The Community Foundation of Utah

Nominations for the 2012 Bank of the West Philanthropy Awards are now open for the Innovation in Philanthropy Award category.  For more information and to submit a nomination, visit Bank of the West’s Facebook page at http://GoWe.st/ Nominations are due September 17, 2012.

Got the summer movie blahs? Don’t despair, the fourth annual Salt Lake City Film Festival is right around the corner! Set aside some time the weekend of September 20- 23 and catch a few of the 40 new features, documentaries or shorts selected to show this year. Screenings will be held at the Broadway & Tower theaters, and Brewviews Cinema Pub.

The opening night feature, Duck Beach to Eternity, by native filmmaker Laura Naylor, follows LDS singles as they look for love in Duck, North Carolina. Among other films, the festival is also presenting Fever Year, a documentary about musician Andrew Bird, and Intro, a brilliant documentary about local musician David Williams.

This year the festival is offering $5.00 tickets for students for any evening screening and $1.00 (with ID) for all matinees! This is an unheard of discount at ANY festival (Discount is not available with online ticket purchases)

Executive director Matt Whittaker of the SLC Film Society says, “We are so thrilled to be entering our 4^th year as an organization! We see this festival as a critical piece to the community and are so excited by the number of excellent films we received for 2012. This is going to be such a great year!”

For more information about the event, a complete schedule, and to purchase tickets, please visit the Salt Lake City Film Festival’s website at www.slcff.com or www.saltlakecityfilmfestival.com.

Read about our 2012 Equality Leadership Fund Scholars http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/neighborhoodvalleywest/54658224-129/killian-scholarship-lgbt-utah.html.csp

The Foundation faciliated Ogden- Webers 5th annual Safety Net Summit.  http://www.standard.net/stories/2012/08/30/needs-summit-sees-silver-lining-winter-approaches

Every Wednesday night during the 10 p.m. news Mountain America Credit Union delivers $500 to an unsuspecting organization or an individual who is “doing good things in the community.” Previous winners have included a woman who helps families grieving the death of an infant by creating a plaster mold of their children’s hands; a group that assembles care packages for women leaving abuse, and someone who cares for abandoned horses. If you would like to nominate an individual or an organization go on line here:

http://www.kutv.com/news/features/pay-it-forward/stories/vid_22.shtml

On July 31, 2012, The Business Resource Center at Utah Valley University and the Utah Social Enterprise Collaborative (USEC) hosted “Nail It then Scale It: Business Model Generation Training” for staff and board members of local non-profit organizations. This workshop focused on implementing effective projects using the tools developed for smart start-ups. Thanks to our sponsors: the American Express Center for Community Development, GE Capital Financial Inc., and Morgan Stanley Bank N.A. for their support.

Read the full report here: Nail It then Scale It Report.pdf

The recession caused a bigger drop in giving than previous estimates, according to figures released this week by “Giving USA,“ the annual tally of American philanthropy. IRS data shows people with incomes of $200,000 or more fell by $31-billion from 2007 to 2009 and giving from those with incomes under $100,000 reduced their giving by a total of $4-billion.

Holly Hall with the Chronicle of Philanthropy looks at the numbers this way: "As the nation is about to mark the fourth year since the collapse of the financial markets, many fundraisers had expected gifts from the wealthy to have recovered by now, especially given the gains in the stock market that have helped many affluent people rebuild their net worth. But that isn't happening, some experts say, because donors feel so shaky about the economy and uncertain whether Congress will raise tax rates or limit charitable deductions."

The Giving Library is a new web site started by two philanthropists who were tired of searching for good giving opportunities. It current;y includes videos from 250 nonprofits that detail each organization’s history, mission, challenges, and plans as well as the results they have achieved.  Donors who find them interesting can then anonymously seek out more information. Foundation officials are evaluating 100 more charities that hope to be added to the site. Charities that are interested in being added to the library can apply online.  To be considered, a nonprofit must show proof of its tax-exempt status, including its Form 990 informational tax forms.  The foundation then conducts a background check to make sure gifts to the charity have been used responsibly and legally.

Think of it like a “Groupon” model for solar energy. Residents in Salt Lake County are joining forces to negotiate a bulk discount price on solar-PV panels for their homes. Working with a competitively selected solar installer, community members are tackling the often cumbersome installation process together. The end result – the more people that sign up to install solar on their homes, the lower the cost for everyone. And that means cleaner air and a healthier environment for Utah.

The Salt Lake Community Solar program is the first of its kind in Utah – a unique social entrepreneurship model organized by community members, local nonprofits (including Utah Clean Energy), and local government. As a result of this program, the cost of “going solar” in Salt Lake County has been reduced by roughly 40%. Plus the installation process is relatively painless – the installer is pre-selected, prices already negotiated, and there is a set timeline for installation. Program participants have the added benefits of producing clean, pollution-free energy, locking in their energy rates for 25 years, reducing their carbon footprint, and empowering their communities to be more self-sufficient.

This program is available to Salt Lake County residents through September 21 and plans are currently underway to coordinate a similar effort in the Park City area next year.

Utah Clean Energy’s vision for Utah is healthy, vibrant communities for all, empowered and sustained by clean energy. To learn more about Utah Clean Energy and our role in Salt Lake Community Solar Program visit our website or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. "> This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . You can also sign-up for our monthly e-newsletter to get regular updates on all things clean energy.

http://www.utahcleanenergy.org

I read this morning that an insurance executive in the small town of Elkhart, Ind. left his fortune of $125 million to his hometown community foundation. The bequest by David Gundlach, who died when just 56, triples the Elkhart County Community Foundation's overall assets and will boost its grant spending from about $750,000 to $7.5-million a year.

The AP report includes this wonderful image of the benefit of a community foundation and the impact one person can have on their community. "Pete McCown, the foundation's president, told the local newspaper, The Elkhart Truth, that he had only met Mr. Gundlach a few months before his death. He said the gift would become a watershed event in the northern Indiana community's history, ranking with the arrival of its first settlers.

"I don't think we have any idea what the scope of change is going to be," Mr. McCown said. "He had greater wealth than what was expected or what we were aware of."