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Upper Bucks Community FundAllentown, Pa., March 3, 2022—The Upper Bucks Community Fund of the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation issued $35,680 in grants to area nonprofit organizations. The Fund consists primarily of two area-of-interest funds. The Richard E. Gasser Fund and Erwin J. and Gertrude K. Neusch Fund are for organizations and programs primarily serving the Palisades, Pennridge and Quakertown School Districts in the Upper Bucks area.

These grants were made at the recommendation of the advisory committee for the Upper Bucks Community Fund, a geographic affiliate of the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation. “The Upper Bucks Community Fund Advisory Group carefully considered each application in accordance with the fund’s priorities,” said Megan Briggs, Director of Community Investments at the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation. “After a very thorough discussion about all the excellent applications, the Advisory Group worked together to recommend the final grant awards. Each member contributed their own depth of knowledge about the Upper Bucks region again this year to award projects and programs that will increase the quality of life for Upper Bucks residents.”

The following organizations received grants for programs from the fund in 2022. The funded programs are listed as well.

• Advocates for the Homeless of Upper Bucks (AHUB): Outreach Care (ORC)
  Outreach Care Homeless Ministry – 1
• Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center
  DEI training on LGBTQ equity for youth-serving organizations in Upper Bucks County
• Cooks Creek Watershed Association
  Cooks Creek Watershed Stream Invertebrate Catalog
  Cooks Creek Watershed Educational Map
• Durham Historical Society
  “Durham Valley’s role in the ever-changing industrial history of the area:  pre-Colonial to today”
• KidsPeace
  KidsPeace Foster Care Community Education
• Lenape Chamber Ensemble
  Lenape Chamber Ensemble – Children’s Concerts in the Round
• National Inventors Hall of Fame, Inc.
  Camp Invention STEM Innovation, Creativity, and Entrepreneurship Programs
• Palisades Community Chorus
  Winter Concert 2022:  “Together at Last!”
• Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival
  Upper Bucks Outreach for FreeWill, Shakespeare for Kids and WillPower*
• Phoebe Richland Health Care Center
  Senior Resident Engagement for Phoebe Richland Continuing Care Retirement Community
• Quakertown Alive!
  A​rts Alive! Fine Arts Spring Festival 2022
• Quakertown Historical Society
  Burgess Foulke House/The Museum/Liberty Hall Computer & Printer Replacement
• Riegelsville Public Library
  Art for Kids in the Summer
• The “Drop” at the Quakertown Community Center
  The Drop at the Quakertown Community Center

About the Upper Buck Community Fund of the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation

The Upper Bucks Community Fund of the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation, a geographic affiliate of Lehigh Valley Community Foundation, consists primarily of two area-of-interest funds. The Richard E. Gasser Fund and Erwin J. and Gertrude K. Neusch Fund are for organizations and programs primarily serving the Palisades, Pennridge and Quakertown School Districts in the Upper Bucks area. Recently added to Upper Bucks umbrella, The Bucks County Free Library Endowment Fund is an agency fund that benefits the seven-branch county library system with locations in Bensalem, Doylestown, Langhorne, Levittown, Perkasie, Quakertown, and Yardley-Makefield.

Learn more about the Upper Bucks Community Fund on the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation website.

Allentown, Pa., January 31, 2022—The Council on Foundations (COF) today announced Megan Briggs, Director of Community Investments, Lehigh Valley Community Foundation, as one of 51 philanthropy professionals chosen for participation in Career Pathways, a leadership development program designed to diversify the talent pipeline for executive-level roles in philanthropy. In this highly selective program, mid- to senior-level professionals from diverse backgrounds enhance their leadership skills, expand networks, and build their field-level expertise to advance equity and strengthen the philanthropic sector’s impact. The members of the spring and fall classes will represent the tenth and eleventh cohorts in the program’s history.

“This opportunity will allow me to learn from and connect to my peers around the country who are in similar roles in how we collectively address the challenges facing philanthropy as we look toward the future,” said Megan Briggs. “I look forward to representing the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation in collaborating with national peers, especially during this specific moment where the industry is focusing on philanthropy’s role in centering equity and working to address issues exacerbated by COVID, all while a new generation of philanthropists is emerging.”

In addition to the core functions of the program, this year’s cohort will gain skills to lead in a remote environment, authentically connect to their leadership vision and values, and uncover solutions to advance equity in the sector. Upon completing the program, participants will join the dynamic network of Career Pathways alumni leaders making strides in philanthropy. “I am hopeful that this program will provide a way for a diverse set of philanthropic leaders to build important relationships as we continue to navigate the challenges and successes together,” Briggs added.

“I am full of hope and excitement to see the impact of our 2022 Career Pathways on their organizations and the field of philanthropy at large,” said Kathleen Enright, President and CEO of the Council on Foundations. “I believe the contributions made by these changemakers will be significant to our sector and applaud each of the new participants for their choice to step forward in service of trust-building and equity.”

The Career Pathways program is generously supported by the Kresge Foundation, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, the Walmart Foundation, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

The Council on Foundations fosters an environment where philanthropy can thrive and cultivates a community of diverse and skilled philanthropic professionals and organizations who lead with integrity, serve as ethical stewards, and advocate for progress. Learn more at cof.org.

Allentown, Pa., January 27, 2022—Lehigh Valley Community Foundation recently named Robert (Robby) L. Wax, Esq., to its Board of Governors. Wax is Senior Vice President and General Counsel at St. Luke’s University Health Network. He will serve on the Community Foundation’s Finance Committee. 

Wax represents St. Luke’s University Health Network in connection with various transactional matters, including physician practice acquisitions, joint ventures, employment agreements and real estate acquisitions, and for providing general advice concerning litigation matters, intellectual property issues and healthcare regulatory matters.

Wax joined St. Luke’s in 2004 following seven years in a large, multinational law firm based in Philadelphia, one year as a law clerk for the Honorable Herbert J. Hutton of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and three years as an adjunct professor at the Temple Law School, where he taught a class entitled, “Business Mergers & Acquisitions.”

Wax is a graduate of the Goizueta Business School of Emory University and received his law degree from The James E. Beasley School of Law of Temple University, summa cum laude, where he served as the Articles Editor for the Temple Law Review. He is a proud graduate of William Allen High School in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

The Board of Governors at 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 Lehigh Valley Community Foundation

For more than five decades, 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 24, 2022—Lehigh Valley Community Foundation President and CEO Erika Riddle Petrozelli, CPA, was recently appointed Vice Chair of the Pennsylvania Community Foundation Association’s Board of Directors.

The Pennsylvania Association of Community Foundations (PACFA) is a network of 31 individual community foundations, all working to enhance the quality of life in the regions they serve by growing permanent endowment funds, through creative and thoughtful grantmaking, tailored donor education and through dynamic community leadership partnerships.

“I am appreciative of the opportunity to sit alongside a diverse group of community foundation leaders to connect the field and share resources,” said Erika Riddle Petrozelli.  “I am confident that we will have more eyes on the high quality and interesting work we are doing here in the Lehigh Valley, and we will also have more opportunity to connect and learn from others.”

“We are delighted to see a talented leader like Erika Petrozelli join the PACFA board,” said Michael Batchelor, President of the Pennsylvania Community Foundation Association.  “Her insights will help us better serve our members and strengthen community philanthropy throughout the Commonwealth.”

Learn more about the Pennsylvania Community Foundation Association at: https://www.pacfapartners.org/.

Allentown, Pa., January 18, 2022—Lehigh Valley Community Foundation recently named Lisa Marie De La Rosa to the Assistant Director of Accounting position.  She assists the Vice President & CFO in managing and processing the core financial transactions of the Foundation (gifts, grants, and charitable funds) through use of the Foundation’s information management system.

De La Rosa’s responsibilities include coordination with the Donor Services team regarding gifts and charitable funds; coordination with the Community Investments team regarding grants transactions; reporting to the Board of Governors and others as needed; and assistance with the human resources functions.

Prior to joining the Foundation, De La Rosa has held various finance/accounting roles in educational organizations including serving as Senior Manager of Finance at Blue Engine, Inc., and Interim Accountant at GEMS Education.

Originally from New York City, De La Rosa relocated to the Lehigh Valley in 2020. She is a graduate from Syracuse University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology.

Allentown, Pa. January 10, 2022–Lehigh Valley Community Foundation (LVCF) announced that the application period is now open for Entry to Program Stream, a new general operating support grant opportunity for small arts organizations and non-arts organizations or units of government with a history of at least one year of providing consistent arts programming or arts services in Pennsylvania and average annual revenue less than $200,000.  

The application period also is open for Program Stream, an existing funding opportunity. Entry to Program Stream and Program Stream grants may be used for operations, programs, or projects.  

Entry to Program Stream offers a new pathway to attaining long-term general operating support. Grantees that receive funds through Entry to Program Stream for one to three years may qualify to be recommended for Program Stream. At this time, grant amounts for Entry to Program Stream are estimated to be a maximum of $2,000, while Program Stream grant amounts are estimated to be a maximum of $3,000. This is subject to change.  

“We thank the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts for partnering with the Community Foundation to offer this opportunity for additional small art organizations and programs to get in the PPA stream of funding,” said Monique Moreno, Grants Associate at the Community Foundation. “These small, but important multi-year grants can make a difference in the life of an arts organization—now is the time to get in the stream.” 

Both Entry to Program Stream and Program Stream are funded by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (PCA), a state agency under the Office of the Governor, and administered regionally by the Pennsylvania Partners in the Arts (PPA), PCA’s statewide network of re-granting partners.  

Interested organizations should apply through their respective PPA partner organization. The Lehigh Valley Community Foundation serves as the PCA’s PPA partner organization for Lehigh, Northampton, Carbon and Monroe counties. 

Additional details on how to apply can be found online at: https://bit.ly/3ds6eop or visit the www.lvcfoundation.org. 

 Applications to Program Stream deadlines on January 15, 2022. Entry to Program Stream and are due February 15, 2022.

The Community Foundation hosted a special virtual program An Urgent Virtual Call in Support of the Lehigh Valley Emergency Shelter System.

LVCF’s Megan Briggs, Director of Community Investments, helped facilitate a discussion focused on the immediate needs of our emergency shelter safety net that many people need to get through another harsh winter season. articipants learned about the greatest challenges and from representatives from the Lehigh Valley Regional Homeless Advisory Board (RHAB), the shelter system providers, and grassroot organizations explained how different parts of the sector are addressing and experiencing different pieces of this issue.

Below is the list of organizations who participated in the call.

Allentown Rescue Mission
https://www.allentownrescuemission.org/

6th Street Shelter
https://sixthstreetshelter.caclv.org/

Change Now LV
https://changenowlv.org/donations

Christ Church United Church of Christ
https://www.christucc.org/
https://www.bethlehememergencysheltering.org/

Family Promise of the Lehigh Valley
https://fplehighvalley.org/

Lehigh Conference of Churches
https://lehighchurches.org/what-we-do/pathways-housing-services/

Neighborhood Center
https://www.theneighborhoodcenterallentown.com/

New Bethany Ministries
https://newbethanyministries.org/

Operation Address the Homeless (OATH)
https://www.operationaddressthehomeless.org/

The Ortiz Ark Foundation
https://theortizarkfoundation.org/

Ripple Community Inc.
https://www.ripplecommunityinc.org/

Safe Harbor Easton
https://www.safeharboreaston.com/

Salvation Army
https://pa.salvationarmy.org/lehigh-valley/Housing

Self LV
https://www.self-reentry.org/

Third Street Alliance (Accepting donations for LV Regional Homeless Advisory Board)
https://thirdstreetalliance.org/

Unidos Inc.
https://www.unidosfund.org/

YMCA
https://www.gv-ymca.org/location/allentown

Cryptocurrency

The Lehigh Valley Community Foundation now accepts cryptocurrency donations!  Through our digital wallet, you can securely transfer cryptocurrency to a charitable fund at the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation.

Getting Serious About Planned Giving

Now is a great time to assess your estate planning as uncertainty around income tax reform extends to the estate tax landscape. Charitable gifts can be used to help manage taxes, shift assets, and transfer wealth— while making a significant contribution to charitable organizations. The Lehigh Valley Community Foundation can be a partner in planning your philanthropic legacy. 

“Bunching” your Philanthropic Gifts

A Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) is an account or fund that a donor creates at a sponsoring organization that is itself a qualified charity.  The Lehigh Valley Community Foundation offers Donor-Advised Funds with a minimum establishing gift of just $5,000.  Donors who have an unusually high income or gains this year can bunch multiple future gifts into a single year to increase the tax benefit of the charitable contributions. Learn more about the LVCF DAF Advantage

For example, open a Donor-Advised fund for $25,000, receive the tax benefit in this tax year for the full amount, and then plan your giving for the next 3-5 years.  Donors can grant the dollars in their fund to nonprofit organizations at the time that they choose in order to maintain a similar level of giving and timing as in previous years.

Giving Appreciated Stock

Giving stock remains one of the easiest ways to give.  If you have held appreciated stock for more than a year, you can take a charitable tax deduction for the fair market value of the stock, and neither you nor the community foundation will pay capital gains taxes upon the sale.  We can facilitate the conversion of your gifts of stock into charitable dollars, and help distribute it to multiple nonprofit organizations on your behalf.

Giving from Your IRA

While the consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 extended certain tax breaks, it did not extend the waiver of required minimum distributions (RMDs) from retirement accounts.  That means, unlike last year, RMDs must be made in 2021.  For donors taking the standard deduction, a qualified charitable distribution (QCD) is an attractive option.  Individuals over age 70 ½ can donate up to $100,000 from their IRA.  This satisfies the RMD requirement. Not all fund types can accept this type of gift, so contact us for information. 

Give Unrestricted

Unrestricted gifts and grants to nonprofit organizations allow the organization to decide where the need is greatest.  Nonprofits are experts at serving their own mission. General operating support allows for flexibility and capacity building initiatives that strengthen the organization from the inside out.  The Lehigh Valley Community Foundation supports nonprofits with unrestricted grants and also, as a nonprofit, accepts unrestricted gifts to support our own community leadership initiatives and operations. Make an unrestricted gift to LVCF.

Allentown, Pa., December 14, 2021—Lehigh Valley Community Foundation (LVCF) recently renewed Nonprofit Effectiveness grants for the 2021-22 funding cycle. Eight Lehigh Valley nonprofits that participated in the Foundation’s capacity building program last year in the 2020-2021 grant cycle have been awarded grants to continue as a cohort. This cohort of organizations is specifically designed for organizations whose leadership identifies as being Black, Brown, Latinx/o/a, or Asian, and are committed to serving Lehigh Valley’s Black and Brown communities.  

“Continued funding for organizational capacity building is necessary to ensure the long-term sustainability of these important organizations,” said Megan Briggs, LVCF Director of Community Investments. “We are so pleased to be partnering with this truly powerful group of nonprofits again to build upon the momentum we achieved together this past year.”  

The Lehigh Valley Community Foundation initiated this grant opportunity in recognition of the valuable role that diverse organizations have in providing culturally-centered approaches in delivery of services and programs to the Lehigh Valley community. In addition to a $14,000 grant that each organization received in the first year of the program, each of the following organizations received a $10,000 grant for general operating expenses and will be participating in the 2022 Community of Practice this year: 

• Afros in Nature 
• Boys & Girls Club of Bethlehem 
• Casa Guadalupe Center 
• Cohesion Network 
• Martin Luther & Coretta Scott King Memorial Project Inc DBA Freedom Memorial 
• Pratyush Sinha Foundation 
• Promise Neighborhoods of the Lehigh Valley 
• Resurrected Community Development Corporation 

The Foundation launched the Nonprofit Effectiveness Program as a pilot in 2018 to provide targeted internal infrastructure support to assist in strengthening nonprofit effectiveness in a variety of ways. The model included not only grant funding for a capacity-building project, but also offered grantees a Community of Practice, a space for individual reflection in community and deepening relationships with peers. 

Last year, leaders in the Community of Practice Program worked in sessions and in a practicum to build collective agency that models the principle of abundance and the power of cooperation. These sessions were facilitated by Joyce Johnson Shabazz and Phyllis Alexander, both who are nationally-recognized consultants in the field of racism, equity and inclusion. In this year’s Community of Practice, Phyllis Alexander will continue to work with the 2021-2022 cohort to create a space to continue authentic connections. One of the planned sessions will include Hannah Hasan, an award-winning, highly acclaimed spoken word poet, speaker, and storyteller who will work with the cohort to craft and tell their own stories. LVCF is looking forward to continuing partnering with these organizations for the 2021-2022 cycle.  

For more information on the Community Foundation’s grantmaking, visit: https://www.lehighvalleyfoundation.org/grants/overview-%7C-community-investments