Update from the Executive Director
Happy March Everyone!
Match Campaign: Big news from the Homer Foundation. We have an amazing generous donor who has provided an anonymous match of $25,000 for operating funds for the Homer Foundation. That means you can be part of this great gift. Between now and June 30, 2020 for every dollar donated to the Homer Foundation Opportunity Fund, our donor will match up to $25,000. Your donations to the Opportunity Fund allow the Foundation to direct money to where the need is greatest. Let’s have a great match campaign and help us meet this challenge! You can pitch in right now by clicking here.
City of Homer Grants: A committee of Homer Foundation Board members and community members is considering 13 City Of Homer Grant applications. The City Grants Program is the foundation’s way of helping the city council sort through local needs, and of course helping the non-profits, who rely on these funds not only to fund ongoing operations, but to use as local matching dollars to attract more funds from other foundations, state and federal governments. Funds for these grants come from the City of Homer and City of Kachemak field of interest funds and from the City of Homer budget. Awards should be announced in April.
Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) Grants: Application season for these youth centric grants are still open. If you’re interested applications are due 4:00pm March 11, 2020. For more information, go here.
Scholarships: We are still accepting scholarship applications through 4:00 pm April 9, 2020. For more information or the application, go here.
Sincerely,
Mike
Nonprofit Fundraising Workshops
The Homer Foundation is sponsoring two workshops for our area non-profits presented by Ken Miller, CFRE (Certified Fund Raising Executive) with Denali Fundraising Consultants. These workshops are happening on Wednesday, April 8th, 2020.
First Workshop:
Fundraising 101 Best Practices- 8:15 am- 12 noon
Topics covered include fundraising calendars, annual campaigns, digital and online fundraising, Pick.Click.Give., direct mail campaigns, effective event marketing & promotion and making the in-person “ask” to major donors.
Second Workshop:
Digital/Online & Social Media for Fundraising Success- 1:15-4:40 pm
Topics covered include websites, Facebook, Google, email marketing and promotion, and much more to increase your online, end of year and Pick.Click.Give donations. We will also look at how to effectively promote and market your events both offline and online.
$15 for one workshop, $25 for both
Lunch is provided if you are attending all day.
Workshops will be held at the Kachemak Bay Campus of KPC. Room is determined by size of group and you will be notified before the event where it will be held. Follow the signs posted on campus day of event.
Purchase tickets here.
Community Grants So Far This Year…
Homer OPUS: Nest Egg Campaign. This is the first multi-year grant from the Homer Foundation! OPUS is looking to expanding their impact on the community with their youth string orchestra programs and hiring a full-time educator. With the support of the Homer Foundation, this group has raised over $180,000 in their campaign and we are proud to be among their supporters.
Homer Animal Friends: Spay and Neuter Support. This grant supported the year-long efforts of Homer Animal Friends and Alaska Mindful Paws, the local animal shelter, to spay and neuter 425 animals with a total cost of $43,942. This project improves over population in our area and continues to see fewer unwanted or abandoned pets surrendered to the shelter.
Paul Banks Elementary: Library Upgrades. Our local elementary school, Paul Banks, has received a grant to do necessary library upgrades. The library was able to purchase a new, bigger reading rug, create a reading corner, and purchase hundreds of fiction and non-fiction books.
How you can help…
One of the easiest ways to support the Foundation is through the Pick.Click.Give campaign and your PFD through March 31st. We receive contributions from dozens of Alaskans for more than $7,000 each year. Join these like-minded individuals and give back to the Homer Foundation. All donations through this program go towards our Opportunity Fund unless we are contacted by a donor. The Opportunity Fund, formally the Unrestricted Fund, allows the Homer Foundation the greatest flexibility to meet our changing community needs and put the money where it is needed the most. PFD Applications are due by March 31st, make your pledges today!
Other options to help the Homer Foundation
- Make a donation today!
- Commit to making that a monthly donation
- Increase your annual gift
- Donate as a business partner
- Talk to your family about naming the Homer Foundation as a beneficiary through revocable planned giving.
- Ask your employer to become a business partner.
- Talk to your friends about why you give and encourage them to do the same
Fund Highlight Friday
Introducing a fun new series on our Social Media Pages, Fund Highlight Friday. This is a way for us to shine a light on just one fund at a time, sharing when or how the fund started, its impact, or some of the projects associated with the fund. We know we have many funds and want to keep our community informed on all of their giving options. We do have at least weekly updates on the Foundation, be sure to stay informed by liking us on Facebook, or following us on Instagram
Have you considered your Legacy?
When is the right time for a legacy gift?
To our donors and partners, we would like to thank you for your ongoing support of the Homer Foundation. Donors like you allow us to support nonprofits and provide scholarships in our community. With your help, in 2019 we distributed over $187,000 in the Homer area in 68 grants and 24 scholarships. The hungry were fed, deserving young people went on to higher education, the environment was protected and the arts flourished. Your generous gifts made that possible. Thank you.
You can protect the gifts you made in your life with a bequest gift to the Homer Foundation. When do most people plan a legacy gift? Anytime. A marriage, a graduation, a milestone birthday can all be the event that says “it’s time to make a plan.” Just make a note that the next time you review your estate plans you’ll consider doing what many others have done and join our Legacy Society by making a bequest gift to the Homer Foundation in your estate plan. A bequest gift is an expression of you and your life. It’s about protecting what you care about. It is about giving back to our local communities. It’s a way to payback for all we have received from this beautiful place we get to call home. It is a forever gift. It’s your legacy.
A legacy gift can be narrowly focused to support a specific nonprofit or broad to support a cause you care about like youth, fighting hunger or the arts. You can even start your own family fund.
Leaving a bequest gift to your community is easier than you may think. If you’re interested in learning more about the ways to start your legacy, contact the Homer Foundation and we can provide you with the appropriate language to add to your estate documents. You can also connect with us here or call us at the office at 907.235.0541.