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Jun 14

Public Support Test: 33.3% Is the Magic Number and Here’s Why

By Sponsor Insight

by Jamie Koglin, senior tax accountant, Alerding CPA Group

Whether your public charity is in the early years of formation or has operated for decades, there is one particular mathematical calculation that should always remain at the forefront of your decision making — the public support test. It is a small but mighty calculation that is vital to maintaining status as a public charity. On the Form 990, Schedule A is used to provide detail about sources of support, types of support and, ultimately, to calculate the public support percentage.

According to the IRS, there are two methods in which a non-profit may qualify as a publicly supported charity:

  1. Under IRC Section 509(a)(1): The organization is primarily supported by contributions from governmental units, publicly supported organizations, and/or the general public.
  2. Under IRC Section 509(a)(2): The organization receives no more than one-third of its support from gross investment income and more than one-third of its support from contributions, membership fees, and gross receipts from activities related to its exempt function.

An organization’s reason for public charity status determines which of the tests apply to calculate the public support percentage. For sake of simplicity, this article focuses on the testing under IRC Section 509(a)(1).

The 509(a)(1) Public Support Test

Organizations claiming public charity status under this section must receive at least 33.3% of its support from the public, or from governmental units over a 5-year period — the current year plus the prior four years. At a high level, public support/total support = public support %. Sounds simple right? Wrong. There are several factors used to determine this calculation, therefore, we will break it down further.

The numerator

The public support portion, or the numerator, consists of four important line items. The first three lines include gifts, grants, contributions, membership fees, tax revenues levied and the value of services or facilities furnished by a governmental unit to the organization at no charge. Unusual grants are not to be included. All of these sources of revenue are considered “good money” and help the public support test. The fourth line item is the portion of support classified as excess contributions. Excess contributions are considered “bad money” in that they hurt the public support calculation.

Excess contributions are amounts from a single donor, during a 5-year period, that exceed 2% of the total support of the organization over that same 5-year period. The amounts in excess of 2% are subtracted from the public support total. Thus, large amounts from a single donor, are considered “bad money” and have a negative impact on the support test.

Unusual grants, which are excluded from the calculation entirely, are generally substantial and material contributions from disinterested persons. They are also unusual and unexpected in amount, and large enough to jeopardize the public support calculation. There are many factors that help determine whether a grant is considered unusual, the most common is whether the organization would typically meet the public support test without this grant occurring. The ability to classify a large contribution “unusual” would ultimately be favorable for the public support calculation.

The denominator

The denominator of the calculation includes total contributions and grants, gross income from investments, income from unrelated business activities, other income, and gross receipts from related activities. If the numerator/denominator is greater than 33.3%, the organization passes the public support test. It is also important to note that in the first five years, the organization receives a grace period. The percentage is not calculated until year 6, therefore new organizations have some flexibility in their operations during the first few years.

Most organizations will pass the test consistently without issue. For those receiving a low percentage of support from the public, “tipping” becomes a concern. “Tipping” occurs when a substantial grant or contribution causes the percentage of public support to drop below 33.3%. If this occurs two years in a row, the organization will revert to private foundation status. “Tipping” into private foundation status not only has a negative impact on the organization but also on its donors. Private foundations are subject to more restrictions on its functions and their donors are subject to a lower deductibility of donations. In addition to that, the process to reclaim its public charity status will require a consecutive 60-month period of meeting the public charity test.

There are ways to prevent “tipping,” including seeking diverse sources of funding, ensuring that activities are classified correctly on Schedule A, and paying close attention to amounts that should be classified as unusual. Also, working with donors to ensure that contributions are received in appropriate installments or amounts is important as the impact it can have on the public support test can be unfavorable.

The public support test is critical. It is important to help these organizations understand this test and the impact it can have on maintaining their public status. These organizations are doing a great deal for our communities, and our country as a whole. We want them to do well and maintain their publicly supported status so that they can continue to carry on their mission and support the societies in which we live.

Oftentimes, the organization may not realize the impact on the public support calculation until the end of the year, which could result in an organization unexpectedly losing their public charity status or taxes being imposed. Because of this, it is important to monitor this calculation throughout the year to avoid any disruption when time to file the 990. The stakes are high, so it is important to keep good records and pay close attention. Need help? The trusted advisors at Alerding CPA Group can help navigate through the calculation.

As a senior tax accountant for Alerding CPA Group, Jamie Koglin prepares tax returns for individuals, corporations, partnerships, trusts, non-profits, property tax assessments and various states. Her responsibilities include managing client contact, research and recommendations, preparing extensions, strategic tax planning and quarterly payment consulting and interpreting tax laws and updates.

Jun 14

Pandemic reveals the challenges in eliminating inequities among Hoosier students

By Feature

Local nonprofit leaders predict a complex journey in addressing underlying issues

by Shari Finnell, editor/writer, Not for Profit News

Like many other nonprofit organizations, the team at Christel House Indianapolis had to quickly assess how to carry out its mission in spite of COVID-19 restrictions in early 2020 — an endeavor that revealed many of the challenges facing the students they serve.

“When the pandemic hit last March, our board members and our entire team came together and realized that the pandemic was not just going to last for a couple of weeks,” said Dr. Sarah Weimer, executive director of Christel House Indianapolis.

It was a critical undertaking as they considered the potential for educational setbacks among Christel House students living in some of the most under-resourced communities in Indianapolis. The closing of school buildings for 2,300 K-12 students and 750 adult learners would require addressing any challenges in their home environments.

Technology was identified as a priority, and the team implemented a plan to distribute devices to each of their students at their Indianapolis schools. However, that plan only addressed part of the equation. “They had the device but couldn’t access the Internet to download their assignments,” Weimer said. “We discovered that over 50 percent of our students in Indianapolis did not have access to WiFi.”

Although telecommunications companies offered discounted and free internet service for students in low-income households during the pandemic, more challenges came their way. “Providers were having deals for families to get free internet, but they had barriers,” Weimer said. “If you owed a bill, you couldn’t get free access. If you didn’t have a social security number, you couldn’t get access.” Through a partnership with the Indianapolis Mayor’s Office and a fundraising initiative, Christel House was able to purchase data packages totaling $10,000 a month to support their students. 

In looking back, Weimer said the pandemic further revealed the inequities that already existed based on demographics and neighborhoods. “The inequity question is one that we’re going to be grappling with for years to come,” Weimer said. “We don’t have a good grasp of how impoverished communities and communities of color were impacted by the pandemic. We know statistically but we don’t have an understanding of the toll, including the emotional and mental toll.

“There’s going to be a lot to unpack for the kids,” she added. “Besides academic and learning loss, the students we serve come from backgrounds where they need additional mental health services, food insecurity and childhood trauma, all of which were exacerbated by the pandemic,”

Dennis E. Bland, president of the Center for Leadership Development, an organization that equips African American youth with education, business and community leadership opportunities, including scholarships, said that the pandemic highlighted varying mindsets about the value of an education — a gap that must be addressed to ensure that equity is achieved.

Bland said there often is a perception that everyone understands the opportunities that are open to an individual who is committed to advancing their education. However, he said, that lack of understanding can be at the root of some inequities.

Students, especially those growing up in households where the importance of an education is stressed, will more likely take advantage of tutoring, counseling, summer classes, college prep and other programs that are available to them. “Students who were committed to taking advantage of those resources were the students who did the best,” he said. “It’s not necessarily the lack of resources, it’s a lack of understanding about the value of an education.”

Bland said the conversation must start there — educating students and their family about the value of an education. “It is the duty of caring people in our community to encourage students to study and to take advantage of these resources — not whether or not you feel like it. This is about whether or not you want to be successful. Success often means doing the opposite of what you feel.”

“We need to give more people an education on education,” Bland added. “We struggle as a society because we go along as if we think that people innately value education and learning.”

The challenges in understanding the impact of the pandemic on students is multi-faceted, Weimer agreed. “It’s not just about academic preparedness,” she said. We must address the social and emotional issues that have been confounded during the pandemic year. We will be focusing on those issues during the upcoming year.”

Christel House has had a history of addressing those complexities as part of the support it provides students. “We follow our students for five years after they graduate,” Weimer explained. “Poverty isn’t alleviated just because they graduated. The hurdles they have to overcome don’t magically disappear after they get a diploma.”

The organization tailors a support plan for each student, depending upon their specific needs. As they navigate college or other educational and career paths, each high school graduate stays in contact with college and career administrators who are aware of the potential barriers to their success.

“They (students) can proactively reach out if they need gas cards if they lose a job. If they have a job interview, we can help them secure interview clothes,” Weimer said. “We may have students in college who will sign up for classes and realize their books are not covered by financial aid. We’ll pay for their books.”

Navigating the complexities of college, like understanding what a Bursar’s Office is, can be difficult for first-generation high school graduates or first-generation college-goers, especially since they can’t go to their families for direction, Weimer added. “Some things are foreign for a large portion of our families,” she said.

While these challenges were already familiar to Christel House, the pandemic shed more light on some of the hurdles facing students who are in households where English is a second language. 

Many families with children learning at home are able to easily stand in and help them adjust and assist with questions related to their studies, Weimer noted. However, about 50 percent of the Christel House Indianapolis students live in households where the adults don’t speak English or who don’t engage with computers on a day-to-day basis.

“When they’re trying to help their child navigate assignments or instructions, there’s a language barrier,” Weimer said. “We need to do a better job of paying attention to low-income households, communities of color, immigrants so that we can do a better job of outreach, equitable practices and equitable access.”

Jun 07

Build resiliency into your nonprofit strategic planning

By Sponsor Insight, Uncategorized

by Angela E. White, CRFE, Johnson Grossnickle and Associates

Life is full of opportunities and challenges, and we certainly faced our share in 2020. However, not everything we’ve gone through in the last year is negative. There are some lessons learned we may want to keep — opportunities to capitalize on in the future. It is important to learn from each challenge so you can prepare, mitigate, and more easily turn the next challenge into an opportunity. That’s called resiliency. It sounds easy — but let’s be honest, it isn’t.

Resiliency is the ability to recover from a setback, adapt to new challenges, and keep going in the face of adversity. In a nonprofit, as a staff or volunteer leader, one of the best tools to foster resiliency no matter what is thrown at your organization — internally or externally— is a strategic plan, which:

  • Provides a road map to lead your organization from where you are now to where you would like to be in the future;
  • Sets priorities and focuses your organization’s resources; and
  • Establishes measurable goals and a template to evaluate progress and adapt to a changing environment.

During a recent JGA webinar, I shared six tips to help you create a resilient organization by building resiliency into your strategic planning:

  1. Prepare for the unexpected. Include learning sessions at the beginning of your strategic planning process to provide the knowledge you need to make your organization more resilient.
    a. Acknowledge internal and external threats,
    b. Consider different scenarios and plans,
    c. Stay informed about trends, and
    d. Identify lessons learned.
  2. Concentrate on the customer experience: For nonprofits to be resilient, it is important to think about who your core “customers” are and who your potential “customers” might be as you think about implementing your mission and opportunities for growth.
    a. Provide excellent customer service,
    b. Help your customers (constituents, donors, etc.) make their lives easier,
    c. And anticipate their needs.
  3. Find a niche: Finding your niche doesn’t mean staying stagnant — or just doing what you’ve always done. This is where your mission statement is key. Let it serve as your anchor in this process.
    a. Establish what is unique about your organization and bolster your special traits,
    b. Strengthen and create partnerships, and
    c. Continue to strengthen financial sustainability.
  4. Invest in good tech: Put technology in place to implement a business continuity plan to make your organization resilient and to best position yourself to implement your strategic plan.
    a. Put the right technology in place,
    b. Ensure technology helps you, and
    c. Don’t spend time doing tasks that take you away from your constituents.
  5. Cultivate a productive work culture: The values section of your strategic plan is key to strengthening your work culture and helping you build resiliency. Keep those values central to your future planning and invest in your people as they are the ones who are going to make your strategic plan a reality.
    a. Build a resilient culture through open communications and trusting relationships,
    b. Prioritize learning opportunities, and
    c. Foster team building.
  6. Give back to the community: In your strategic plan, make certain you have embedded opportunities for staff and volunteers to touch and feel your mission, so they understand their role in giving back to the community and supporting the important work you do.
    a. Provide opportunities for staff and volunteers to engage with the mission,
    b. Serve the community, and
    c. Be transparent to foster trust in your organization by stakeholders and the public.

You can learn more about weaving resiliency into your organization’s plans by listening to the complete Nonprofit Resiliency and Strategic Planning webinar recording. If you’d like to discuss undertaking a strategic planning process, creating a short-term plan tailored to your changing environment, or gathering strategic intelligence to inform decision making, we’ve put together a list of special fast-track packages to help you in 2021.

Angela E. White, CFRE, serves as Senior Consultant and CEO of Johnson, Grossnickle and Associates. She previously served as Executive Director for Institutional Advancement at the University of Indianapolis and Vice President of Institutional Advancement at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College. Angela is a faculty member at The Fundraising School at the IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, presents on behalf of the Women’s Philanthropy Institute, and serves on the Committee on Directorship for CFRE International.

Jun 01

Is it time to let go? Then do it

By Sponsor Insight

by Jan Breiner Frazier, managing member, Planning Plus, LLC

Beginnings are exciting, stimulating, and often exhilarating. Endings are functional, inevitable, and sad.

No words are truer than these when thinking about retirement and succession planning. As a 30-plus year consultant, I have advised a number of CEOs, including owners and founders, to begin thinking about succession planning — not only for them but for their key leadership staff and longevity of their organization. In fact, this is a critical discussion topic that generally emanates from strategic planning. And, on more than one occasion, this advice proved valuable to the company when the key leader unexpectedly was out of the picture.

For the past few years, there has been a sea change occurring in the non-profit community as founders, and long-term CEOs and executive directors are thinking about, planning for, or have already followed through on retirement. Many of those who rose to the occasion of providing “human” services in such areas of healthcare, housing, food insecurity, mental health, domestic violence, etc. to those needing a helping hand were children of the 60’s who wanted to make the world a better place. Many of them did. But, as with all human endeavors, it becomes time to take a rest and turn it over to the next generation.

This article, however, is not about the need for succession planning. Rather, this writing is geared to those who are handing over the reins — and it is much harder than it sounds. I can attest to that.

During my consulting tenure, I have gathered a body of knowledge used to guide, lead and often direct organizations towards success. For the last few years, I have been transferring much of that knowledge to my partners so they can continue the organization into the future, or as long as they want (it helps that they love what we do). As a professional, I know that what I do, I do very well. But as a founder, I know that I need to be open to new ideas of what we do, how we do it, and for whom. At some point, I have to let go to allow my protégés the freedom to experience their own successes, challenges and, yes, sometimes failures. That is the only way to grow.

If I have done my job well, they will be fine. Just as parents must trust they have created a solid foundation for their children to succeed, so it is with business leaders. Yet the human condition is such that it is often difficult to manage such a transition.

As I look at a five-year plan, these are the steps I recommend (and am trying to follow):

  1. Provide opportunities for professional development in other areas than your primary business. Ensure the next generation is well versed not only in your industry, but in higher level thinking and strategizing opportunities. My two partners have enrolled in multiple programs to increase their skill sets (and obtain several certifications) as well as find new ways of looking at things.
  2. Avoid being the “final” say on proposals and project methodologies. Make sure others know the critical pieces but allow for their own language, tone, and approach to working with clients.
  3. Become more of a mentor than a boss. Rather than explaining how they should proceed, ask the critical questions about why they have chosen a particular path.
  4. Identify (and stick to) the role you will play over the next year, two years, etc. It is exceedingly difficult for staff when you float in and out of the business — one day hands off, the next day micro-managing.
  5. Remain open to their ideas of operations, approach, and implementation, while at the same time ensure they are up to speed on all financial and legal requirements of the organization.

To some, this article may seem like “of course” simple concepts, and you may already be going down this path. But for those of you thinking about winding down over the next few years — and those of you who are ready to take up the mantle — it would be an interesting conversation to have to determine how well you are managing an impending transition.

What does staff need from you? How can you provide guidance instead of management? And, most importantly, what legacy do you want to leave?

May 25

Circle Up Indy’s 5th Annual Peace Festival raises awareness about ongoing needs in disadvantaged neighborhoods

By Feature

by Shari Finnell, editor/writer

James C. Wilson, CEO and founder of the nonprofit organization Circle Up Indy, vividly recalls the day he was interviewed by a TV journalist for a story about his volunteerism in Martindale-Brightwood — an Eastside Indianapolis neighborhood plagued by poverty and high unemployment rates.

At the time, Wilson, who grew up in the neighborhood, was astonished that many of his neighbors were calling out to him during the taping … asking him to be a spokesperson on their behalf. “Tell them about the sidewalks! Politicians don’t care about us!,” Wilson said, recalling some of the pleas directed at him.

Those voices stuck with him, prompting him to step beyond his volunteerism to launch Circle Up Indy in 2014. The organization is focused on advocating for initiatives to transform impoverished neighborhoods in Indianapolis and surrounding counties, including Martindale-Brightwood.

Circle Up Indy also hosts an annual festival that is designed to raise awareness and intentionally discuss and address socio-economic disadvantages many black and minority families experience and to increase community accountability across the city, according to an organization statement.

Due to COVID-19, the festival was cancelled in 2020, Wilson said, but the 5th Annual Peace Festival is on for this year. It is scheduled for July 10, from noon to 7 p.m., at Frederick Douglass Park on the Park’s 100th Anniversary. Because of the late start in determining whether the festival would go on as scheduled, Wilson and his team are still seeking commitments for vendors and partners.

Wilson, who also has a podcast through a WISH-TV partnership, acknowledges that he sometimes feels overwhelmed with his role in transforming his childhood neighborhood and others like it. He said he feels a responsibility to advocate for transformation, which, in all too many cases, seems to be a slow process.

“I’m honored but I’m terrified. I just want to help people,” Wilson said. “There’s a lot of pressure on me to change things but at times it seems we’re barely pushing the needle. I’m watching friends and family die.”

Wilson, who spent most of his formative years — since the age of 10 — in and out of prison, has first-hand knowledge of the challenges facing some of the youth and families in troubled neighborhoods. “I never had a father teach me how to be a man. The streets taught me what I thought it meant to be a man,” he said.

During his last stint in prison, the trajectory of Wilson’s life took a turn for the better. He met several older inmates who saw his untapped potential. “These brothers taught me so much about life,” he said. “They kept reiterating, ‘they can take your body, but they can’t take your mind.’”

When Wilson was released after serving eight years of a 10-year prison term on a robbery conviction, he thought about those invaluable lessons and attended Ivy Tech, where he became active in volunteerism, including serving as student body president, regularly participating in Lilly Global Day of Service, and serving as president of Collegiate 100, an affiliate of 100 Black Men of Indianapolis.

It was then that his community work caught the attention of a television station, which led to that unforgettable exchange with his neighbors. “After that interview, I didn’t know what to do about all the issues going on in my community … no resources, no jobs, no housing opportunities, lack of quality education,” Wilson said. “They feel snubbed because they don’t see development in their community.”

He considered what he could do to encourage an investment of resources in the community to change outcomes, including health-related programs to address mental health and addiction.

Through Circle Up Indy, he has seen progress but not as much as he had hoped for seven years ago. He is encouraged that an increasing number of individuals representing various organizations have taken the time to visit the Martindale-Brightwood neighborhood, including executive leaders from Central Indiana Community Foundation, Lilly Endowment, Inc., and Community Health Network, a major sponsor of the 5th Annual Peace Festival.

He noted major milestones such as the opening of a 15,000-square-foot library in 2020 and the Kipp Indy Legacy High, a high school that was founded in 2019.

Wilson noted that housing is a major issue in the community. “Education is always a concern but it’s offset when you have housing issues,” he said. “No one feels comfortable in school if their home situation is not stable.”

Earlier this year, the city of Indianapolis announced that $3.5 million would be invested in the Martindale-Brightwood neighborhood as part of the Lift Indy program. Under the initiative, at least 10 low-income households will have the opportunity for homeownership through career coaching and home repair.

Wilson said he is hopeful that more changes are coming for Martindale-Brightwood through a strategic, comprehensive plan that takes into account the root causes of the problems in the neighborhood — not just the data.

“It’s just the beginning,” Wilson said. “It takes a community. Not just me. It takes all of us.”

About the 5th Annual Peace Festival

The event, which takes place on July 10, from noon to 7 p.m., at Frederick Douglass Park, offers a wide range of information and resources staffed by local organizations who will help the community focus on addressing untreated trauma, slow economic development, and community accountability through effective programs, resources, employment, entrepreneurial development, and educational opportunities.

The Community Health Network Pavilion (Healthcare Zone), staffed by Community Health Network physicians, nurses, and volunteers, will provide attendees with blood pressure checks, free COVID-19 vaccines, mental health education, and other health-related wellness education.

The festival also will feature carnival games, drawings, prizes, kid zone activities, animal attraction, food and live entertainment.

Circle Up Indy is inviting vendors, exhibitors and volunteers to register to participate. Vendors can register here, exhibitors can register here and volunteers can register here.

May 17

Achieving racial inclusion in the workplace

By Sponsor Insight

by Jeremy York, author, Synergy, adapted from the Society for Human Resource Management

Ensuring people from underrepresented communities are recruited and advanced is far more beneficial for an organization than recruiting or advancing any one individual. Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) attempts to level the playing field to allow the best ideas to flourish, connect talented individuals from underrepresented backgrounds with opportunities that those in the majority often have unfair access to, and empower the best organizations to thrive. Done right, creating diverse, equitable, inclusive organizations yield greater profitability, innovation, and smarter teams.

When employees who are different from their colleagues are allowed to flourish, the company benefits from their ideas, skills and engagement. The retention rate of those workers also rises. Here are five practical strategies for creating an inclusive environment.

  1. Educate your leaders. Your organization’s executives and managers will be instrumental to your DEI efforts. Leaders — especially middle managers — must be held accountable for results. Leaders should be expected to demonstrate a commitment to inclusivity and, more importantly, to be responsible for the environment in their respective departments. Ongoing feedback from their own managers will help to hold them accountable, as does tying the goal to their performance evaluations.
  2. Form an inclusion council. Consider forming a council comprised of a dedicated group of eight to 12 influential leaders who are one or two levels below the CEO. Carefully select them for their passion and commitment to inclusion. They need to be “a channel for communication” between the rank and file and the C-suite, and that includes advocating for inclusiveness in discussions with top executives when necessary. Ideally, councils should be involved in goal-setting around hiring, retaining and advancing a diverse workforce and in addressing any employee engagement problems among underrepresented employee groups.
  3. Celebrate employee differences. One of the most important ways to show employees that you respect their backgrounds and traditions is to invite them to share those in the workplace. It’s well-known that diversity in teams leads to better decision-making, greater innovation and, ultimately, higher returns. Inclusion is what connects people to the business, and we believe it’s one of the core reasons that diverse employees stay with organizations that recognize and celebrate diversity.
  4. Listen to employees. Conduct a comprehensive assessment of your organization’s demographics and people processes to develop specific strategies to promote inclusiveness. Think about the culture you want and how you can create one that is authentic to your brand while meeting the needs of your employees.
  5. Communicate goals and measure progress. Establish and clearly communicate specific, measurable and time-bound goals as you would with any other strategic aim. Every company should first benchmark their culture before they begin investing in it. Here are some actions to follow:

    Conduct a full audit of your people processes — from recruiting and hiring to developing and retaining employees. Couple the data with engagement and other workforce survey data to gain a full measure of your climate.
  • Identify any shortcomings and measurable discrepancies around inclusiveness in your organization.
  • Instill rigor into inclusion strategies with data-driven plans, and measure the results.
  • Establish a clear business case for how the company will benefit by having a more inclusive culture by asking:
  1. What are our inclusion goals?
  2. What are the reasons for those goals?
  3. How do we quantify inclusion?
  4. How will inclusion impact our mission, brand or bottom line?

When you can answer these questions, you’re speaking the language of your stakeholders, legitimizing the business of inclusion and making inclusion a ‘verb’ versus an ideal.

Instead of trying to change some people to fit the organization, we must focus on transforming our organizations to fit all people. To get workplace diversity and inclusion right, you need to build a culture where everyone feels valued and heard.

To hear the full interview with Jeremy York of Synergy, click below.

May 10

Addressing Indianapolis’ food desert challenges

By Feature

by Shari Finnell, editor/writer, Not for Profit News

For many Indianapolis residents, the ritual of getting dinner on the table throughout the week may involve a combination of trips to the grocery store, takeout and delivery from a few favorite restaurants or, as an increasingly popular option, meal kit delivery subscriptions.

Those options are rarely available for at least 208,000 people living in Indianapolis neighborhoods that fall into the category of food deserts, according to “Getting Groceries,” a report published by SAVI in 2019. The report, which tracked the number of people who live in low-income areas with no grocery stores and healthy food options easily accessible by public transportation, revealed a 10 percent increase from 2016 to 2019 — just one year before the COVID-19 pandemic, an event that likely further exacerbated food access challenges.

With grocery retailers closing, as in the case of Marsh in 2017, and others opening or expanding in non-food desert areas of the city, corporations, nonprofits and government leaders have announced plans in recent months to fill the gap.

One of the most recent developments is a proposed14,000-square-foot grocery store near 38th Street and Sheridan Avenue — a location that has been designated as a food desert. Cook Medical, Inc., based in Bloomington, Ind., announced it is collaborating with numerous nonprofit organizations and neighborhood leaders to prepare for the opening of Indy Fresh Market in 2022. The partners include Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana, The Indianapolis Foundation, IMPACT Central Indiana, Martin University, the State of Indiana, City of Indianapolis, and the United Northeast Community Development Corporation.

In another recent development, the state of Indiana approved a pilot project that would provide $600,000 to an individual or entity opening a grocery store in a low-income area “where access to resources for food is limited in a consolidated city.” The money is to be used specifically for providing training and acquiring equipment for a store being opened by people who already have private funding to build or rent a building.

Also, Local Initiative Support Corporation (LISC) and the Anthem Foundation are issuing a series of grants — totaling $2.45 million — under Equitable Food Systems in Indianapolis Neighborhoods, an initiative to increase food access and food security in food deserts. Those applying for the grants may offer a range of options, from community kitchens to urban gardens, grocery stores or mobile markets. 

Ultimately, these latest developments in Central Indiana can make a significant impact in health outcomes for people who currently live in food deserts, said Unai Miguel Andres, a GIS and data analyst for The Polis Center, which launched the SAVI project.

“Having a grocery store will allow you to make more health-conscious choices,” Miguel Andres says. “Living in areas that are lower income can deprive you of healthy food access, which can lead to serious health consequences such as obesity and diabetes. The assumption is that they will be able to improve their health outcomes because of the ease of being able to access healthy foods.”

Miguel Andres also said that it is important to understand the distinction between food insecurity and food access.

“Food access, in general, has gotten worse with Marsh closing (throughout the city) and Kroger closing in economically deprived areas where there’s nothing else,” he said. “That’s the access part. During the pandemic, from an economic point of view, many people lost their jobs and joined those classified as low-income.”

As a result, this new group of people are considered food insecure, Miguel Andres added. “Whether you have the means to access healthy food options, you’re facing food insecurity. The grocery store may be right in front of your house, but you may not be able to afford to shop there,” he said.

Under the Cook Medical partnership, the manufacturer will build the store and IMPACT Central Indiana will provide start-up capital. Two entrepreneurs, Michael McFarland and Marckus Williams, who are from the neighborhood will oversee the day-to-day operations, according to Cook Medical. McFarland and Williams will undergo training at Martin University, which offers business administration degrees. As part of the plan, the entrepreneurs will eventually take over ownership of the grocery store as part of a lease-to-own model.

“Food deserts exist throughout our state,” said Pete Yonkman, president of Cook Medical and Cook Group in a press release. “They are in our cities and in our rural communities. And we know that more than a quarter of Black Hoosiers live in a food desert. The challenges around food insecurity exacerbates already present health inequalities that can impact many generations to come. Michael and Marckus started with an idea to invest in this community and we, along with the many other partners, are excited to support them in this journey.”

Yonkman also said that the project could serve as a model that could be replicated by other partnerships. “With the support of Martin University to provide an educational curriculum for grocery store operations, our hope is that this project can serve as a model that can be replicated in other neighborhoods and communities,” he said “We’re focused on creating a sustainable business model that supports community ownership and continued education so Northeast Indy can reach its full potential.”

Miguel Andres anticipates that partnerships among various entities and individuals are likely to continue as the benefits of healthy food access are increasingly realized. “Nonprofits, hospital and health systems, and community organizations are coming together to open stores in underserved areas because they know there are benefits — healthwise — in providing these resources,” he said.

May 05

Nosotros también somos filantropía: La importancia de la representación en las organizaciones sin fines de lucro y específicamente en la filantropía

By Espanol

por Tashi Copeland
 
La falta de oportunidades, equidad e inclusión en las empresas estadounidenses ha sido un tema muy discutido durante este año. Sin embargo, las entidades sin fines de lucro no pueden excluirse de esta conversación. Múltiples estudios muestran que esta industria todavía es predominantemente blanca, especialmente en términos de roles de liderazgo y juntas directivas. Los líderes de organizaciones sin fines de lucro deben aumentar su conciencia sobre las barreras que enfrentan los aspirantes a líderes de color, desarrollar su capacidad para afrontarlas y, en última instancia, desmantelarlas. 
 
La Fundación Comunitaria de Indiana Central (Central Indiana Community Foundation, CICF) reconoce el efecto dominó en el sector filantrópico cuando hay una falta de diversidad, equidad e inclusión. Sin líderes de color, no hay una comprensión cercana de las experiencias racializadas de esas comunidades. Sin personal de color, hay poca o ninguna responsabilidad ante esas comunidades y, en última instancia, sin perspectivas de las personas de color, hay un refuerzo de la brecha de oportunidades raciales: un sesgo sobre cómo se diseminaron los dólares filantrópicos. 
 
La CICF reconoce que la comunidad negra, la comunidad latina, la comunidad asiática, las comunidades indígenas, LGTBQ + y las personas con discapacidad siempre han estado arraigadas en el sector filantrópico, independientemente de su título o afiliación. Cada uno de nosotros, en CICF, celebramos su trabajo y continuaremos elevando sus voces.

Y esta es la voz de Tashi Copeland, gerente de comunicaciones de CICF, con su artículo, “Nosotros, también, somos filantropía”. 

Filantropía. Un colectivo de personas que se esfuerza por crear un cambio profundo.
Creando causas para elevar al colectivo, ya sea la recopilación de tiempo, talento o tesoro.
Pero falta algo.   

Ustedes pueden apreciar que, desde el principio, esta sección de nuestra sociedad estaba reservada para blancos acaudalados.
Y aunque las décadas crearon innovaciones en campañas de promoción y donación,
las dirigencias, los rostros de los equipos y salas de juntas de estas fundaciones no cambiaron.  

Así que ahora nos encontramos en una situación difícil.
El dilema de 2021 es una pandemia, tanto en nuestros cuerpos como en nuestras juntas directivas.
Cuando las decisiones de financiamiento carecen de reflexión porque no hay un miembro de nuestras comunidades a la vista,
nos ignoran.

Cuando la solicitud de subvención no ofrece otra opción que la lengua de los padres fundadores, (Os Estados Unidos não têm língua oficial…por cierto)
nos silencian.

Cuando las barreras falsas, como esa de que la fundación se quedó corta para dar financiamiento a las organizaciones de base,
nos quedamos cortos en el cambio.

Cuando los directivos solo prestan atención a su círculo con quien comparten las mismas membresías del club,
no podemos ser escuchados.

Cuando la narrativa de las comunidades carece de un lenguaje de activos y solo reduce el déficit,
luchamos por demostrar nuestro valor.

Lo que necesitamos es una verdadera oportunidad, equidad e inclusión, no el engaño simbólico en el que nos encontramos hoy en día.
Pero alguien tiene que ser la chispa para encender estas conversaciones, para posteriores iteraciones, del verdadero cambio.
Para mí, la CICF ha sido esa chispa.   

Es una organización que me permite poner todo mi ser en el trabajo.
De mis trenzas artificiales hasta mis preguntas atrevidas.
Y no cuestiona mi silencio cuando los medios constantemente reavivan mi trauma pasado.

Es una fundación que me da la base para saber que está bien cometer errores.
sin perder mi participación en este trabajo crítico.

Trabajar con un equipo de líderes en los que veo mi reflejo, muestra el cambio que debe realizarse en este sector filantrópico.
  
Sin embargo, yo soy solo una cara en un mar de personas morenas y negras que tocan la puerta de la filantropía.

Estamos listos para quitar la cortina y permitir que entre la luz sobre las disparidades en el sector que está lingüísticamente arraigado en el amor a la humanidad.

Estamos listos para abrir las puertas a las organizaciones que nuestros padres fundadores hubieran considerado una locura.

Estamos listos para construir un vecindario de líderes morenos y negros a quienes se les dé más que migajas.

Estamos listos para compartir el legado de Langston de estar en la mesa cuando llegue la compañía.

Nosotros también somos filantropía.

May 03

We, Too, Are Philanthropy: How Representation Matters in Not-for-Profits and Specifically in Philanthropy

By Sponsor Insight

by Tashi Copeland

To read in Spanish, click here. Translation provided by LUNA Language Services.
 
The lack of opportunity, equity and inclusion in corporate America has been a hot topic this year. However, not-for-profit entities cannot be excluded from this conversation. Multiple studies show that this industry still is predominantly white, especially in terms of leadership roles and boards. Not-for-profit leaders need to raise their awareness of the barriers facing aspiring leaders of color, build their capacity to address these barriers — and ultimately dismantle these barriers. 
 
Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF) recognizes the ripple effect on the philanthropic sector when there’s a lack of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Without leaders of color, there’s no intimate understanding of the racialized experiences of communities of color. With no staff of color, there’s little to no accountability to communities of color. And ultimately, with no perspectives from people of color, there’s a reinforcement of the racial opportunity gap — a bias into how philanthropic dollars are disseminated.  
 
CICF recognizes that the Black community, the Latinx community, the Asian community, Indigenous communities, LGTBQ+, and people with disabilities have always been entrenched in the philanthropic sector, regardless of title or affiliation. All of us. We at CICF celebrate their work and will continue to uplift their voices. 

And this is the voice of Tashi Copeland, communications manager at CICF, with my piece, “We, Too, are Philanthropy.”  

Philanthropy. A collective of people, powering on to create profound change.
Creating causes to uplift the collective, 
whether that be the collection of time, talent, or treasure. 
But there’s something missing.   

You see from its erection, this section, of our society was sectioned off for wealthy white men. 
And while the decades created innovations in advocacy and giving campaigns,
the people in power, the faces of these foundations’ teams and boardrooms,
they didn’t change.  

So now we find ourselves in a predicament. 
The predicament of 2021 is a plague of pandemic, both in our bodies and our boardrooms.  
When funding decisions lack insight because there is not a member of our communities in sight,
we are overlooked.

When the grant application lends no option other than the founding fathers’ tongue,
(Estados Unidos tiene no idoma oficial…by the way)
we are silenced.  

When false barriers like the foundation is short-changed to give grassroots organizations funding,
we fall short of change.  

When members of leadership will only lend their ears to their network with the same club memberships,
we cannot be heard. 

When the narrative of communities lacks asset-based language and only pens the deficit,
we struggle to demonstrate our worth. 

What we need is true opportunity, equity and inclusion—not the tokenism delusion we often find ourselves in today.
But someone has to be the spark to fire up these conversations, for further iterations, of true change. 
For me, CICF has been that spark.   

It’s an organization that allows me to bring my whole self to work.
From my faux locs to my bold questions.
And does not question my silence when the media constantly re-triggers my past trauma. 

It’s a foundation that gives me the foundation to be okay with making mistakes
without losing my stake in this critical work. 

Working with a leadership team that I see my own reflection,
mirrors the change that needs to be made in this philanthropic sector. 
  
But I am just one face in a sea of Black and Brown people, knocking on the doors of philanthropy. 

We are ready to tear down the curtains and shine a light on the disparities in the sector that is linguistically rooted in the love of humanity.

We are ready to open doors to organizations’ missions our founding fathers would have deemed insanity.

We are ready to build a neighborhood of Brown and Black leaders who are given more than crumbs. 

We are ready to live out Langston’s legacy of being at the table when company comes. 

We, too, are philanthropy. 

Tashi Copeland is the communications manager at Central Indiana Community Foundation. She has always had a passion for strategic thinking and creative communication. Her ultimate goal is to uplift the voices and stories of those who often are overlooked.

Apr 19

Professionals working or volunteering for nonprofits share how they gained new insights through alternative law program

By Sponsor Insight

by Rebecca Trimpe, writer/editor, IU Robert H. McKinney School of Law

Many professionals working and volunteering in not-for-profit organizations find it invaluable to gain knowledge of the law and how it intersects with their entity’s efforts. You don’t need a law degree to gain that skill set. Leaders at many Central Indiana nonprofits, who are graduates of or current students in the Master of Jurisprudence (M.J.) program at IU Robert H. McKinney School of Law, shared their insights into how the program has helped them in their positions.

Aura Day, who is on track to graduate in May 2021, volunteers through Families First on the crisis and suicide prevention hotline as a crisis intervention specialist. Day said she is gratified by the immediate impact the organization has on people’s lives.

“Everyone needs support and assistance during different points in their lifetime and being able to support others is not only self-rewarding but it inspires others in many ways,” Day said. “Some people need to hear it’s OK to accept assistance. I believe we aren’t supposed to do life solo. It’s really a way we can start seeing how a small gesture grows into a making a huge impact to our neighbors.” Day said the flexibility of the M.J. program held a lot of appeal because she was able to tailor the coursework to align with her specific interests and to choose from day, evening, or a combination of class times to fit into her schedule.

Arun Murali serves as President of the Board of Directors for Lawrence Township School Foundation and is on the Board of Directors for the Ronald McDonald House of Central Indiana. The 2017 M.J. graduate was drawn to IU McKinney from a desire to learn more about the legal processes that affected his business and to potentially position himself for future board member roles. Murali is passionate about not-for-profits that help people in need and in particular ones that focus on children’s needs. “I think this is an important time for non-profits in the history of the world,” Murali said. “I believe when most people hear ‘non-profit,’ they hear ‘please donate money.’ And while that is an important part of the dynamic there is so much more to it, like organizational leadership, financial management, marketing, volunteering, and more.”

Eddie Rivers, a 2017 M.J. graduate, has worked as a guardian ad litem for more than 20 years and has served many child advocacy organizations. Rivers currently is the chief development officer at Kid’s Voice of Indiana, after serving as its chief executive officer for 15 years. While he already had the skill set needed to work at the organization, Rivers wanted to understand law so that he could better manage the team of lawyers he supervised. “I ran a law firm with only managerial skills and a big heart,” Rivers said. The M.J. program allowed him to focus his coursework on child and family law so he could better understand what the lawyers he worked with were up against in their work at Kids’ Voice.

Melody Schulz took part in Leadership Johnson County (LJC) and, after completing the M.J. program in 2019, she was asked to join the organization’s board of trustees, where she serves as a member of the Alumni Relations Committee. Schulz, a 2017 M.J. graduate, said that the program taught her to think differently and helped strengthen her analytical skills, which she uses to help monitor LJCs’ finances, programs, and performance.

Maureen Shiel is on track to graduate in May 2021 and is IU McKinney’s first M.J./M.A. in Philanthropic Studies at the IUPUI Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. She serves on the board of directors for Impact 100 Indy and serves as the assistant treasurer and vice chair of a grants committee. “I am passionate about non-profit work because I value peace for the human race and our planet,” Shiel said. “I hope to contribute to transformational change in the Indianapolis community and around the world. An M.J. supports my work by enhancing my operational knowledge and ability to manage partnerships with the public sector.”

To learn more about how the M.J. program at IU McKinney, visit the law school’s website.

Rebecca Trimpe is the former editor and publisher of Indiana Lawyer. She also served as managing editor of what was then the Daily Ledger in Noblesville. Trimpe, who has a degree in political science and journalism from Indiana University, writes and edits for the I.U. Robert H. McKinney School of Law’s website, as well as print publications.