Have you heard about the Impact Austin Philanthropy Circle? This special designation honors members who contribute $250 or more - beyond their yearly dues - to the Impact Austin Annual Fund. The Annual Fund is an unrestricted operating fund that helps to support Impact Austin's mission.
Why does Impact Austin need to raise additional support through an Annual Fund? After all, each member's annual dues already includes a portion that is applied to our operations. We combine $1,000 (80%) from each member’s annual gift into a central fund dedicated to grants, with the remaining $250 (20%) helping defray the costs for our Signature Events, education initiatives, and operations. But, did you know that this practice covers about half of Impact Austin's annual operating expenses? The Annual Fund helps fill the gap. By contributing to the Annual Fund, and especially by joining the new Impact Austin Philanthropy Circle, you will bolster our mission and help ensure all members have an exceptional educational and volunteer experience.
Another way to give above and beyond annual membership dues is through The Rebecca Warren Powers Endowment, which was started in 2016 as an investment in our organization’s permanence. An endowment (ideally at least twice the size of an organization’s annual budget) is invested to grow the principal and to provide additional income for future investing and expenditures to support the mission. Over time, the investment proceeds generated by our endowment will help support Impact Austin's annual budget by providing a steady income stream, which will help ensure our long-term sustainability to weather changing economic cycles. Put simply, the larger the endowment, the more operating income we earn.
Members often ask about methods for making gifts, either towards membership, the Annual Fund or our Endowment. We recently hosted a webinar, The Art of Impactful Giving. It featured an incredible panel of Impact Austin financial and estate planning experts, each giving insightful information on how to plan your philanthropic giving with passion and purpose. In the webinar, we heard about various ways of giving, beyond cash, check or credit card.
If you missed the webinar and want to learn more about planning your philanthropic giving, you can watch the recording of the webinar on our YouTube channel!
If you have any questions, or would like to learn more about the Impact Austin Philanthropy Circle, Rebecca Warren Powers Endowment, or ways of making gifts, please contact us!
