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Through the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham, local philanthropists find a partner to make smart, sustainable investments in our community.
Tom and Cathy Adams’ family tradition of giving includes extensive volunteer work. Cathy recently helped lead the successful effort to fund the restoration of the Lyric Theatre.
ONE FAMILY, LASTING IMPACT
If ever a family personified the saying “the gift that keeps on giving,” it’s Cathy and Tom Adams and their children Jenny and Jeff. Tom, chairman of insurance provider Autotec, and Cathy, a writer and self-described “professional volunteer,” raised Jenny and Jeff to care for others. “We strived to live out the parable in Luke, ‘much will be required of the person to whom much is given,’” Cathy says. It was in this spirit that Jenny, then a student in her 20s, decided her Christmas present to the family would be a donation to Heifer International. She laughs, recalling the card she placed under the tree. “It said ‘I bought you part of a llama.’” Jenny wasn’t satisfied with a one-off gift. She proposed a new tradition: each year one of the Adams clan would make a charitable contribution on behalf of the rest. Her father Tom saw in Jenny’s suggestion an opportunity to bring his loved ones even closer together. In 2010, instead of writing a check to a specific cause for Christmas, he set up a donor-advised fund with the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham, so the Adams could pursue philanthropy year round—together. “The foundation offered Tom a way to create a lasting family legacy and realize income and estate planning benefits at the same time,” says Vice President for Development Erin Stephenson. The Adams Family Advised Fund has largely focused on disaster relief and programs to help disadvantaged children, but the flexibility of the donor-advised arrangement allows family members to bring their individual passions to the table. Jenny, a globe-trotting travel writer, is drawn to organizations working in the developing world. Jeff, who lives with his wife and daughters in Colorado, is an outdoorsman and supporter of the Children’s Hospital of Denver. Cathy champions projects that reflect her deep connection to the Birmingham community, like the renovation of the Lyric Theater. This diversity of interests makes for lively conversation when deciding where the fund should direct its resources. “We pitch a case for sure,” Jenny says. “I wouldn’t send an e-mail without links, a synopsis I’ve written and photos.” Cathy credits Community Foundation staff with providing research to help ensure grants go to sustainable, get-the-job-done nonprofits. What started with a llama has grown into a gift that will benefit the community beyond Tom and Cathy for generations to come. “My kids are only eight, so if we asked them what they could do to make the world a better place, their perspective would be something different,” Jeff says. To Cathy, the fund is the perfect way to bring her granddaughters into the family tradition of giving. “With the Community Foundation,” she says, “we know there will always be careful stewardship.”
WHAT THE PROS KNOW
As an estate-planning attorney for more than 40 years, Daniel “Danny” Markstein has advised a who’s who of clients interested in philanthropy, including the Adams. “The Community Foundation,” Markstein says, “has a long history of operating well with donor-advised funds and supporting charitable activities in our community, and it uses the funds given to it efficiently. All those things make it very attractive—without the cost or administrative difficulties of operating a private foundation.”
A GOOD COMPANY WORKING FOR GOOD
When PreSchool Partners needed a new facility to accommodate their growing program they looked to Hoar Construction. As part of their commitment to the community, Hoar donated its construction fee to PreSchool Partners at the project’s finish.
Left: Hoar Construction’s Kelley Duncan, Project Marketing Coordinator and Gerald King, Project Manager at PreSchool Partners playground.
Like many corporations, Birmingham-based Hoar Construction has a set of “core values” that guides its business. What makes Hoar special is that its values emphasize not just a strong work ethic and continuous improvement, but also caring for others, compassion for families and stewardship of community resources. Benevolence has been part of the company’s fabric from the moment it was founded, in 1940, by Friend Reed (FR) Hoar. Over time, Hoar has become an industry standard-bearer with a national presence. In 2001, leaders at the company recognized that charitable giving should evolve along with the business. They turned to the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham for help. “We’re focused on construction,” says Hoar Executive Vice President for Business Operations Doug Eckert. “So, we need great partners like the Community Foundation in order to be excellent at philanthropy, too.” Hoar spent several years building the principal for its donor-advised fund with the Foundation, and continues to grow the fund by contributing a portion of annual company profit. When tornadoes devastated parts of Alabama in 2011, the fund stepped in to pay for construction coordinators who made sure families got back into well-built homes and that funds were used to help as many families as possible —an example of the stewardship enshrined in Hoar’s core values. Since then, the company has taken a two-pronged approach to grant making, first by encouraging employees to advocate for causes they care about. Hoar also supports efforts in the Community Foundation’s areas of focus through the Giving Together program, which allows donors to pool resources, participate in site visits to potential grantees and learn about new initiatives. The two strategies have been mutually reinforcing. Hoar employees become deeply engaged with charities introduced to the company by the Foundation, donating their own time on top of the company’s grants. At the same time, Foundation staff is always on the lookout for organizations that match Hoar’s values and interests. “They’ve come to learn about our mission, and they’re really good at seeing an opportunity out there and connecting the dots,” Eckert says. “Making those connections is what we do,” says the Community Foundation’s Erin Stephenson. “Hoar’s job is to build better communities. Ours is to help them do it.”
NEXT GENERATION PHILANTHROPY
Sanjay Singh’s most vivid memory of his childhood in India is helping his mother and grandmother pack clothes and other gifts to bring from their home in the city to family and friends in the countryside. When he moved to America as a young man he took with him the belief that “philanthropy is not something that’s detached from your daily life.” Singh was a professor at UAB School of Business for more than twenty years and has been a partner and vice president at CTS, a locally based software consulting firm, for eighteen. He’s proud that Birmingham ranks as one of the most charitable cities in the country, and he works hard to keep it that way, serving on the boards of many organizations, including, since 2014, the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham. If Singh has an overarching mission, it is to mentor the city’s next generation of entrepreneurs—both in business and in giving back. Here is his advice to fledgling philanthropists: 1. Don’t try to do it alone. “When you’re a young entrepreneur, you’re going 100 miles an hour,” Singh says. He sees the Community Foundation as an “efficient platform” for new donors who are too busy making payroll to figure out what, where and how to give. “The Foundation is the venture capital firm for all social change [in Birmingham],” he says. “They know the fundamental problems and the people who are making a difference.” 2. Don’t wait until business is booming. Starting a fund with the Foundation doesn’t take much money, and for newcomers to Birmingham’s business scene, joining this community of donors can serve as a way to meet local leaders and get to know what they’re passionate about. ““Once you get involved with these leaders,” Singh says, “you’ll find they all want to coach young profesionals.” 3. Take the long view. Singh passes on these lessons in the hope that Birmingham will always remain a charitable hub. The Community Foundation, with its strategic approach to grant-making, serves the same goal, helping donors make a lasting difference. “It’s like planting a tree,” Singh says. “You live off the fruits for years to come.”
Sanjay Singh served as a mentor to Mazi Rasulnia as he started Pack Health, and later encouraged Mazi and his wife to be philanthropic entrepreneurs by opening a donor advised fund at the Community Foundation.
The entire Agee family hosts the All Access Sports Medicine camp that is held at Legion Field for Birmingham City School students.
TOGETHER, WE DO MORE
Spend a few minutes with the Agee family and you’ll get excited about something. Maybe it’s the Birmingham Violence Reduction Initiative (BVRI) Jarralynne is working on, or the sports medicine camp for Birmingham city kids that Bob leads. One thing is for sure, their enthusiasm will make you want to get up and do something good in the community. Jarralynne and Bob Agee moved with their two sons from San Francisco to Birmingham in 2008. He is a highly regarded sports physicians in the area and she holds three degrees and a wealth of experience working with the criminal justice system. “We knew when we moved to Birmingham that we wanted to have a community impact,” says Jarralynne. “We had a lot of philanthropic as well as professional goals.” They share a lot of the same passions in their giving, especially in education and opportunities for youth. And the whole family works as a team, hosting an All Access Sports Medicine camp for Birmingham students, co-hosting the 2016 UNCF Mayor’s Ball, and getting involved in numerous local service organizations such as Jack and Jill. In 2015, Jarralynne was named the Program Director for BVRI. The initiative, which was funded by the Community Foundation’s Catalyst Donors and Alabama Power Foundation, focuses on reducing homicides, reducing incarcerations and building police legitimacy. Shortly after Jarralynne started, Erin Stephenson, Vice President of Development invited her to one of the Community Foundation’s Lunch and Learn meeting. “Listening to the staff speak during that luncheon, it was like a light bulb went off,” says Jarralynne. “Bob and I had done a lot of ‘drive-thru’ giving – someone would call about a need and drive by the house and pick up a check. I had no idea what impact we made. Opening a fund at the Community Foundation has helped us be a lot smarter with our giving.” Jarralynne and Bob like that they can get objective advice on their giving, “Erin has helped us make the most of our assets and the program staff helps us feel confident about the nonprofits we support.” “As a donor at the Community Foundation, I feel like I am a part of bigger things,” says Jarralynne. “I can’t take on these issues alone. But our fund, combined with all these other funds, means we can put our energy into changing things for good.”
A FOUNDATION FOR THE COMMUNITY Since 1959, the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham has connected philanthropists and nonprofits and engaged civic leaders to build a stronger, more vibrant future for our community. Through the years, we have helped thousands of families and businesses achieve their charitable goals and built a permanent source of community capital for our region.
CONTACT US TO REFER A CHARITABLE CLIENT OR OPEN YOUR FUND:
ARE YOU READY TO SIMPLIFY YOUR GIVING AND AMPLIFY YOUR IMPACT?
We invite you to join our community of donors through one of these easy and effective ways to give: 1. OPEN A FUND FOR AS LITTLE AS $15,000 • Discover a simple alternative to a private foundation • Receive personalized philanthropic consulting • Enjoy special experiences with community leaders and partners
ERIN STEPHENSON Vice President Development 205.327.3805 estephenson@cfbham.org
2. MAKE A GIFT IN ANY AMOUNT TO THE COMMUNITY FUND • Access unique opportunities for charitable investments • Leverage your impact by combining your gift with others • Ensure a vibrant Birmingham region for you, your children and grandchildren 3. CREATE YOUR LEGACY • Provide permanent resources for causes you care about • Expand your giving capacity with a planned gift • Invest in the community that invested in your success
For more information visit cfbham.org.
BROOKE COLEMAN Director of Gift Planning 205.327.3828 bcoleman@cfbham.org
BOARD OF DIRECTORS KATHRYN MIREE – CHAIR Kathryn W. Miree & Associates NEAL R. BERTE, ED.D. PRESIDENT EMERITUS, Birmingham-Southern College GREGORY P. BUTRUS Balch & Bingham STEWART M. DANSBY Civic Leader JOHN A. FLOYD, JR. Southern Progress Corporation, retired DAVID GRAY Daxko
JAY GRINNEY HealthSouth Corporation KATHRYN D. HARBERT Civic Leader RONNE M. HESS Ronne and Donald Hess Charitable Foundation ROBERT HOLMES, JR. Alabama Power Company, retired GENERAL CHARLES KRULAK PRESIDENT EMERITUS, Birmingham-Southern College
MIKE LUCE Harbert Management Corporation
LLOYD R. WILSON, CLU Lloyd R. Wilson & Associates
G. RUFFNER PAGE McWane, Inc.
DEE WOODHAM Spring Creek Investments, LLC
SANJAY SINGH Computer Technology Solutions YOLANDA N. SULLIVAN YWCA Central Alabama LARRY D. THORNTON Thornton Enterprises, Inc. RAY WATTS, MD University of Alabama at Birmingham
On the cover: The Birmingham Lights art installations at 14th, 18th, 19th and 20th Street underpasses were made possible by the generous donors of the Catalyst Fund of the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham.
CHRISTOPHER NANNI, PRESIDENT AND CEO 205.327.3801 cnanni@cfbham.org