Author: rsweitzer@muhlenberg.edu

Allentown, Pa., February 10, 2020— The Lehigh Valley Homeless Veterans Fund received $200,000 in grant funding secured by Senate Appropriations Chairman Pat Browne (16^th District), which is the largest state commitment specifically targeted towards assisting homeless veterans in the Lehigh Valley.

The yearly Point-In-Time count in 2019 – an annual one-day effort held each January to identify the homeless throughout a community – identified 38 homeless veterans in the Lehigh Valley. The number has held fairly steady since 2013 when veterans became a subcategory of the Point-In-Time count. “When our country called upon them, these men and women committed themselves to service in our armed forces,” Senator Browne said. “Now, it is our turn to answer their call and provide assistance when they need it most. The Lehigh Valley Homeless Veteran Fund will help to ensure that pathways to sustainable housing, job placement and mental health services are available to the area’s homeless veteran population.”

Changes to federal funding in 2017 resulted in a significant reduction of dedicated resources to address homeless veterans in the Lehigh Valley. As a result, many community partners ceased their services and outreach programs to that population.

---

The Lehigh Valley Homeless Veteran Fund at LVCF was created to alleviate the funding gap. The fund is designed to provide funding assistance to existing agencies on a competitive award basis and is administered by the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation. The fund is designed to support existing programs or support new initiatives that ensure that “No Veteran is Left Behind.”

---

“It’s been a struggle over the past several years to find funding to overcome the federal cuts,” Thomas Applebach, Director of the Lehigh County Office of Veterans Affairs, said. “This money will help our partner agencies sustain their programs to house our homeless Vets and maybe even help to fund new and innovative programs.

“I want to be clear that, although I work for Lehigh County and the Commissioners helped to create the fund and provided some seed money, this is not a county program. In partnering with Community Foundation, we want everyone to understand that this is a Lehigh Valley-wide community effort that will require the financial support of everyone to sustain and grow.”

After learning of the federal funding cuts and the pressing issue of homeless veterans in the Lehigh Valley, Senator Browne worked to secure state resources in the 2019-20 state budget for the newly created fund.

The fund will be overseen by a five-member committee who will evaluate applications and recommend grant awards. The fund is managed by the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation, which will disburse the grants as well as support fundraising efforts.

In addition to Applebach, the committee members are; Michael Wilson, Lehigh Valley Community Foundation; Alisa Baratta, Third Street Alliance; Mary Tirrell, Lehigh Valley Health Network; and Rocco Zegalia, Netizen Corporation.

See the photos from the press conference on LVCF’s Flickr page.

See the Videos…

Allentown, Pa., January 21, 2020— The Lehigh Valley Community Foundation recently added three new members to its Board of Governors.  Margaretha Haeussler, Gregory Ramos, and Sybil F. Stershic joined the Board in 2020 and will serve three-year terms on the Board.

Margaretha Haeussler

Margaretha Haeussler, director, Transfer Pricing for Novartis United States, will serve on the Finance Committee. She has over twenty-five years of transfer pricing experience working with a variety of multinational clients across a wide range of industries with particular emphasis on the life sciences, consumer products, and automotive component industries.  Prior to her current position, Haeussler worked at Olympus Corporation of the Americas, was a partner with Arthur Andersen LLP, and served as an industry economist with the Manhattan District of the Internal Revenue Service.

Haeussler is active in her community serving on the Boards of the YWCA Allentown and the West Park Civic Association.  She is an active supporter of the redevelopment of downtown Allentown, PA, and enjoys renovating older houses in her spare time. She received her M.S. in Agricultural Economics from Pennsylvania State University and a BA in Economics from the State University of New York at Stony Brook.

Gregory Ramos

Greg Ramos, executive director of Lehigh Valley United FC, will serve on the Community Investments Committee.  He co-founded Lehigh Valley United FC, a soccer club with his father, Lou Ramos, in 2006.  He and wife, Gina, are also co-owners of Sherman Street Soccer LLC., with a principal business of running a 40,000 sq. ft. indoor sports and recreation center, ‘The Lou Ramos Center’ (LRC), in Allentown.  In addition to leading Lehigh Valley United, Ramos is Vice President of Lehigh Valley Youth Soccer League, a committee member of Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer Association, and has been involved in teaching, coaching and mentorship for the last 20 years including the Olympic Development Program, assistant coaching at Muhlenberg College and DeSales University, Philadelphia Union Academy Staff (MLS) and teaching English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) at Dieruff High School. 

Ramos graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in History from Muhlenberg College, and continued postgraduate studies in Latin American History at Temple University and Inter American University (Puerto Rico).  He holds the European Union Football Association (UEFA) ‘A’ License, U.S. Soccer Federation ‘A’ License, and United Soccer Coaches Premier Diploma.

Sybil F. Stershic

Sybil F. Stershic, president of Quality Service Marketing, will serve on the Foundation’s Community Relations Committee.  She founded Quality Service Marketing in 1988 to help businesses and nonprofits foster workplace engagement through custom facilitation and training. She is the author of several books and the long-running Quality Service Marketing blog. Stershic graduated in Lehigh University’s first class of women and started her career in bank marketing.

Stershic has been active in leadership and professional development throughout her career, including serving as chair of the American Marketing Association and assisting many nonprofit organizations as a volunteer leader or advisor. She is currently president of the Lehigh Valley Health Network’s Board of Associates, a member of the International Association of Facilitators, and a certified facilitator with LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY®.

About the Board of Governors

The Board of Governors at the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation provide administrative, programmatic, and fiscal oversight in support of the organization’s mission. Members of the Board serve as ambassadors, promoting the Community Foundation as a vehicle for philanthropy and a leader of community improvement.
 

About the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation

For five decades, the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation has helped donors with their charitable contributions with a simple, powerful, and highly personalized approach. LVCF is a philanthropic hub for the Lehigh Valley—who knows and navigates the landscape of the Lehigh Valley’s community needs to connect people who care to causes that matter.

With a diverse and respected Board of Governors, the Community Foundation is a tax-exempt 501(c)3 organization located in Allentown, Pennsylvania.  The Foundation is cause-neutral and supports all areas of community needs in the Lehigh Valley and beyond in compliance with the National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations. To learn more, visit: www.lehighvalleyfoundation.org.

Allentown, Pa., January 13, 2020— Carrie Krug Nedick recently joined the staff at the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation as Donor Services and Program Associate. In this newly created part-time position, she will focus on improving processes and expanding programs and offerings.

Prior to joining the foundation, Krug Nedick built a career in nonprofit administration and higher education fundraising, both on staff and as an independent consultant.  She served in marketing, development, and outreach roles for the Allentown Symphony Association, and was a major gifts officer for the College of Arts and Sciences at Lehigh University. Carrie most recently serves the Lehigh Valley as an independent consultant.

Krug Nedick is a member of the Board of Managers of the Bach Choir of Bethlehem and an Officer of the Board of Parkland Community Library.  She is also a Cub Scout den leader and sings with the Bach Choir of Bethlehem.

A Nazareth native, she graduated from Lebanon Valley College with a BA in Music Theory and Composition.

For more than five decades, the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation (LVCF) has helped donors with their charitable contributions with a simple, powerful, and highly personalized approach. LVCF is a philanthropic hub for the Lehigh Valley—who know and navigate the landscape of the Lehigh Valley’s community needs to connect people who care to causes that matter.

Allentown, Pa., January 6, 2020—The Lehigh Valley Community Foundation (LVCF) announced the recipients of its 2019-20 Community Partnership Multi-Year Impact Grants. This year’s grants totaling $115,000 are helping to support programs at six area nonprofit organizations serving Lehigh and Northampton Counties.  In addition, the Community Foundation is allocating $10,000 to the Synergy Fund of the Lehigh Valley at LVCF.

The Community Partnership Grants are part of the Foundation’s overall grantmaking that totaled nearly $7 million for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2019. The LVCF annually awards Multi-Year Impact Grants from its Community Partnership Fund for discretionary grantmaking. Grants are reviewed and approved by the Foundation’s Community Investments Committee and its Board of Governors.

 “The Community Foundation is pleased to continue to partner with these organizations that are making a difference in the Lehigh Valley,” said Bernie Story, president and CEO of LVCF.  “We are encouraged by the good work our multi-year impact grants are generating.”

This year’s Community Partnership Grants were grants awarded for seven multi-year collaborative projects targeted to address specific community issues. LVCF awarded $115,000 in renewed funding for seven programs being implemented by six existing grantees. All multi-year grants are subject to review prior to renewal.

The following organizations were renewed for funding:

• Community Action Development Corporation – Strategic Marketing Support to Entrepreneurs program (year five) – $20,000
• Lehigh Carbon Community College Foundation – V-SERF Emergency Fund for Veterans (year five) – $10,000
• Housing Association & Development Corporation – Youth Build Allentown (year four) $20,000
• VAST – Valley Against Sex Trafficking – Community Education and Prevention Program Development (year four) – $10,000.
• Greater Easton Development Corporation – Easton Community Garden Project (year four) – $25,000
• Lehigh Valley Health Network – Connections, a pilot intervention program addressing the current opioid epidemic (year three) – $20,000
• Greater Easton Development Corporation – Ambassadors Program (year three) – $10,000

Also funded was the Lehigh Valley Synergy Fund of LVCF, now in its fifth year that was implemented in partnership with the United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley. The fund supports non-profits engaging in various levels of collaboration – $10,000.

For more information about the Community Partnership Fund or other grant opportunities at the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation, visit LVCF on the web at: https://www.lehighvalleyfoundation.org/grants/overview

Allentown, Pa., December 27, 2019—The Lehigh Valley Community Foundation (LVCF) said thank you and farewell to five long-standing members of the Board of Governors at a recent meeting.  The members completing their terms of service at the end of 2019 are Denise Blew, W. Beall Fowler, James Margolis, Mike Stershic, and Matt Sorrentino, Esq.  Board of Governors Vice Chair Bonnie S. Coyle, M.D., M.S. presented the departing members with citations at the November board meeting at DeSales University.

Denise Blew served two periods as a member of the Board of Governors. She first served a seven- year period from 2003-2009 and a second three-term period from 2011 to 2019. “Serving 13 years as a member of the Executive Committee, Denise’s unwavering commitment and contributions to the Community Foundation will forever be linked to its growth, impact, and success,” said Bernie Story, President and CEO of LVCF. “She served as Vice Chair of the Board from 2011-2012 and Chair of the Board from 2013-2014.”

Throughout her entire tenure as a Governor of the Community Foundation, Blew served on the Finance Committee and remained a reliable and unwavering voice for the wise investment and management of Foundation assets. She served as Vice Chair in 2005, Chair from 2006-2008. She returned to the committee in 2010 and served as Chair for the past 6 years. Denise served 13 years on the Legal Affairs Committee, three years on the Planning Committee, and five years on the Personnel Committee, including one as Chair. She served as a member of the Audit Committee from 2005-2006 and again from 2015-2019. She has served as the Board of Governor’s Treasurer for the past five years.

W. Beall Fowler served three terms as a member of the Board of Governors from 2011 to 2019. “Beall’s understanding of the community’s needs was invaluable, providing leadership as a member of the Grants Committee in 2011-2012 and later as Chair of the Discretionary Grants Committee from 2014-2016,” said Story. “His personal generosity and commitment to the Foundation’s growth have been exemplary and have helped to significantly increase the Foundation’s charitable assets and its ability to serve the Lehigh Valley in perpetuity.”

Fowler served as Vice Chair of the Board in 2014-2016 and Chair of Board from 2017-2018, providing leadership to the organization during the 50^th anniversary year and ensuring success of the Foundation’s Be the Spark year of special grantmaking. He served as Chair of the Board Affairs Committee from 2017-2018, the Executive Committee from 2014-2019 and is a recent member of the Finance Committee in 2019.

Jim Margolis served three terms as a member of the Board of Governors from 2011 to 2019. During his entire tenure, Jim has helped guide grantmaking, serving on the Discretionary Grants Committee from 2011-2016, and later on the Community Investments Committee from 2017 to 2019. “Jim’s insights and wisdom have been invaluable to Foundation’s effectiveness in grant making, helping solidify the Foundation’s status as trusted funder—addressing the essential needs of the Lehigh Valley,” Story noted.

Matt Sorrentino, Esq., served three terms as a member of the Board of Governors from 2011 to 2019. During his entire tenure, he has been a member of the Legal Affairs Committee, serving as chair for the past six years. He has served on the Board Affairs Committee for the past five years, and helped shape the Foundation’s by-laws as chair of that committee from 2012-2014. Additionally, Matt has served on the Development Committee from 2011-2015, the Executive Committee from 2014-2019, and as Board of Governors Secretary for the past five years.

“Matt brought an attorney’s insight and expertise, helping the Foundation navigate the complexity of the issues during key times of growth and transition,” Story said. His leadership has strengthened the Foundation internally, providing oversight and enhancing its due diligence, and policies, and procedures.”

Mike Stershic served three terms as a member of the Board of Governors from 2011 to 2019. He served as Vice Chair of the Board in 2013-2014 and then as Chair of the Board from 2015-2016, providing leadership to the organization during a time of growth, and increased capacity. He was instrumental in the planning and implementation of the 50^th anniversary year activities.

He has helped shape the leadership of the organization as Chair of the Board Affairs committee from 2012-2017. Stershic helped guide the organization as a member of the Executive Committee from 2012-2019. He served as vice chair of the Marketing Committee from 2011-2014 and was a committee member until 2016.  He joined the Finance Committee in 2017 and has served for the past three years.

“Mike’s continued commitment is exemplified by his leadership as Chair of the Board of Associates,” said Story.  “Established in 2018, the Board of Associates, under Mike’s leadership has greatly enhanced the Foundation’s community engagement and visibly among community leaders.

Program Expanded Through Partnership with Two Rivers Health & Wellness Foundation

Allentown, Pa., December 18, 2019—In 2018, the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation (LVCF) established the Nonprofit Effectiveness Pilot that targets support to strengthen governance, management, and operations of nonprofit organizations.  LVCF invested a total of $100,000 in ten nonprofits in the region to foster capacity building efforts in 2019.

LVCF announced that the ten organizations funded in Year One will be renewed, each receiving $10,000, as part of a continuing cohort in the second year of the pilot.  In addition, the Volunteer Center of the Lehigh Valley and Humanitarian Social Innovations were selected to participate in 2020, each receiving $10,000 grants.

Two Rivers Health & Wellness Foundation is partnering with the Community Foundation to help expand the reach of the Nonprofit Effectiveness pilot by providing $10,000 grants to four organizations serving Northampton County.  Safe Harbor and Equi-librium will each receive $10,000 grants to join the pilot.  Two Rivers will also provide $10,000 grants to expand the programs for two organizations currently in the pilot who are also supported by LVCF’s Nonprofit Effectiveness grants. The Hispanic Center Lehigh Valley and the Easton Area Community Center will each receive a total of $20,000 in grants, with half coming from Two Rivers Health & Wellness Foundation and the other half from LVCF. Through both foundations’ joint investments, there will be 14 organizations funded through these grants in 2020.

Organizations receiving a $10,000 nonprofit effectiveness renewal grants from LVCF include:

• Bethlehem Area Education Foundation
  Data Management Tool
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Lehigh Valley
  Creating a Sustainable Business Model
• Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center
  Planned and Individual Giving Fundraising Plan Development and Implementation
• Communities In Schools of the Lehigh Valley
  Communities In Schools Intranet
• Community Bike Works
  SOS: Smarter Operations and Staffing – Year 2
• Easton Area Community Center
  Smart Operations- Staff Optimization and Development
• Hispanic Center Lehigh Valley
  HCLV Capacity Building – Manager of Operations
• Lehigh Valley Center for Independent Living (LVCIL)
  Development & Marketing Consulting Program
• Third Street Alliance for Women & Children, on behalf of the Lehigh Valley Regional Homeless Advisory Board – Board Capacity Building
• Young Women’s Christian Association d/b/a YWCA Allentown
  Strategic Plan for Empowerment, Equity, and Social Justice

New Programs Receiving Nonprofit Effectiveness grants in 2020:

• Volunteer Center of the Lehigh Valley
  Mining, Measuring & Managing Data to Increase Volunteer Engagement & Traffic
• Humanitarian Social Innovations
  Sustainable Growth for Maximum Community Impact

Organizations receiving a $10,000 nonprofit effectiveness from Two Rivers Health & Wellness Foundation:

• Easton Area Community Center
  Smart Operations- Staff Optimization and Development
• Equi-lilbrium
  Ensuring Long-Term Success through Innovation and Growth
• Hispanic Center Lehigh Valley
  HCLV Capacity Building – Manager of Operations
• Safe Harbor Easton
  Board Development and Strategic Planning

About the Two Rivers Health & Wellness Foundation

The Two Rivers Health & Wellness Foundation brings people, organizations and resources together to improve the health and well-being of all people in Northampton County. They partner with nonprofit organizations, individuals, businesses, government leaders and other foundations to find solutions to critical health issues.  Learn more at: https://www.trhwf.org/

About the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation

With a diverse and respected Board of Governors, the Community Foundation is a tax-exempt 501(c)3 organization located in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The Foundation is cause-neutral and supports all areas of community needs in in the Lehigh Valley and beyond in compliance with the National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations. To learn more, visit:  www.lehighvalleyfoundation.org.

Over the years we have had worked with many donors and their advisors on their place-based philanthropy, often involving multiple generations of a family. It is both fascinating and inspiring to hear family traditions of integrating philanthropy into holiday gatherings to develop intergenerational bonds, to instill empathy, and to teach family values. We found these ideas from the 21/64 advisory group in New York to be a great start to thinking about new traditions for the next generation of philanthropists.

Children who help others are more likely to have a broader view of the world than the lives they lead. Connecting with those in need helps young people to fend off entitlement and find an avenue for personal fulfillment. We hope that you’ll be inspired to engage with your family and community during this season of giving and in the new year.

Click on banner to download the guide:

The holiday season is a popular time for giving to the causes that matter most to you. The Lehigh Valley Community Foundation is your partner in philanthropy, and we are here to help you make the most impact with your year-end giving.

Donating long-term appreciated securities—rather than selling the assets and then donating the cash proceeds—is one of the easiest ways for donors to increase their charitable dollars and maximize their impact on the community. If it’s time to rebalance your portfolio, consider a charitable gift with the appreciated positions.

Are you over the age of 70 ½ and do not need the liquidity of your IRA’s required minimum distribution?  Consider a Qualified Charitable Distribution or a “QCD” as an establishing gift for a designated fund or an area of interest fund at LVCF.  We have seen this gift type grow in popularity since its benefits became permanent in 2015 and the standard deduction increased during 2017 tax reform. If you are the right age and have one or more IRAs, a QCD may be a solution to be both charity-generous and tax-thrifty. The latest on the law…

To be eligible for a charitable tax deduction, you may need to initiate certain contributions now.  Some assets such as mutual funds and restricted stock take longer to accept and process, so advanced planning is required to meet year-end deadlines.

With the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act’s higher standard deduction, donors can benefit from grouping multi-year donations into a single tax year.  This is also referred to as donation “bunching.”  Donation bunching can also be done in combination with donating appreciated stock.  LVCF’s charitable fund menu provides an array of options for donors considering bunching. 

Bunching is a tax strategy that involves grouping or “bunching” deductible expenses or charitable contributions in a particular tax year in order to maximize tax savings. It is typically used by taxpayers who itemize their deductions on their income tax return, as opposed to taking the standard deduction.

The concept behind bunching is to concentrate deductions into a single tax year in order to exceed the standard deduction threshold, which is a fixed amount that taxpayers can claim as a deduction without having to itemize their expenses. By bunching deductions in a single tax year, taxpayers may be able to itemize and claim more deductions than they would be able to in individual years, resulting in a larger overall tax deduction and potentially lower taxable income.

It’s important to note that the tax code and regulations surrounding bunching can be complex, and it may not be beneficial for everyone. Bunching may require careful planning and consideration of factors such as the timing of expenses, the taxpayer’s overall financial situation, and the applicable tax laws. It’s always recommended to consult with a qualified tax professional to determine if bunching is a suitable strategy for your specific tax situation.

Through creative gift planning at the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation, you may be able to do more for yourself and for the causes that matter to you.

ASK CARRIE | Ask me which type of fund is right for you and how the Community Foundation can help you create a lasting legacy and make a difference in the community….

Carrie Krug Nedick
Director of Donor Services

840 West Hamilton Street, Suite 310, Allentown, PA 18101
610 351-5353  Ext. 10 | carrie@lvcfoundation.org