The Community Foundation awards first grants from The Fund for Halifax County

The first grant presentations were recently made from The Fund for Halifax County. Shown left to right are: Halifax Fund Advisory Committee members Logan Young, Bill Kelehar and Mayor Carroll Thackston; Community Foundation Director Debra Dodson; South Boston-Halifax County Museum Board President Paul Smith; and Bill McCabe, Southern Virginia Botanical Gardens Board Vice President Bill McCabe and President Dr. Charles Stallard.

( Halifax County – October 24, 2012) -The Fund for Halifax County has awarded its first grants, thanks to the work of the Halifax County Advisory Committee. The committee consists of a few prominent members of Halifax County who wish to see the county grow and prosper. After carefully reviewing the nine applications received, they chose The South Boston-Halifax County Museum and The Southern Virginia Botanical Gardens and Environmental Education Center Inc. to receive a grant of $500 each. They presented the checks on Wednesday, October 24, 2012 at the Botanical Gardens at Edmunds Park in South Boston.

The Fund for Halifax County is a unique opportunity for citizens, organizations and businesses to help build an endowment to improve and enrich lives in Halifax County. The Community Foundation of the Dan River Region hopes to continue to grow this unrestricted fund to enable more grants to be given in the future. The next cycle of grant applications for The Fund for Halifax County will be taken in August 2013.

Anyone can make donations to The Fund for Halifax County. Checks should be made to The Community Foundation, with the Halifax County Fund specified, and mailed to 541 Loyal Street, Danville, VA 24541. Online gifts can be made through www.cfdrr.org. Gifts of stock, life insurance, and personal property can be accepted, as well as will bequests.

The Fund for Halifax County was introduced April 21, 2010 at a Chamber Business After Hours hosted by The Community Foundation with The Prizery. The Fund was established after a $10,000 gift from the Chastain Home of Halifax was given to meet the minimum requirement for an endowed fund. The fund’s current balance is $12,600, thanks to numerous smaller donations.

The Community Foundation has made over $1,000,000 in grants in Halifax County since its formation in 1996. In 2003, the Chastain Home for Gentlewomen gave a gift of $1,030,000 to The Community Foundation to provide three years of grantmaking to charitable organizations assisting elderly women in Halifax County. In 2000, a gift from the estate of Benjamin M. Sugg established a fund to provide annual grants to the Clover Cemetery. In 2011, the South Boston Medical Fund was established for indigent care and general Halifax County charitable causes. Currently a donor is working to raise the $10,000 minimum to endow the Gideon Miller Cancer Fund in memory of the former employee of Wells Fargo in Halifax County.

The Community Foundation of the Dan River Region is a fully tax-exempt organization. It has total assets of more than $23 million, with 102 different funds under its umbrella.

The Foundation began in 1996 as DPC Community Foundation with a core service area of Danville, Pittsylvania and Caswell Counties. In 2004, the Foundation changed its name to The Community Foundation of the Dan River Region to offer its services to Martinsville/Henry County and South Boston/Halifax County.

For more information on The Fund for Halifax County or establishing a charitable fund of any type, contact the Foundation office at 434-793-0884 or visit the web site www.cfdrr.org.

Hospice Support Services Fund Created with Community Foundation

Danville, VA ‐‐ Hospice Support Services has dissolved and transferred its assets to The Community Foundation of the Dan River Region. The new Hospice Support Services Fund will make grants to area nonprofit agencies to provide assistance with expenses not covered by insurance to Danville-Pittsylvania residents who have elected hospice benefit.

The Community Foundation will work through local nonprofit agencies, such as the Danville Cancer Association, to manage the financial assistance program, with the first funds expected to be available in fall 2013.

Hospice Support Services of Danville-Pittsylvania, Inc. began in 1984 as a grassroots movement within the local Mental Health Association and became a reality in 1985 with the acquisition of local grants. In 1985 patients were admitted with hospice services provided by staff and volunteers. After new licensing requirements by the Commonwealth of Virginia Health Department were implemented in 1993, Hospice Support Services worked as a nonprofit arm of Commonwealth Home Nursing & Hospice.

Currently the Danville region has several hospice providers, all of whom are for-profit. The Community Foundation is a 501c3 charitable organization and will be able to accept tax-deductible charitable contributions. The Hospice Support Services Fund would be an appropriate designation for gifts in memory of hospice patients.

“The Community Foundation is grateful that we can help continue the legacy of all the hospice volunteers and donors,” said Debra Dodson, Executive Director of The Community Foundation.

How to Give

Those who wish to support the Hospice Support Services Fund can send donations to The Community Foundation of the Dan River Region, 541 Loyal Street, Danville, VA 24541. Online credit card gifts can be made at www.cfdrr.org. Please designate if your gift is in memory or honor of someone.

In addition to monetary donations, the Community Foundation of the Dan River Region also accepts donations of property and other assets. These donations can often relieve tax burdens for those who donate, their estates or their heirs. Our professional advisors will work with you to find the best options available for maximizing your gift’s value.

Appreciated Property – Gifts of stocks, bonds, mutual funds and real estate can result in dual tax benefits; the full value of the assets are usually deductible, with no capital gains tax paid on the appreciation.

Wills – A will bequest made to the Community Foundation of the Dan River Region is deductible for federal estate tax purposes and may result in additional savings on state inheritance and estate taxes.

IRAs – The gift of an IRA to the Community Foundation of the Dan River Region can, upon your death, eliminate significant income or tax liabilities for the estate.

Life Insurance – A life insurance gift, through a new or existing policy, offers a cost-effective way to make a significant gift to the Community Foundation of the Dan River Region.

The Community Foundation of the Dan River Region is an independent, 501c3 public charity established in September 1996 by a steering committee of local civic leaders to gather permanent funds to support our area. While the Foundation works with donors to establish funds to benefit any geographic area, our primary service area is Danville/Pittsylvania County, Virginia and Caswell County, North Carolina. Donations are also being sought to build up resources for South Boston/Halifax County, with consideration being given to other neighboring counties.