Honoring those growing opportunity for Appalachian Ohio.
Cause Connector works because people come together to create opportunity. All of our gifts make a greater difference when they are paired up with the generosity of others. Here are just a few of the many donors partnering with FAO to make a difference by supporting projects featured on Cause Connector.
Image courtesy of Christa Myers.
The American Electric Power Foundation and the AEP Ohio Foundation
From education to environmental stewardship, AEP has long worked with FAO to advance a brighter future for the region.
Tom & Rhonda Stemmer
When Tom and Rhonda Stemmer learned about the FAO Cause Connector pilot project, they were inspired to fund a wide variety of projects, from services for seniors, to shoes for children, education about the Underground Railroad, and more.
Jan & Tom Hodson
With an IRA transfer to the I’m a Child of Appalachia Fund, Jan and Tom Hodson were able to support the region they call home and see their gift matched dollar-for-dollar.The American Electric Power Foundation and the AEP Ohio Foundation
The American Electric Power Foundation and the AEP Ohio Foundation have long worked with FAO to advance a brighter future for the region. And recently, the AEP Foundation and the AEP Ohio Foundation made a gift of $1 million to grow the I’m a Child of Appalachia Fund while jumpstarting initiatives in Education and Environmental Stewardship, including FAO’s partnership with First Book, an FAO Signature Initiative featured on the FAO Cause Connector.
“Quality education and environmental stewardship are urgently needed in Appalachian Ohio, and these areas are also critically important to the sustainable development of the region and its future success,” said Dale E. Heydlauff, president of the AEP Foundation. “We are therefore very proud to support education and environmental stewardship both today and throughout the decades to come.”
AEP chose to give through the I’m a Child of Appalachia Fund because they identified with its unique model of giving, designed to meet the needs of the region today while building toward a brighter future. AEP’s gift is making an immediate impact by supporting FAO’s partnership with First Book and environmental stewardship grantmaking, and will continue to benefit the region for generations to come.
Making one of the first major gifts through the I’m a Child of Appalachia Fund’s unique giving model, AEP stepped up once again as a philanthropic leader in our region.
Tom & Rhonda Stemmer
When Tom and Rhonda Stemmer learned about the FAO Cause Connector pilot project, they were inspired to fund a wide variety of projects, from services for seniors, to shoes for children, education about the Underground Railroad, and more.
The FAO Cause Connector pilot project caught the Stemmers’ attention thanks in part to its unique model of giving, which splits gifts between long-term investment in the I’m a Child of Appalachia Fund and immediate grantmaking – an approach now adopted for all gifts to the FAO Cause Connector.
“When you contribute to meeting an immediate need, you are able to see an immediate benefit in the here and now, which is so valuable,” said Tom Stemmer. “But in order to grow into the future, we need the power of endowment, which allows us to fund projects when there otherwise wouldn’t be anyone to fund them in a particular year. In my opinion, you need both of those pieces to grow philanthropy – you want people to see an immediate good, but you also want to make sure there are more resources for future generations.”
Tom and Rhonda are both excited to see the FAO Cause Connector adopt the blended model of giving they helped pilot.
Jan & Tom Hodson
With an IRA transfer to the I’m a Child of Appalachia Fund, Jan and Tom Hodson were able to support the region they call home and see their gift matched dollar-for-dollar.
“As a child, I sensed that there was something a little bit different about where I was growing up,” Jan said, referring to her upbringing in Glouster, Ohio. “Now, as an adult, my heart is dedicated to helping children in this area understand that they can have a future, and that opportunities do exist for them. That’s what drew me and Tom to give to the I’m a Child of Appalachia Fund.”
Like all gifts through the FAO Cause Connector, half of Jan and Tom’s gift to the I’m a Child of Appalachia Fund is growing an endowment fund that will serve as a permanent toolbox of resources to meet the changing needs of our communities, while the other half is supporting projects in the short-term.
Jan and Tom were able to support the I’m a Child of Appalachia Fund with a gift through their IRA. Individuals 70 ½ or older are able to direct up to $100,000 from their IRA to support charitable causes while paying no taxes on the amount transferred. These charitable gifts also count toward an IRA’s required minimum distribution – the amount that individuals 72 or older are required to withdraw from their IRA annually.
While Jan and Tom have a long history of charitable giving, their IRA’s required minimum distribution was one reason they chose to make their gift to the I’m a Child of Appalachia Fund through an IRA transfer.
“A gift to the I’m a Child of Appalachia Fund has allowed us to help children access opportunities they might not otherwise have had, and help children have positive experiences and develop a more positive self-image,” said Tom.
To join Jan and Tom with a gift directly to the I’m a Child of Appalachia Fund that will make an impact for generations, while also making an impact today by supporting FAO Signature Initiatives like the ones on the FAO Cause Connector, click here. Or contact FAO to learn more about how you can give in the way that’s best for you, including IRA transfers, gifts of appreciated stock, and more.