From the desk of the president – October

Finally FALL is here, bringing gorgeous foliage, farm harvest, and football! We are busy interviewing the impressive Lilly Scholarship finalists – four from Mooresville High, two from Martinsville High, one from Monrovia High, and one from Tabernacle Christian. We are also attending galas in support of our not-for-profits – Churches in Mission, Desert Rose and the upcoming Stability First and Martinsville Youth Development Center.

In addition, I have been on a speaking tour with various community groups. Fitting for the season, I spoke to a group of farmers earlier this month at the Morgan County Farm Bureau, Inc. meeting and introduced the option of grain gifts. For farm operators, gifting grain directly rather than selling the grain and making a gift from the proceeds may provide a more significant tax savings. Contributing grain allows you to avoid the sale of the commodity as income, while the production costs may still be deductible. Reducing taxable income may provide advantages such as minimizing or eliminating self-employment tax and reducing adjusted gross income.

Spreading the word on these creative ways to donate is an ongoing effort to grow our endowment. So how does the endowment work? Growing the endowment benefits everyone from fund holders to grantees since a larger balance typically yields higher returns. Since the principal is held in perpetuity (forever), the earnings from the invested assets are expended and enjoyed per the donor’s specifications and by our not-for-profits and schools through our grants. The greater the principal and greater the earnings. In terms of where the grant dollars go, we survey the push and pull of community interests to make use of these assets. Certainly, as the endowment grows, the earnings and disbursements grow, allowing CFMC to address more community needs through our grants.

Thanks to Lilly Endowment’s Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow (GIFT) initiative, CFMC has been awarded the opportunity to support real solutions for real problems. Matching funds are available from now until December 31, 2025, or until the matching dollars are matched. They will contribute $1 million dollars to our endowment if we can raise $450,000. It is an incredible opportunity to grow our endowment!

So back to featuring our not-for-profits. The more you know about these organizations, the more you will understand their current capacities, goals, and how we can help. With this knowledge hopefully you will feel the urgency to give, especially during Gift VIII. Trust me, the average citizen does not realize the extent to which these not-for profits are serving those in need. Case in point: Stability First.

I met with Robin Wonnell, Operations Director, at Stability First last week and was blown away at the work they are doing. “We are not just a bed and a sandwich,” explained Robin, and she was not kidding! Prior to my visit, I did think of Stability First narrowly as a women’s shelter, but they are much more. Providing transitional housing and individualized programing, they look wholistically at each resident, addressing mental health, outstanding medical care (often there has been no preventative care), addiction issues, life skills, employment needs, and other barriers to a successful life. Referred by Morgan County Jail, Indiana’s penal system, or detox programs, some have no personal possessions or family connections. Some have children with whom they must earn back their custodial rights. These women must commit to the work required for a better future. If they don’t agree or the task becomes too great, a more suitable facility will be found for them. Stability First’s Magdalene House currently has a waiting list of 22 women eager to join the intensive programing and the safe, productive homey setting of Magdalene House where 16 women share living quarters, a full kitchen with dining space for all at the table, and 4 bedrooms sleeping 4 each. Celli Duggar, Magdalene House Administrator, oversees the daily operation of the house where everyone has daily chores including cooking meals, making beds, and keeping the house in order. Everyone is productive throughout the day with chores, fellowship, outside employment, and, of course, working on Maggie Bags in the 10-machine sewing center located in the same building at the home. (Maggie Bags are marketed and sold at Stability First and at several vendors around the state.) A true testament to the Magdalene House’s success rate is their two full-time and one part-time employees who are former residents. Talk about creating a better tomorrow for these women and our community!

Register to attend the Stability First Gala on November 7th by visiting their website. To help local not-for-profits such as Stability First, triple your donation to CFMC at tripledonation.com. For more information on Grain Gifts, contact me directly.