“The foundation has such a depth of knowledge about the local nonprofit community, and how we – also by getting our kids involved – can make a difference. It’s very turnkey.”
Ask Jane McConnell about her approach to giving, and she’ll answer that she and her husband – TJ Heyman, a former trustee of Community Foundation Boulder County – have different “buckets” of giving by which they aim to make a difference in our community, and beyond.
“For the most part, we focus our giving on two areas,” says Jane, a current and long-time trustee of the foundation, as well is an active volunteer, freelance writer, and mother of four. “My passion is education and addressing the achievement gap, locally. TJ’s passion is democracy and supporting ways to save our democracy in a politically divided climate, like the work of the Millennial Action Project – a nonpartisan organization that’s focused on developing millennial policymakers to overcome partisanship on future-focused challenges and reforms.
“For my part, I’ve found education to be the most hopeful area to invest in because I believe there’s no better way to break the cycle of poverty, to lift people out of poverty, and to help level the playing field.”
About five years ago, the couple established a Donor-Advised Fund at the Community Foundation to help streamline their giving.
“Having a Donor-Advised Fund allowed us to be more strategic – and less scattered – in our philanthropy,” explains Jane. “Like ‘one-stop shopping,’ we can pull up our fund online and see at glance how much and where we’re giving. We can quickly and easily see what organizations we’ve giving to, that support the causes we believe in. And I love knowing that the fees we pay support the foundation’s good work in the community.
“Another benefit is having the foundation’s philanthropic advisors guide our giving. The foundation has such a depth of knowledge about the local nonprofit community, and how we – also by getting our kids involved – can make a difference. It’s very turnkey.”
Jane further points out that she and TJ are building up their endowment with the goal of making more significant gifts to fewer organizations for even greater impact.
“TJ and I have always given a percentage [10%] of our income – that’s something we feel really strongly about,” she says. “But when we moved here from San Francisco 28 years ago, TJ was struck by a different ethos of giving in Boulder County than we were used to.” Indeed, according to the foundation’s TRENDS Report, Boulder County’s giving ratio – that is, charitable contributions to adjusted gross income – is very low, ranking 44th out of 64 Colorado counties.
“TJ noticed that fact and approached the Community Foundation to see if there was something that could be done about it,” adds Jane. “That was about 25 years ago, and we’ve both been involved with the foundation and the local nonprofit scene since then. It’s a great way to get to know the community, its strengths, its challenges, and issues that affect all of us.”
Another of the couple’s “buckets” of giving are one-off requests that align with their charitable goals and interests. For example, they recently donated to the Himalayan Cataract Project where their friend, Mo Siegel – founder of Celestial Seasonings – is a board member. “It’s an organization that is literally giving back sight to people suffering from unnecessary blindness,” says Jane.
Locally, the couple also serves on various and numerous boards, including Impact on Education (TJ), and Jane’s involvement with the Emergency Family Assistance Association, the “I Have A Dream” Foundation of Boulder County, Intercambio Uniting Communities, and ELPASO (all of which also happen to be grantees of the Community Foundation). Jane and TJ have been honored with the Family Learning Center’s Penfield Tate Humanitarian Award for Outstanding Contributions to Children and Families (2008), and the YWCA’s Spirit of the Community Award (2006).
Concludes Jane, “I’m always trying to spread the word to let others know that the foundation offers such great options for Donor-Advised Funds – you can have a small fund or a large fund, you can manage your own money, or have your own financial advisor administer the fund … or you can turn it all over to the foundation.
“Partnering with the Community Foundation is a great way to do philanthropy.”
