kepstein's blog

Resources to Help Typhoon Haiyan Survivors

As Typhoon Haiyan leaves a wake of destruction, organizations across the nation are gathering donations and supplies to aid the families affected by this disaster.

Happy Community Foundation Week!

Quarantales: Jennifer Ayers, Executive Director, ALIVE!

Quarantales

Stories from Alexandria’s COVID-19 fighters that will make you smile. We hope.

Jennifer Ayers is the executive director of ALIVE, an inter-faith nonprofit that serves the city’s most vulnerable. (P.S. She needs a 16 foot truck with a lift gate, and storage for the furniture program).

How are you doing?

Strategic Giving and Tax Planning with Donor Advised Funds

2018 is the first year under the new tax law and there are changes that could affect how we think about our charitable giving. There have been several articles discussing a strategy called “bunching” that donors should consider as they do any year-end tax planning. Basically, you use your donor advised fund to “bunch” two or three years of charitable contributions in one calendar year to exceed the standard deduction that year. You can then use those assets in your donor advised fund to consistently support your favorite charities, even in years when you take the standard deduction.

What Does it Take to Create a Vibrant Place for All?

ACT’s work is driven by a respect for the unique strengths, experiences and diversity of the people of Alexandria. We work with our partners to ensure justice, empathy and opportunity for all Alexandrians.

Another Year of Critical Investment in Alexandria Nonprofits: ACT’s 2017 Annual Report

In 2017 ACT continued to support and strengthen nonprofits that serve people living in Alexandria. Thanks to the generous support of more than 9,000 Alexandrians, including ACT’s donor advised fund holders, in 2017 we invested more than $2.4M in Alexandria nonprofits. This funding enabled organizations to sustain their programs and grow. “ACT makes a clear impact in Alexandria, shared Tammy Mann, PhD, CEO of The Campagna Center. “ACT provides capacity building grants, which are vital to nonprofit organizations.

On Site: Friends of Guest House

On September 26, ACT for Alexandria and eight supporters visited the Friends of Guest House, an ACT capacity-building grantee. Friends of Guest House helps women successfully reenter the community from incarceration. While their numbers speak for themselves – a 10% recidivism rate compared to the national 70% average – connecting with residents in-person and seeing the behind-the-scenes work that goes into supporting these women was inspiring.

Alexandria Food Day - October 16

Join Hunger Free Alexandria on Tuesday, October 16 for the first annual Alexandria Food Day!

Hunger Free Alexandria, a community driven coalition and cooperative effort to address hunger needs within the city of Alexandria, is coordinating this event to celebrate World Food Day, an official global day of action recognized by the United Nations to address global hunger issues.

UpCycle Site Visit

On September 19, ACT for Alexandria invited our supporters on a site visit to UpCycle Creative Reuse Center at the Durant Center. We were graciously hosted by new Executive Director Lexi Keogh and UpCycle board chair Lesley Harris. In 2017, ACT for Alexandria awarded UpCycle Creative Reuse Center a $10,000 grant. UpCycle’s mission is to inspire all people to explore and create by engaging the community in art-making experiences with reused materials.