Community Foundation of Western Nevada Educates the Community about Philanthropy and Estate Planning
by Jamie Klund
Development Assistant[/caption] You wouldn’t necessarily think of a community foundation as an educational entity but in many ways, the Community Foundation of Western Nevada serves as a key provider of information and education in our community. We constantly strive to bring various individuals, businesses, organizations, and even governmental agencies together to address and solve issues in our community. As a non-profit charitable organization, our mission is “connecting people who care with causes that matter”. We work closely with many area attorneys, financial advisors, CPA’s and some realtors as professional advisors (PA’s) in our Professional Advisory Council or PAC. Through this professional relationship, we offer educational opportunities not only for our PA’s as continuing education units but also for the general public. Among the CEU topics offered are details on charitable remainder trusts, taxes and charitable giving, special needs trusts, real estate and unique assets, cryptocurrency and protecting digital assets. The Family Estate Planning Series is a free, eight-week seminar offered to the public each spring and fall and taught by members of our PAC as fiduciaries, keeping the attendees’ best interests top of mind. This comprehensive series covers everything from basic estate planning to the intricacies of wills and trusts, responsibilities of fiduciaries, executors and successor trustees, power of attorney and health care directives, long-term care needs, and other topics. Now in its 10th year, the series has served over 2,000 folks. Education is a key component of many of our initiatives and programs including our workforce housing initiative with the Village on Sage Street, where financial education will be offered to residents. Our High School Giving Circle teaches teenagers about philanthropy and introduces them to many area non-profits as they award grants for worthy projects. And our Caregivers Support Initiative, which includes a comprehensive website we developed and maintain, https://washoecaregivers.org, has resources and printable documents to aid caregivers. A recent addition to that initiative is a complimentary Caregiver Employee Toolkit in printed and online versions that will help employers work with employees who are also caregivers. Now in our 21st year, the Community Foundation has granted more than $120 million to over 2,000 organizations and individuals through grants and scholarships. Please contact us if we can help you with your philanthropy at (775) 333-5499.