It’s only September. You still have plenty of time to pick out a Halloween costume, plan your Thanksgiving menu and do your holiday shopping.
“September is actually a great time to be thinking about it,” said Jennifer Touchet, vice president of personal and family philanthropy of the Greater Houston Community Foundation.
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Giving is what her organization is all about. “We are the philanthropic hub for Houston,” Touchet said.
Community foundations exist across the country; they are 501(c)3s that partner with individuals and businesses to receive charitable donations, manage philanthropic assets and award grants to other nonprofits.
Founded in 1995, the Greater Houston Community Foundation is “one of the younger community foundations but also one of the fastest growing,” Touchet said.
For more information, visit ghcf.org. To see the Understanding Houston database, visit understandinghouston.org.
The foundation has donated $2.2 billion since its establishment and currently has more than $1.3 billion total assets under management. Through its efforts, in 2022, more than $301 million has been distributed to 5,900 nonprofit organizations, as well as more than $3.9 million in scholarships.
“We help clients with giving, but we also steward philanthropic efforts on their behalf,” Touchet said. “We work with donors who give all over the country, all over the world, but primarily in Houston.”
To better comprehend critical needs in the region, the Greater Houston Community Foundation joined with the Kinder Institute for Urban Research to create Understanding Houston. The online database follows 200 indicators in key areas, from health and housing to environment and economic opportunity.
“It’s available to the public and nonprofits,” Touchet said. “We have a lot of content to pull from for anyone who wants to make an impact. There’s a lot of data and information on where the city needs help.
“We encourage people to gather as much information as they can when donating,” she said.
The foundation also offers an online giving guide of Black-led Houston organizations. The organization “is taking action to elevate awareness around equity and racial justice,” according to its website. “There is much work to do, and we are beginning a more intentional journey of listening, learning, and creating meaningful change.”
Touchet believes in starting early when it comes to planning year-end giving. Discovering your passion as a donor can take time, as can determining the best way to foster change.
“Give with your heart and your head,” Touchet said. “The more you plan ahead, the greater impact you will have.’
Starting early can also maximize the tax benefit of year-end giving, she added.
The Greater Houston Community Foundation helps clients connect with meaningful causes and make the greatest impact with their gifts. Donor-advised funds are an effective giving tool, she said.
The foundation offers consulting services and provides scholarship funds and manages corporate giving and legacy planning. The organization also is a leader in disaster relief and recovery efforts.
“People, post-disasters, want to give, but it can be hard to figure out where,” Touchet said. “We’re intimately connected with the nonprofit sector and we know which organizations are ready to go.”
In 2021, the foundation formalized a long-term partnership with the United Way of Greater Houston to better coordinate response after disasters.
A number of education opportunities are available through the Greater Houston Community Foundation, including donor meetings focused on specific issues and site visits.
Dr. Manu Gupta, managing director at Indus Management Group, said he learned a lot from attending the Foundation’s Next Gen Donor Institute.
“I’ve always been into social giving, whatever organizations my friends were raising money for or organizations that interested me,” he said. “I really wanted to learn how I could focus my giving and make a true impact in the community.
“Whether you want to give time, money or knowledge, nonprofit organizations out there are looking for motivated and truly interested people to help them out.”
The foundation also offers a number of giving circles, collaborative efforts available for individuals who want to support causes. Members enjoy peer support and camaraderie.
For instance, the organization’s Family Giving Circle is a grant-making program for teenagers. High school and middle students give around $10,000 to $15,000.
“They read grant applications and go on site visits,” Touchet said. “They’re learning all the ways to be an engaged citizen.”
In all of the Greater Houston Community Foundation’s efforts, the mission is to increase philanthropy in the city, Touchet said.
She encourages Houstonians to consider the many ways to support worthy causes, whether through time, talent or treasure, at the end of the year and beyond.
“Think about giving as a habit,” she said. “We want to build good habits. And we really want people to think about giving all year round.”
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