Greetings, fellow Avilones. I don’t know about you, but the annual arrival of daylight savings marks for me an always welcome occasion. There’s just something about those evenings of extended outdoor activities under the natural light of the sun that makes me feel better about life. Having spring weather knocking on the door means the soon to be shedding of layered clothing, extra blankets and the sound of the furnace kicking in. And to top off the joy is my knowing that the next baseball season is just around the corner, the period during which my L.A. Dodger leanings go head to head against my friends in the S.F. Giants corner. Let the games begin!
So, what’s happening with the next Avila Beach Public Art Project? I’m glad you asked! Following the successful effort to raise sufficient funds from our friends in the community, or plan was to kick off the artist selection process for Phase II very early in 2018. Unfortunately there became a bump in the road when the head of ARTS Obispo suddenly left her job with the organization. And as some of you may recall, the Foundation relied somewhat heavily on ARTS Obispo and their expertise in the arena of public art to help us bring our first project to a highly acclaimed final product. We have been told that the new Executive Director should be on board soon, after which we will re-engage and get the ball rolling. Stay tuned for more information about the process as it becomes available.
Under the category of “job well done”…congratulations and kudos to the administration and staff of Bellevue-Santa Fe Charter School for swiftly reaching their goal of securing matching funds to access the recent grant from the “Foundation”. Shortly after Principle Holly Warrick was informed of the grant award, the school got to work on raising $6,250 to match the “Foundation” gift of $6,250. The combined $12,500 is dedicated for enhanced technology-based education for teachers and students in grades 2nd-6th. Says Principle Warrick, “Computer technology today in the classroom has evolved, enabling teachers to provide greater opportunities to bring information to their students and better prepare them for the future. Computers have changed the way society functions, and as such, future generations need to compete with the growing trends of a technology-driven society that relies on computers to do daily tasks.” We at the “Foundation” are pleased and proud to be associated with Bellevue-Santa Fe on this worthy endeavor.
Some “taxing” decisions loom for charitable donors. While I won’t express my views on the recent overhaul of our country’s tax laws, I do feel it necessary to point out one of the unintended consequences that may be felt in ways perhaps not considered by lawmakers. According to a recent article published in the Wall Street Journal, “the number of tax returns claiming deductions for charitable contributions will drop by more than 50% as a result of the tax overhaul, show estimates from the Tax Policy Center.” This has to do with the relationship between the doubling of the standard deduction and the itemizing of write-offs. The math for tax filers will likely be somewhat confusing, and could be a destructive storm of epic proportion for organizations that rely heavily upon charitable gifts from donors driven in whole or part by tax deductible benefits. Ideally, donors attached to favored causes and non-profit organizations won’t allow the new laws to diminish their giving. However, we don’t live in a world ruled by idealism. The author of the “Journal” article suggests two ways to maximize tax breaks. One is to “bunch” donations every few years to surmount the higher standard deduction. Another way is to consider establishing Donor Advised Funds, popular accounts that enable donors to bunch smaller gifts into one large amount and take a deduction in the year of the gift. Donor Advised Funds are a tool I’ve written about in past issues of the Avila News, and I would be happy to explore opportunities with any interested Avilone. I encourage all donors who might be affected by the new laws to confer with their tax advisors for the best ways to address your charitable giving options.
Last but not least, I want to extend my personal best wishes to County Supervisor Adam Hill as he works through his challenges. Politics aside, Supervisor Hill has been a good friend to several Avila Beach-based organizations during his time in office, including financial support of many past “Foundation” projects and community educational activities.
That’s it for now, fellow Avilones. See you at the beach!
So, what’s happening with the next Avila Beach Public Art Project? I’m glad you asked! Following the successful effort to raise sufficient funds from our friends in the community, or plan was to kick off the artist selection process for Phase II very early in 2018. Unfortunately there became a bump in the road when the head of ARTS Obispo suddenly left her job with the organization. And as some of you may recall, the Foundation relied somewhat heavily on ARTS Obispo and their expertise in the arena of public art to help us bring our first project to a highly acclaimed final product. We have been told that the new Executive Director should be on board soon, after which we will re-engage and get the ball rolling. Stay tuned for more information about the process as it becomes available.
Under the category of “job well done”…congratulations and kudos to the administration and staff of Bellevue-Santa Fe Charter School for swiftly reaching their goal of securing matching funds to access the recent grant from the “Foundation”. Shortly after Principle Holly Warrick was informed of the grant award, the school got to work on raising $6,250 to match the “Foundation” gift of $6,250. The combined $12,500 is dedicated for enhanced technology-based education for teachers and students in grades 2nd-6th. Says Principle Warrick, “Computer technology today in the classroom has evolved, enabling teachers to provide greater opportunities to bring information to their students and better prepare them for the future. Computers have changed the way society functions, and as such, future generations need to compete with the growing trends of a technology-driven society that relies on computers to do daily tasks.” We at the “Foundation” are pleased and proud to be associated with Bellevue-Santa Fe on this worthy endeavor.
Some “taxing” decisions loom for charitable donors. While I won’t express my views on the recent overhaul of our country’s tax laws, I do feel it necessary to point out one of the unintended consequences that may be felt in ways perhaps not considered by lawmakers. According to a recent article published in the Wall Street Journal, “the number of tax returns claiming deductions for charitable contributions will drop by more than 50% as a result of the tax overhaul, show estimates from the Tax Policy Center.” This has to do with the relationship between the doubling of the standard deduction and the itemizing of write-offs. The math for tax filers will likely be somewhat confusing, and could be a destructive storm of epic proportion for organizations that rely heavily upon charitable gifts from donors driven in whole or part by tax deductible benefits. Ideally, donors attached to favored causes and non-profit organizations won’t allow the new laws to diminish their giving. However, we don’t live in a world ruled by idealism. The author of the “Journal” article suggests two ways to maximize tax breaks. One is to “bunch” donations every few years to surmount the higher standard deduction. Another way is to consider establishing Donor Advised Funds, popular accounts that enable donors to bunch smaller gifts into one large amount and take a deduction in the year of the gift. Donor Advised Funds are a tool I’ve written about in past issues of the Avila News, and I would be happy to explore opportunities with any interested Avilone. I encourage all donors who might be affected by the new laws to confer with their tax advisors for the best ways to address your charitable giving options.
Last but not least, I want to extend my personal best wishes to County Supervisor Adam Hill as he works through his challenges. Politics aside, Supervisor Hill has been a good friend to several Avila Beach-based organizations during his time in office, including financial support of many past “Foundation” projects and community educational activities.
That’s it for now, fellow Avilones. See you at the beach!
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