By Yurianna Mikolay
Executive Director, Ocean Reef Community Foundation
It is hard to believe another year has flown by! If you are one of half of all Americans who take part in the 4,000-year-old tradition of making New Year’s resolutions, you have already taken stock of the past year and set goals for a new one with a clean slate. While a paltry eight percent of folks who make resolutions will actually achieve them, the Foundation strives to help you beat those odds with several of the most common resolutions.
Chief among these is to “Give Back” in the New Year. We offer many services to help accomplish your personal philanthropic goals. Take advantage of our Charity Tours and complimentary Donor Advised Funds (DAFs), get involved with the All Charities effort and connect to volunteering opportunities beyond the gate, just for starters. If “Learn Something New” is on your list, we are always here with expertise on local needs, charities and resources.
If “Volunteer More” is one of your New Year’s resolutions but you are not sure where to begin outside the gates, the Foundation removes the guesswork by organizing outings with your fellow members for you. Charity Tours are a great way to test the waters and get a sampling of local causes while taking part in the Grants Committee’s vetting process (we still have a few openings for the February 6 tour!). Our Community Outreach volunteering excursions are in the works again for this season with projects to be announced soon. Members who participate in the All Charities effort are already giving to the included non-profits in the Upper Keys, Homestead and Florida City, and we encourage you to get out there and see the great work you are funding! We take care of all the details, including transportation.
Another popular resolution is to “Get Organized.” Our fee-free, named charitable funds are a simple way to streamline and organize giving. Instead of writing dozens of checks and attempting to corral as many receipts, a DAF lets you time your contributions for maximum tax advantage and delivers one clear statement consolidating both tax-deductible contributions and all your outgoing gifts to charity each year. This will get even easier later this year with the introduction of our new donor portal.
Of course, “Spend More Quality Time with Family” is the dearest of resolutions and involves a key component of successful philanthropy — transferring philanthropic values and practices to the next generations. If you are looking to “Leave a Legacy” and make giving more of a family affair in the New Year, the Foundation offers a wealth of resources and opportunities to help incorporate philanthropy in family traditions, from engaging activities for younger children and grandchildren to arranging family meetings for those making private foundation succession plans.
As the years continue to fly by, it is heartening to know that what we resolve to do in the one ahead can have a meaningful impact for generations to come!
To learn more, please email foundation@oceanreef.com, call (305) 367-4707, or visit our website www.oceanreefcommunityfoundation.org or office in the Ocean Reef Business Center.
