“The Community Foundation knows all the needs of our community. That allows us to prioritize our giving where the needs are greatest. And that makes our Donor-Advised Fund a powerful tool for giving back to our community.”
According to the National Philanthropic Trust, the Donor-Advised Fund “juggernaut” continued to set records in 2018. Assets destined for charitable grantmaking in all DAFs surpassed the $100B-mark for the first time in 2017, the latest period for which data are available.
Right here in Boulder County, many community-minded donors who want their philanthropy to be part of something bigger have established a Donor-Advised Fund at the Community Foundation, including Jim and Edie Hooton.
“We’ve always had the desire – and made the commitment – to make a difference in our community, but now we have a greater ability to contribute,” says Jim, who has more than 35 years’ experience in the information technology industry as an entrepreneur and executive. Until his retirement, Jim was co-founder and co-CEO of Vertiba, a Platinum Salesforce.com implementation consulting firm based in Boulder, and serving clients nationally.
“When we sold the business in 2016, it gave us the means to be more generous. The Community Foundation is such a cornerstone of Boulder County that establishing a fund with the foundation seemed like a natural way to plug in and get even more engaged in our community.”
Adds Edie, “As long as Jim and I have known each other, we’ve been supporting and advocating for charities that speak to us. For Jim, there’s a greater emphasis on education and environmental issues. For me, I’m more focused on women’s rights, reproductive rights, and children’s issues.”
With a broad-ranging background in nonprofits, policy, government, and more, Edie currently serves as a Colorado State Representative, representing the citizens of House District 10 (Boulder and Gunbarrel).
“The Community Foundation knows all the needs of our community,” continues the daughter of a country doctor who helped establish one of the first Planned Parenthoods in Vermont, and a mother who was a feminist and community leader. “That allows us to prioritize our giving where the needs are greatest. And that makes our Donor-Advised Fund a powerful tool for giving back to our community.”
Continues Edie, “Both us come from families where our parents were active in their communities. When we were new in our relationship, we recognized that we shared that fundamental value to put your shoulder to the wheel – whatever your capacity – to improve the quality of life for everyone. That’s what makes our lives very meaningful, and it just keeps getting passed on.”
“Our kids have the same values,” Jim chimes in. “Regardless of how much income we had at different times in our lives, we always had a percentage in mind to give away. Sometimes, we had more time than money to give away – Edie, in particular, has always given a lot of time.”
Among their philanthropic endeavors, the couple are longtime supporters of Intercambio Uniting Communities – a grantee of your Community Foundation – and they sponsor the education of low-income students through the “I Have A Dream” Foundation (another grantee).
“We also dedicate a fair amount of our energy toward pulling our friends along,” concludes Edie. “For so many who have resources, but who weren’t raised in families with a tradition of giving, it’s not even on their radar. We’ve been successful in getting others to give back, too.”
