"Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much." ~ Helen Keller

Alabama is a generous state.  Its residents prove that year after year in a survey based on itemized federal tax returns, where Alabama regularly ranks among the top six states for average charitable contributions.

At the same time, Alabama ranks far below other states in giving through organized philanthropy, reporting in year 2000 a total of only 550 family, corporate or community grantmaking foundations in the state.

The Alabama Giving project aims to change that second statistic, building on the acknowledged strength in individual giving with a broad-based effort to build philanthropy throughout the state.  Alabama’s attorneys will be part of that effort, thanks to new courses designed to help them learn how to talk to their clients about charitable giving.

According to Jera Stribling, coordinator of Alabama Giving and executive director of the Joseph S. Bruno Charitable Foundation, the courses are designed in particular for attorneys who are not already experts in tax and estate planning. But they also may be valuable for specialists who want to know more about the benefits of philanthropy to the donor as well as to the community.

“There are many tax savings available to individuals, families and corporations who set up private foundations or use new or existing community foundations for their charitable giving,” Stribling said.  “But these financial benefits are just the beginning.

“Philanthropy is vital to the communities and people of Alabama.  So, talking about philanthropy involves more than discussing estate planning and mortality with wealthy clients – it involves setting life goals for anyone at any level.”

Through the upcoming courses, planned for 2003 and offering continuing education credit, attorneys will learn techniques for addressing such issues with their clients.  They also will gain an understanding of the ways that money from settlements, inheritances or hard work can create opportunities to make an impact on the community through planned giving.

“Attorneys are a vital component of getting this message out and educating the public, especially in rural areas where they often play many different roles as trusted advisors,” said Sue McInnish, director of the Alabama Civil Justice Foundation.  “We want to make sure that everyone who is interested has an opportunity to take advantage of these new courses.”

Alabama Giving is a project of the Alabama Funders Forum, a statewide consortium of public and private foundations. Funding for Alabama Giving has been provided in part by a grant, one of seven made nationwide, through New Ventures in Philanthropy, an initiative of the Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers. 

The grant provides startup funding for efforts to encourage the creation of new foundations and corporate giving programs, increase new gifts to existing foundations and market the value and importance of philanthropy. Earlier this year, representatives of Alabama Giving and the Southeastern Council of Foundations set up an exhibit at the State Bar Convention and provided many of those who attended with a copy of the Southeastern Toolkit for Giving, a resource for attorneys and estate planners.

“In these challenging economic times, promotion of philanthropy is more critical than ever in strengthening our communities. The importance of the Alabama Giving Project cannot be overstated,” said Bart Morrison, director of New Ventures in Philanthropy, adding that the project was chosen from a highly competitive pool of 28 applicants from 20 states and territories.

“We hope to educate the generous private and corporate donors in our state about the value of what we can do together to increase philanthropy and about the many benefits of philanthropy in terms of growth and the quality of life now and in the future,” said Bill Johnson, chairman of the Alabama Funders Forum and president of the Alabama Power Foundation. “We expect community leaders and professional advisors to be important partners in communicating this message and educating the public about the many opportunities of giving.

“In particular, we want to reach out to the communities where organized philanthropy is the exception rather than the rule.  To create the best environment for our state, we need to have the support of strong foundations – private, corporate and community – in rural as well as urban areas.”

Partners in Alabama Giving include five community foundations – The Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham, Community Foundation of South Alabama, Central Alabama Community Foundation, Community Foundation of Southeast Alabama and Calhoun County Community Foundation – as well as the Alabama Power Foundation, Alabama Child Caring Foundation, Joseph S. Bruno Charitable Foundation, EyeSight Foundation of Alabama and Alabama Civil Justice Foundation.

Dates for the upcoming classes will be announced soon.  To request more information on resources already available for professional advisors, go to www.alabamagiving.org or call 205-313-4827. 

SOURCES: According to Urban Institute’s National Center for Charitable Statistics, Alabama consistently ranks among the top six states for individual giving to charities, based on the average charitable contribution per tax return as a percentage of the state’s average income.

According to a report from the Southeastern Council of Foundations, which represents Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia, Alabama currently has 550 grantmaking foundations, with combined assets of $1.7 billion.  Those figures represent 6 percent of the total number of foundations in the Southeast region (8,925) and 3 percent of total foundation assets for that area ($57 billion), which includes Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. 

Contact: Elizabeth Dennis is the Research and Communications Assistant for the Alabama Giving Project.  Beth is working with several communities throughout the state to access their philanthropic potential and will be working with the Alabama State Bar to coordinate the scheduling, publicity and promotion of the upcoming CLE courses.  Beth can be reached at 205-313-4827.

Credit for article: Information for this article was provided by Alabama Giving and the Alabama Funders Forum, a statewide organization made up of public and private foundations.

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