybrid program consists of a variety of virtual sessions and in-person group sessions.

“Each letter represents a part of the program,” Lamar Snider added, noting that the T represents transformation, E empowerment, A autonomy, and L for learning.

“The grant allows us to specifically focus on assisting families in building their empowerment as a family unit,” she added. “When there are issues of domestic violence and sexual assault, we can provide the support services families need to just understand these issues and also that what happened is not their fault. Mental health services help healthy families regain their voice, focus on one another, and help strengthen one another.”

The program does that through support group activities, which cover a broad range of actions, but can include everything from creating vision boards to planning meals together.

“In that way, families and individuals are able to talk about the healing and the support they need,” Lamar Snider said. “They have a space to do that within the family unit and that is so critical.”

NORA’s philosophy centers on the belief that every individual has the right to control their own body and life, and, most importantly, to live free from violence and fear.

Crisis Intervention programs also filter into the mix of the nonprofit’s services. Associates are available 24/7 on a crisis hotline to provide survivors immediate and “culturally responsive” emotional support and access to resources. Law enforcement advocacy and court accompaniment is also offered.

That latter is of great assistance for those needing support during court proceedings related to their assault cases, such as obtaining a restraining order or prosecuting the assailant. In that way, the survivor is able to choose to have a NORA advocate at their side.

Yet another NORA standout is the Prevention Portal on its website. Noting that prevention education was often offered in just schools, NORA tweaked its model to accommodate youths and parent schedules, mainly through a virtual platform designed to empower families to explore difficult topics in a safe setting.

The portal offers a broad mix education and supporting materials, many of which are designed to provided accessible education to the whole family unit.

Lamar Snider has been with the organization for eight years.

“We’ve expanded our mission since I came on board,” she said. “We were only able to sustain those individuals who were victims and survivors of sexual assault. I knew that we had to meet the need because there was so much overlap with domestic violence and sexual assault and child abuse. We were able to get all of our team members trained in responding to domestic violence and child abuse.” The nonprofit was also able to expand its mission through strategic planning.

“When I came on board the organization had not had a strategic plan in more than 15 years,” Lamar Snider said. “I knew we had to come up with a plan on how we would be able to sustain ourselves as an organization and raise awareness about what was happening in our own communities.”

One of the things the organization started doing was collect data.

“Data is so important,” Lamar Snider added. “We wanted to know where the calls coming from? What cities were trending up in in issues of domestic violence and sexual assault? And where could we apply more resources to address those issues of child abuse and sexual assault and domestic violence? This helped us in terms of how effective we could be.”

This story originally appeared in the Press Enterprise, April, 2026.

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A recent grant from Inland Empire Community Foundation helped on that front, allowing Brothers of the Desert to better facilitate a recent wellness summit.

“We put huge amounts of effort into our annual wellness summit where we invite community members and allies to discuss everything from education and financial literacy to health, wellbeing, and spirituality,” said Tony Lanier, a board member at Brothers of the Desert.

“The grant helped us build out that annual wellness summit,” he added. “Specifically with an educational piece of the work we do, like funding several organizations within the desert with scholarships.”

Brothers of the Desert has several key scholarships, in fact. Lanier says the nonprofit offers $2,000 grants, for instance, for individuals pursuing a four-year or Master’s program.

“These are for individuals from the Inland Empire, but we also provide funds to the organizations like the Negro Academic Scholarship Fund and Palm Springs Unified School District,” Lanier added. “Each year, students are chosen throughout Palm Springs to visit historic Black colleges and universities. We help fund those trips because many of them accepted otherwise wouldn’t really be able to go.”

The organization, which sprouted in 2017 as a response to Black gay men in the Coachella Valley feeling isolated and disconnected, attracted newcomers and change agents in the region. Founding members began assessing the needs and dreams of many Black gay residents and in 2019, a partnership was formed with the LGBTQ nonprofit, Better Brothers of L.A. Collectively, the groups raised money for local scholarships.

Brothers of the Desert became a nonprofit in 2020 and has since generated more than $20,000 in scholarships to LGBTQ+ and Black students in the Coachella Valley.

The nonprofit’s supportive arms stretch deep into other arenas, too, such as faith schools, the Harvey Milk Diversity Breakfast 2026, which it attends yearly, and OneFuture Coachella, which strives to ensure students succeed in college and career, thereby enhancing the local workforce.

“We’re big into that because one of the issues we have in our community in terms of building wealth and education is that oftentimes young people don’t know what’s available to them in terms of professions,” Lanier said. “When we think of the medical profession, two things come to mind: doctor and nurse. But there’s so many other things within the medical profession, especially research. We don’t have the right number of people of color within health research.”

That means when new research is done, it oftentimes excludes communities of color.

“We certainly need more people to be involved in health research,” Lanier added. “Our program helps connect these individuals with information while they’re still in secondary schools, because after that, sometimes it’s just more challenging.”

Introducing students to as many options as possible is vital, which is why Lanier is quick to circle back to the nonprofit’s scholarship programs.

“We’ve been using the funds in a big way to make systemic change in terms of building wealth, because of the wealth disparities here,” he said. “Many younger adults haven’t had a leg up, or the advocacy to really help them through attending a university.

“So, we like to be in touch with our grantees to let them know there are other options for them, as opposed to taking a break or pausing their schooling. It helps with making better judgment calls,” he added.

Moving forward, Lanier would like locals to learn even more about the nonprofit.

“There was a void in the Coachella Valley for Black gay men,” he said. “And we like to fill that void. Isolation is the No. 1 issue. I joined the organization during the pandemic, which was another period of isolation, and it was isolation that started the organization, and it’s the reason why it’s important going forward in 2026, because right now, things are very tough for everyone.”

One thing he wants to steer locals toward are the nonprofit’s sponsored monthly sessions with Black men called The Barbershop, a discussion group where men can bring up and discuss various topics.

“Sometimes, we don’t talk about the important things enough,” Lanier said. “We don’t express feelings and we don’t feel that there is a venue where we can do that safely. We’ve created one and it really does help people make better decisions, whether it’s health-related or about wealth or retirement. It’s important to feel empowered.”

This story originally appeared in the Desert Sun, April, 2026.

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The post Grantee Spotlight: Grant strengthens key benefits of Brothers of the Desert appeared first on IECF.

The 501(c)(3) organization began by offering the first free humane education program and low-cost spay and neuter clinic to the region, with a goal of eliminating the suffering and abuse of homeless and unwanted animals.

That quest continues today, but amidst greater challenges—from animal overcrowding to power access for new projects.

“Affordable spay and neutering is important here with so much overpopulation and overcrowding in shelters, not just locally, but across the country and state,” said Tom Snyder, Executive Director of Animal Samaritans. “We have a rescue program with a full-time employee who works at the public shelter next door to us, the largest in our community, and they’re constantly overcrowded.

“All their satellite shelters throughout Riverside County are constantly overcrowded,” he added. “It’s a real issue.”

A recent grant via the Albert and Anna Herdina Memorial Fund through the Inland Empire Community Foundation helps significantly, especially for low-income individuals with animals in need of veterinary care.

“The Herdina Fund has been critical to Animal Samaritans, specifically in our mission to provide affordable span neuter services to pet owners,” Snyder said. “Often, it’s senior pet owners or lower-income pet owners who want to spay or neuter their pets. They want to do the right thing, stem the tide of overpopulation, and keep the numbers in public shelters down because of overpopulation.”

Snyder also stressed that spaying and neutering pets is “at the top of the list in terms of being a responsible pet owner.”

With March—“kitten season”—upon us, he’s quick to point out that one cat can give birth to three litters here in the Coachella Valley just because of the climate.

Elsewhere, Animal Samaritans’ capital campaign is key to future success.

“We’re moving forward with our campaign project to build a new, better, and larger pet adoption center and a humane education center here on our campus,” Snyder said. “It’s been in the news a little bit and there are challenges with the Imperial Irrigation District and their freeze on providing power to various projects.”

The organization got hit with that news last year and has been working to fast-track it so it can move forward with plans.

“The new pet adoption center will be a larger safety net for the animals and our Valley,” Snyder said. “It will help relieve overcrowding at the public shelter, and that will result in a lower euthanasia rate and higher outcomes.

“We hope that some of our partners in the community can help leverage and help us get the power we need for this new project,” he added.

The challenges appear to have sprung after the Acrisure Arena was built off 1-10 in Palm Desert.

“The word is that that project took up a lot of the power grid,” Snyder said. “What I hear is, ‘Oh, you know, the Imperial Irrigation District doesn’t have any additional power to give to projects currently in part, because that was a very big project.’”

Other reports note that some power can be made available.

“Some people say we may have to wait until these new power substations get built,” Snyder said. “But according to local news reports, that’s supposed to happen this year, around the summer, and finish up in summer 2028. We still have no certainty of when things will start and when they’ll finish.”

Regardless, Snyder and the Animal Samaritans team remain committed to their cause.

“What I love most about being here is just knowing that the organization is making a difference in the lives of animals and people,” he said. “It goes with our mission statement—improving the lives of animals and people—and it’s true. Every day, I get to see all the people doing the work, and I try to make sure my team can do the work they are good at and that they love doing.”

This story originally appeared in the Desert Sun, April, 2026.

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Scott Wolf, the nonprofit’s Development Director, said CVRM greatly appreciates the impact of the fund and how the grant will filter into the mix of the many services and initiatives it provides.

“We are extremely grateful for the support,” Wolf said. “We are an organization that serves thousands and thousands of people who are unhoused or in danger of being unhoused, or at-risk and food-insecure. People come to us from all walks of life—everything from abuse, neglect, human trafficking, addiction, mental health issues, and more.

“This year we’re celebrating our 55th anniversary, and we can’t do what we do without everybody in the community supporting us,” he added.

To be sure. CVRM has long been providing vital resources in the region.

Launched in 1971 after a rise in individuals experiencing homelessness in the region, faith and business leaders joined forces. With support from Union Rescue Mission of Los Angeles, they purchased property in what was then known as the Carver Tract, an unincorporated community in Riverside County.

That 1940s-era meeting hall soon transformed into a soup kitchen, then a men’s shelter. The mid-1980s saw a rise in homeless women and families, which led the faith-based nonprofit to purchase and revamp a nightclub next door, creating a safer shelter for mothers and children.

That expansion included a new kitchen, dining room, walk-in cold storage, and a second-story addition for administrative and program space.

CVRM successfully facilitates recovery and self-sufficiency for individuals by offering food, shelter, basic needs, and various forms of emotional support and encouragement.

To celebrate its 55th-year milestone, the nonprofit is hosting an anniversary gala at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, March 19, in the Cahuilla Ballroom at Agua Caliente Resort and Casino Rancho Mirage.

Brad Kinney is the master of ceremonies for the event, which begins with hors d’oeuvres and cocktails before dining, program entertainment, and dancing kick in. (Visit CVRM’s website for more details.)

“The rescue mission is about two words: recovery and hope,” Wolf said. “It gives all of our clients’ time to rebuild spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. We’re here to help them help themselves, mostly by enabling them to acquire all the skills and tools necessary for success when they transition back into independent living.

“So many of our clients come when they’re at rock bottom,” he added. “We see them at their worst, but we give them a chance. We give them a venue or an environment that’s safe. We treat everybody with dignity, compassion, grace, and faith. It’s an opportunity to totally rebuild their lives from the ground up.”

Street outreach and a program called Rapid Housing also come into play. The latter assists the homeless community in the region and the surrounding area by providing housing intervention and other supportive services.

Daily meal services are factored in. CVRM serves more than 30,000 meals each month—beginning with two daily hot meals for the public, three for residents. Volunteers are encouraged to reach out.

For Wolf, this work is deeply personal. He’s worked with the organization for more than 10 years, but it is what happened long before that which influences the impact he and his team make today.

“I came to the Coachella Valley Rescue Mission as a client,” he said. “A lot of people don’t know that. This place literally saved my life. I just happened to be lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time. And I got a part-time job here right after I graduated. Then I worked my way up and through the organization. Now, I’m at the director level.

“A lot of people don’t realize that so many people need help,” he added. “Nobody’s more different than anybody else. We’re all the same. We’re all experiencing trauma. We’re all experiencing a really, really bad time in our lives.”

To that end, CVRM strives to take care of people’s varied needs.

“We just have people here that care enough to ask those in need to be here,” Wolf added. “And that changes everything. The most rewarding thing about my job is having the ability to be part of a team that allows me to do for all the people that came after me… the same thing that people did for me. I’m a part of that process. And it just keeps going and going and going.”

This story originally appeared in the Desert Sun, March, 2026.

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For some people, philanthropy means supporting a favorite nonprofit year after year. For others, it means volunteering time, responding to urgent needs, or thinking carefully about how to create lasting change. However it shows up, philanthropy is not one-size-fits-all. It’s as unique as the people behind it.

That’s where IECF comes in.

At IECF, we believe that everyone has a philanthropic instinct—it just looks different from person to person. Our role is to help you discover, shape, and act on that instinct in a way that reflects your values, your experiences, and your goals. Whether you already have a clear vision or are just beginning to explore what matters most, we’re here to help you connect the dots.

But how, exactly, does this work? What does it look like in real life to get started with IECF?

Often, the starting point is simply a conversation. Here’s what you can expect during your first meeting with a member of the IECF team.

We’ll review your favorite charities.

Together, we’ll take a look at a list of the charities you already support and review each organization to uncover the reasons you love and support each one. This is a crucial starting point because IECF is here to help you make the most of what you are already doing, and then build on that to discover how you can get even more involved.

We’ll chat about your story.

We enjoy hearing from our donors about the experiences that have shaped their lives. As we begin this part of our conversation, we’ll explore questions that help unlock where your charitable passions may lie and why. What challenges have you or your loved ones faced? What opportunities made a difference for you? Often, the causes we care about most are connected to our own journeys. Reflecting on these moments can help clarify where you feel most motivated to give.

We’ll talk about what’s going on in our community.

Which local issues capture your attention or spark a strong emotional response? It might be something you read in the news, a local initiative you hear about, or a cause a friend supports. These moments are often clues pointing toward what matters most to you. IECF can help provide context for these issues and share information about which organizations are directly addressing the local challenges that top your list.  

We’ll connect with your advisors about structure.

As your charitable purposes come into focus, we would welcome the opportunity to join you for a meeting with your estate planning and tax advisors, or even provide articles you can share with your advisors about charitable giving structures that might help you achieve your goals. Whether your charitable goals are best served via a donor-advised fund, unrestricted fund, legacy gift, IRA beneficiary designation, or anything in between, IECF can help implement your charitable intentions in ways that your advisors recommend are best aligned with the rest of your financial plan. 

As we take these steps together, remember that you don’t have to have all the answers right away. Philanthropy is a journey, not a destination. It’s okay to start small, to ask questions, and to adjust your approach along the way. Whether you’re ready to establish a fund, looking to deepen your involvement, or simply beginning to think about how you want to give back, IECF is here to help. Together, we can turn your love of humanity into meaningful, lasting impact—right here in the community we share.

Please reach out to our Charitable Giving Team anytime. Stay up to date on all the good work we’re doing through the power of philanthropy – sign up for our eNewsletter, Philanthropy Matters, today.

The team at the community foundation is honored to serve as a resource and sounding board as you build your charitable plans and pursue your philanthropic objectives for making a difference in the community. This newsletter is provided for informational purposes only. It is not intended as legal, accounting, or financial planning advice. Please consult your tax or legal advisor to learn how this information might apply to your own situation.

The post Step by step, it starts with “love of humanity” appeared first on IECF.

That’s where IECF comes in. No matter where you are on your charitable journey—just getting started, giving consistently, or thinking about long-term legacy—we’re here to help you shape a plan that fits.

Consider a few examples that may feel familiar.

Here, there, and everywhere

Some donors find themselves giving generously but without a clear structure. They support a wide range of causes, say “yes” when needs arise, and genuinely want to make a difference, but may not have a coordinated approach. If that sounds like you, a fund at IECF can help bring everything together. Many donors use a donor-advised fund to organize their giving in one place, making it easier to support favorite organizations while also stepping back to think more strategically about long-term impact. Over time, some donors expand their approach to include additional tools, such as field-of-interest funds or legacy plans, creating a more intentional and lasting charitable “portfolio.”

Results matter

Other donors are highly motivated to give but want to be sure their contributions are making a real difference. If you’ve ever paused before making a gift because you weren’t certain how funds would be used—or wondered how to identify the most effective organizations—you’re not alone. IECF can serve as a trusted partner in these moments, helping you evaluate opportunities, understand community needs, and connect with organizations that are delivering meaningful results. For many donors, this added layer of insight turns hesitation into confidence and leads to deeper engagement over time.

Starting small

Some donors feel strongly about giving but worry that their financial situation limits what they can do. They may already be supporting causes they care about, even in small ways, but assume that more structured or impactful philanthropy is out of reach. In reality, many donors begin with modest contributions and build from there. Establishing a fund at IECF—even with a relatively small initial gift—can provide a simple, organized way to give. And if you are thinking about the future, incorporating a legacy gift into a will, trust, or beneficiary designation can create a lasting impact without affecting current finances.

Already rolling!

Of course, many donors are already deeply engaged. You may be actively involved with nonprofits, serving on boards, or exploring more sophisticated ways to align your charitable giving with your financial and estate plans. In these cases, IECF can help you expand your impact even further—whether through gifts of appreciated assets, multi-generational giving strategies, or long-term endowment planning that supports the community for years to come.

The common thread across all of these examples is that there’s no single starting point—and no single destination. Charitable giving evolves over time, often alongside changes in your life, your family, and your priorities. What matters most is having the flexibility and support to adapt your approach as those changes occur.

That’s exactly what IECF is designed to provide. Whether you’re organizing your giving, exploring new opportunities, or planning for the future, our team is here to help you make the most of your philanthropy in a way that reflects your values and goals.

We’re honored to work with donors at every stage of the journey—and we look forward to continuing the conversation.

Please reach out to our Charitable Giving Team anytime. Stay up to date on all the good work we’re doing through the power of philanthropy – sign up for our eNewsletter, Philanthropy Matters, today.

The team at the community foundation is honored to serve as a resource and sounding board as you build your charitable plans and pursue your philanthropic objectives for making a difference in the community. This newsletter is provided for informational purposes only. It is not intended as legal, accounting, or financial planning advice. Please consult your tax or legal advisor to learn how this information might apply to your own situation.

The post What type of donor are you—scattered, results-focused, or deep into it already? appeared first on IECF.

than ever.

Here are three interesting emerging themes:

They don’t need it—or want it.

Sometimes it makes good financial sense for heirs to disclaim inheritances from their parents. This Wall Street Journal article (subscription required) is instructive, noting that heirs can sometimes benefit from refusing an inheritance, allowing assets—especially tax-heavy ones like traditional IRAs—to pass to contingent beneficiaries in a more tax-efficient way. Legal disclaimers provide post-death flexibility for families to adjust estate plans in response to current circumstances, though they must be executed carefully to comply with strict rules.

Strategic giving leads to local giving.

High net worth donors are becoming more intentional and strategic in their charitable giving, focusing on outcomes, alignment with personal values, and long-term impact rather than making purely reactive or broad-based donations. Alongside these changes is a growing preference for supporting local organizations, as donors increasingly want to see the direct effects of their contributions within their own communities.

Hands-on local involvement and proactive planning go hand in hand.

Donors using donor-advised funds are particularly locally focused, as evidenced by volunteering statistics. These donors are significantly more likely to volunteer their time—especially within their own communities—demonstrating deeper, hands-on engagement with the organizations they support. This combination of higher volunteerism and frequent giving suggests that donor-advised fund donors are not only more active philanthropically but also more personally connected to local causes and community impact.

To learn how these trends might apply to your situation, please reach out to IECF! Our team is happy to work with you and your advisors to structure a charitable giving plan—including a donor-advised fund, cause-specific fund, legacy fund, and more—that meets your overall financial and estate planning goals while also ensuring that your wealth can help improve the quality of life in our region for years to come. 

Please reach out to our Charitable Giving Team anytime. Stay up to date on all the good work we’re doing through the power of philanthropy – sign up for our eNewsletter, Philanthropy Matters, today.

The team at the community foundation is honored to serve as a resource and sounding board as you build your charitable plans and pursue your philanthropic objectives for making a difference in the community. This newsletter is provided for informational purposes only. It is not intended as legal, accounting, or financial planning advice. Please consult your tax or legal advisor to learn how this information might apply to your own situation.

The post Rethinking legacy: Balancing gifts to heirs with the community’s future appeared first on IECF.

dozens of articles and evaluating how the changes will impact your clients, many of your clients are just now learning about the changes, especially as issues came to the forefront for them during tax season. Even if you’ve been talking with clients about the changes for months, don’t stop. For many clients, now is the first time they’ll really be listening.

Here are three things to know:

—Mainstream media is picking up the pace in its coverage of charitable planning techniques. For example, the Wall Street Journal recently published an article about donor-advised funds as a tool for tax savings and community impact. Many clients may not realize that IECF offers donor-advised funds, along with other options for structuring a charitable giving plan to support their favorite causes and address critical community issues. Be sure to reach out to IECF whenever a client asks you about setting up a donor-advised fund. 

—Thoughtful planning is especially important in light of the new floor on itemized charitable deductions. Starting in 2026, to be eligible for a deduction, a client’s qualified deductions must exceed 0.5% of adjusted gross income, essentially raising the threshold at which charitable giving produces a tax benefit. This could make it advantageous for some of your clients to “bunch” charitable contributions through a donor-advised fund, allowing the client to front-load donations into a single tax year to cross the threshold. 

—At the same time, under a “cap” provision in the new law, if a client is in the 37% federal income tax bracket, itemized charitable deductions are now capped at the 35% tax rate. In simplified terms, depending on other factors, this means that if a client donates $10,000, the tax break would be $3,500 instead of $3,700. In short, the floor and the cap add extra complexity to helping clients plan their charitable contributions. 

—The new tax laws have changed the landscape for not only your clients who itemize deductions but also for those who do not itemize. Non-itemizers are now eligible for an “above the line” deduction of $1,000 for single filers and $2,000 for joint filers. Be aware, however, that the new deduction for non-itemizers does not apply to noncash gifts or gifts to donor-advised funds. Because both noncash gifts and gifts to donor-advised funds are important tax planning tools for many clients, this limitation is worth noting in your discussions. 

—Finally, remember that donating appreciated stock held for more than one year is usually more tax-efficient than writing a check. That’s because it allows your client to avoid capital gains tax on the appreciation. What’s more, clients who itemize deductions will be eligible to claim a tax deduction for the full fair market value. 

Please reach out to IECF anytime. We know the new tax laws add a lot to your plate, and we are always happy to point you in the right direction as you conduct research and offer counsel to your clients. And remember, you don’t have to jump headfirst into the complexity during your client discussions. Even talking about philanthropy in the simplest terms can help strengthen your client relationships and grow your practice.

Please reach out to our Charitable Giving Team anytime. Stay up to date on all the good work we’re doing through the power of philanthropy – sign up for our eNewsletter, Philanthropy Matters, today.

The team at IECF is honored to serve as a resource and sounding board as you help your clients build their charitable plans and pursue their philanthropic objectives for making a difference in the community. This newsletter is provided for informational purposes only. It is not intended as legal, accounting, or financial planning advice. Please consult your tax or legal advisor to learn how this information might apply to your own situation.

The post Wake up call: OBBA changes and client conversations appeared first on IECF.