The Williams Give the Gift of Lifelong Philanthropy
Austin Community Foundation (ACF) is not an organization that is built on the typical non-profit model. According to Executive Director MariBen Ramsey, “Our organization is not the go-to place to make a one-time gift, rather, it is the outlet to start a lifelong tradition of giving.”
The idea of creating a philanthropic habit in their household was what attracted Monica and Norwood Williams to work with ACF and Give Realty. “We wanted to make philanthropy a bigger part of our family’s actions and the lessons we teach our children, so it was a win-win and the only fit that made sense.”
The Williams’ move from Convict Hill to Brushy Creek created a $2688.75 family fund, which may be viewed as a “charity checking account.” The Williams have the option to make donations online to charities of their choice. At the end of the year, they will receive a statement detailing their contributions for tax reporting.
The ability to continually give has made the reward of their move so much more than about just a house. “This is a Give Realty sponsored opportunity to build something for our family. The purchase of our house has become an outlet for longtime giving for our children,” said the Williams.
ACF agrees its services are customized for building traditions of charity and personal ties between the family and the community to which it is contributing. According to Ramsey, “It’s an excellent opportunity for donors to build upon the community infrastructure with their families. We build relationships with the family to make giving back easy.”
The process of finding a cause important to you is made easy with the guidance of ACF, as they manage more than 900 charitable funds. ACF works to make all of these diverse funds prosper so they can continuously flow back into the community, creating an ongoing cycle of giving. Read on for just a few examples of ACF funds and how you can contribute.
Three Ways to Help Austin Community Fund
1. Support the Central Texas Wildfire Fund. Financial contributions are needed for 500 children without a home in Bastrop County to provide basics and trauma counseling.
2. Support AISD and schools in response to cutbacks. The quality of our future depends on what we do now!
3. Support the Women’s Fund. These funds are directed to grants aiding women and children in a variety of ways, for example, insuring women have training for jobs that pay a living wage.
