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Be Well Barton County Update Grant Writing Workshop
IMPACT
Giving Tuesday Results Leaders’ Luncheons
BARTON, PAWNEE, RUSH, STAFFORD Golden Belt Community Foundation Launches New Farmland Giving Program
Golden Belt Community Foundation is excited to announce their new farmland giving program. “Your Land.Your Legacy.” was created to give donors greater flexibility and options when considering a gift of farmland, including the option to request that the foundation keep the land in production to support the donor’s favorite charities or causes.
land would be sold. For many farmers and potential donors, learning that their land would be sold is not what they wanted to hear. “We knew there had to be a better way to work together,” stated Christy Tustin, Golden Belt Community Foundation Executive Director, “and so we started looking at other community foundations and their programs.”
Over the past ten years the Golden Belt Community Foundation has been approached several times about accepting a gift of farmland.
The foundation also sought advice from Robin Fabricius, a local estate planning attorney at Watkins, Calcara, Chtd.
Potential donors always wanted to know one thing – what is the foundation going to do with the land once it is gifted? Until now, foundation policy stated that the
Y our Land. Your Legacy.
Golden Belt’s Farmland Giving Program
“My experience in working with farmers is that they have become very attached to their farm real estate,” said Fabricius. “A lot of farmers also are charitably inclined, although they are not excited about leaving their farm real estate to a charity because of their fear that the charity will immediately liquidate it into cash.” Modeling after similar programs across the country, the foundation Board of Directors voted to establish a farmland giving program. The foundation also recently established GBCF Holdings, LLC to allow the foundation to accept and retain
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ownership of real estate gifts. Gifts to the LLC will be treated as gifts to the foundation, and receive the same tax benefits allowed by current law. These assets will serve to further diversify the foundation’s investment portfolio with the income from the land being used to support the donor’s favorite charities. “I was encouraged when the Foundation came up with an idea that would allow them to own and manage farm real estate so that they can honor the farmers’ wishes,” said Fabricius. “The concept is fairly simple – the foundation would accept, retain, and manage the farm real estate. From the income, property taxes and any other expenses would be paid with the remaining income being used to support one or more charitable organization or cause – whatever was important to the donor,” Tustin said. According to the US Department of Agriculture 2012 Census of Agriculture, there is nearly two million acres of farmland in Barton, Pawnee, Rush, and Stafford counties with the average age of the farm operator being
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Your Land. Your Legacy. cont’d EQUIPMENT
58 to 61 years in the Golden Belt area. By 2020 an estimated $1.2 billion will be transferred from one generation to the next. “This transfer of wealth presents an incredible opportunity – both for potential donors and for charitable organizations,” said Tustin. Over the past several years, farm real estate has appreciated greatly, including farmland in central Kansas. By gifting real estate, farmers and landowners stand to receive a tax deduction for their charitable gift, as allowable by law. Additionally, it is also possible to bypass capital gains taxes and eliminate the possibility of estate taxes. “There are many ways to structure a farmland gift,” Tustin continued, “Including an outright gift during a person’s lifetime, a planned gift through a will or trust, or even by a retained life estate.” Additionally, donors have the option to request that the current tenant continue to farm the land. This flexibility helps maintain those relationships and family legacies that may have been established decades ago.
Barton county
Bicycle & pedestrian master
plan
The Barton County Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan is now complete, creating a cohesive vision that may be used by local government as a tool for planning and development. The plan reflects that connectivity and safety are paramount in fostering an environment that is both traveler and resident friendly. The master plan addresses both short and long term goals. An initial phase, attainable within a five-year period, proposes routes identified by number and associated color. Most of the system uses existing streets, roads, and paths enhanced with identification and wayfinding signage. Later phases include trail segments and trailheads. The plan also speaks to pedestrian needs such as crosswalks, crossing signals, and curb ramps. In 2015, Be Well Barton County worked with a consulting company and appointed a steering committee
to develop a county wide bicycle and pedestrian master plan. Through a series of community workshops and meetings, concerns and data were collected to formulate the recently completed master plan. The end result is a superior, adaptable plan that includes both county and community networks encouraging active transportation. Golden Belt Community Foundation received a Healthy Communities Initiative grant from the Kansas Health Foundation almost four years ago. The coalition, Be Well Barton County, was formed and operates under Central Kansas Partnerships. The Barton County Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan was recently endorsed by the Be Well Barton County coalition team. The plan is now available online at www.goldenbeltcf.org/be-well-bartoncounty.
Tustin goes on to say, “It is important to the foundation to honor our donor’s wishes. If requested, gifts of farmland will be held for charitable purposes so long as it continues to be feasible and produce income that supports the donor’s charitable wishes.” For more information, please visit www.goldenbeltcf.org or contact Christy Tustin at christy@ goldenbeltcf.org or by calling (620) 792-3000.
MASTER PLAN AVAILABLE ONLINE
GRANT WRITING WORKSHOP Golden Belt Community Foundation will be hosting a one-day grant writing workshop. This workshop is available to area non-profit organizations who wish to learn more about the skills needed to successfully submit and obtain grants.
Course Outline Identify and target sources for potential grants.
Use logic models, project work plans and appropriate timelines.
Research potential funders with a “good fit” for your organization.
Build the basic components of proposals.
Understand requests for proposals, and interpret guidelines.
Determine when to contact program and grant officers – and what to say.
To RSVP Call 620.792.3000 or Email gbcf@goldenbeltcf.org
Leslie Z. Paige, M.S., Ed.S.,
Mail Registration Fee To: Golden Belt Community Foundation 1307 Williams Street P.O. Box 1911 Great Bend, KS 67530
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As a community foundation, our board feels it is important to help build the capacity of our local non-profit organizations. One way that we felt this could be accomplished is by hosting a grant writing workshop locally. We hope that organizations attending will be encouraged and excited to seek out additional grant opportunities. Christy Tustin, Golden Belt Community Foundation Executive Director
GIVING TUESDAY BUILDS ENDOWMENTS For the second straight year, the “Give Where You Live” – Giving Tuesday event proved successful with even more gifts received for local endowments than last year. Celebrated on Dec. 1, 2015, Giving Tuesday attracted more than 400 donors who gave over $210,780 that impacted organizations throughout Barton, Pawnee, Rush and Stafford counties. This total amount includes a $50,000 match. Christy Tustin, Executive Director of Golden Belt Community Foundation said the first Giving Tuesday in 2014 raised over $127,000 in the one-day giving event, including $30,000 in that year’s matching pool.
Top 5 Endowments. Front Row from Left: Shannon Somers (Barton County Pool Endowment), Rachel Mawhirter (The Prairie Godmother Funds), Sheryl Cheely (Almost Home, Inc. Endowment). Back Row from Left: Rev. Joshua Leu (First Christian Church of Great Bend Endowment), Allan Moeder (Heartland Cancer Patient Care and Support Endowment)
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1307 Williams St. P.O. Box 1911 Great Bend, KS 67530
Our Staff
Or Current Resident:
CHRISTY L. TUSTIN Executive Director christy@goldenbeltcf.org SUE COOPER Program Officer sue@goldenbeltcf.org MEGAN BARFIELD Communications/Program Coordinator megan@goldenbeltcf.org
Upcoming Leaders’ Luncheons are happening in your County!
Upcoming Application Deadlines Scholarship Applications Due March 31
Barton Co. Quality of Life Applications Open April 15 - June 15
Competitive Grant Applications Due July 1
For application information and eligibility please visit our website. www.goldenbeltcf.org