March Notes From the Desk of Terry Anker, Legacy Fund President

March, 2013

From the Desk of Terry Anker, Legacy Fund

Greetings from Legacy Fund!  March saw not only the tumultuous transition of Indiana weather but also a significant change in the Legacy Fund office.  While construction of our first-ever in-the-office suite bathroom was expected to be the big news (it is very exciting to not have to go outside to go to the bathroom), we learned that Mark Robbins had decided to move back to the private sector as the CFO of a group of companies in the agriculture, trucking, and real estate industries.

This month saw the culmination of several new funds including the creation of sister funds in one of the school corporations that will not only lead to a more efficient administration, but also the expectation of more money under our management.  Also, we signed agreements with a nonagenarian leaving the bulk of her eventual estate to be administered by Legacy Fund.  It is expected that $1,000,000 or more will be divided between two separate directed funds.  Thanks to all who worked on the projects. 

Staff continues to canvas the county to expand understanding of the work of Legacy Fund. We continue to routinely meet with major community not-for-profits, existing fund-holders, civic leaders AND our own Board and committee members.  We want to see and connect with you – but if we seem delayed, rest assured we are not eating lunch at our desks.  We are actively in the community each day carrying the message of our work.  I continue to take introductory meetings with civic and business leaders to ask them for an Angel Investor commitment ($30,000 three-year commitment) to operational cost.  We continue to see success, but as the connection to the community foundation become less direct, more time is required to tell the story.  I was asked to serve on the Indiana Grantmaker’s Alliance statewide planning group.  At the first meeting in April, I learned a great deal from our peers (including that Legacy Fund is in good shape – we can improve in many ways – but we are very competitive with other non-urban foundations). 

The new Committee structure is working.  The Development Committee is reviewing all in-process work from staff and generating its own lists of names and contacts for us to pursue.  The Governance Committee is planning its retreat and is preparing to recommend new members for our committees and Board.  Staff is assembling those names and planning the retreat now.  Grants has completed another round of its work this month and continues to be a highly productive and desired committee.  Likewise, Scholarships did yeoman’s work as well and is looking forward already to next year. 

Working with the Youth Assistance Program has been very rewarding to date.  As progress continues, I’ll keep you posted.  In the meantime, if you know of anyone that might enjoy serving on an inaugural YAP Board, let me know so that I can connect them to other likewise interested. 

That’s probably all you want to know for now so I’ll stop bending your ear!! We are a little late with this month’s letter.  I was out a few days last week on a family vacation (thank you) and have been catching up ever since!

Thanks for your attention and please reach out if you’d like to catch-up (I’ll buy breakfast, lunch or drinks!). 

Terry Anker

Legacy Fund President 

February Notes From the Desk of Terry Anker, Legacy Fund President

February may be the shortest month, but at Legacy Fund, it was mighty!　 +Mark Robbins and I participated in six Community Leadership meetings to bring the story of Legacy Fund and CICF to new potential supporters and ask them to make a three year $5,000 or $10,000 annual commitment to support direct programming.　 As we have worked on this project for the last couple of years, we are moving further away from folks that are immediately inclined to be supportive because they already know of and support our work to people who may have heard of CICF or Legacy Fund but have very little understanding of them.　 Already in March we have scheduled several more and continue to believe that these meetings serve as a great way to introduce ourselves to potential donors and fund sponsors in cordial and low-stress (to the donor) environments.　

Following many months of work, The Biddle Memorial Foundation and JBS United together announced the formation of the Sheridan Fund, to be directed by the existing Legacy Fund Grants Committee, for the improvement of the town of Sheridan and its environs.　

We completed the third and final of our 2013 planning retreat meetings for Legacy Fund staff.　 Much attention was given to meeting the objectives of our Strategic Plan – development, community awareness and community leadership initiative (YAP).　 In addition to regular speaking engagements and posts to social media (Facebook alone: 28 Posts with 229 likes), +Mark Robbins  presented to a group of business people assembled by a new fund creator about the power and importance of philanthropy.　 We can be most effective when we speak to groups brought together by people already committed to the works of a community foundation.　 Introductions to your contacts are always welcome.　 

Mark +Mark Robbins & I traveled to meet with our counterparts from the counties surrounding Marion (including Bartholomew and Monroe).　 We exchanged problems and solutions on a number of matters related to the day-to-day operations of a community foundation.　 +Kerry Byrne has begun work in earnest on the 2014 Celebration of Philanthropy; and we have secured a location, date and other details.　 We continue to meet with potential major sponsors for the event.　 Please let Kerry know if you have any ideas or would like a sponsorship packet to forward to your company or another that might benefit from placement in what has to be the biggest annual gathering of high net-worth folks in Hamilton County.　 We continue our work with the all-county chambers of commerce aimed at finding ways for cooperation and synergy to exist from the north end to our southern borders.　 Legacy Fund will introduce the all-county chamber meeting in April.　 Also, the Scholarship Committee met and did its work. 　Dozens of fresh-faced and highly qualified applicants passed through the office in hopes of being named a recipient.　 The results will be announced at the Board meeting on March 13.　 The Grants Committee’s leadership is meeting this week on Wednesday and the full committee on Friday morning to plan for the first grant round of 2014.　 There is never enough time or money to do all of the good work requested but we give our sincere thanks to the folks of these committees that are charged with making the tough decisions.　

While this note could go on for many pages more of detail, let me add that the Legacy Fund office is undergoing some changes with the building’s sale to the Carmel school district.　 While we have lost our storage space, we hope to finally have a bathroom inside the office suite (right now we have to go outside and reenter the building to get to a facility).　 Thanks to +Kerry Byrne, +Mark Robbins and others who’ve been here to endure the noise dust and disturbance precipitated by remodeling.

Thanks to you, stakeholders of Legacy Fund, for your support and interest.　 Community foundations are unique among charities for the role that they play in the life of our city, towns and rural areas.　 Without your help, our work would be far more difficult (if not without point).　

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January Notes From the Desk of Terry Anker, Legacy Fund President

Hello, friends of +Legacy Fund. I hope this note helps keep folks in the loop on the many happenings here in the weeks intervening between our Board meetings.  Since the December meeting and open house, CICF had its regular Board meeting in standard order.  +Mark Robbins and I attended various lunches and open houses aimed at celebrating the holiday season. We posted photos and short remarks to social media on a number of them. But the real work at the end of the month was hustling to close as many funds as we could in the 2012 year. While snow closed the office on 12/26 we all worked from home and kept pushing to get the funds open. We were happy to return to the office on 12/27 for the first of three strategic planning sessions for Legacy Fund staff. Our work is directed at ensuring that all we do is efficiently targeting our three major objectives (build funds, raise profile and implement the community leadership project).

The first week of January found the Legacy Fund office closed (like CICF), but I snuck in to clean files and enjoy the relative calm at 515 East Main. By the second week, we were back in full swing. CICF was recognized at a Diversity Luncheon for the City of Indianapolis as outstanding in its category. And, Mark and +Kerry Byrne worked diligently to clean-up any outstanding items to help close the books on 2012. By mid-month, we were preparing for our first all-inclusive Youth Assistance Program (YAP) meeting. Hosted by the Community Leadership Initiative Committee, we overflowed our conference room with YAP stakeholders and staff from Westfield and the newly launched Noblesville programs. It was great to get everyone on the same page. Official news on the YAP & LF partnership will be announced in the coming weeks.

We met with Rosemary Dorsa of the Indiana Grantmaker’s Alliance to discuss how their group could support our upcoming (but date not yet set), Legacy Fund Board Retreat. I have agreed to serve on the statewide council for the Lilly Endowment supported organization and have learned a great deal about how foundations of our size are faring.

As usual, much of our time is spent meeting with donors and prospective donors. For the larger potential givers, there are routinely a raft of financial planners and other advisors required along the way. At times, we have met with a half dozen folks before we can get to a decision point with the would-be philanthropist.  Ann O’Hara and the Board’s Development Committee continue to lend a steady hand as we negotiate these waters. Much of the rest of our time is spent with grantees. Kerry does a great job keeping the home fires burning as Mark and me seem to spend more time in our cars than at our desks!

All in, much of 2013 has been committed to finishing work from 2012. Now we are looking to the next 11 months with a strong sense of commitment to an increasing pace. While today’s economic reports suggest that our country may already be back in recession, the market was kind at the end of the year and the foundation has strong balances. We believe that we should continue to see steady growth for 2013 in spite of the difficult economic conditions. However, even a weak recovery would be most welcome in helping us help our donors. 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                                              

                                                                                                            

 

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