“There’s plenty of work to be done, locally. And the Community Foundation provides the insight and information to propel us forward.”
Substantially involved in serving the local legal community, Steve Jacobson – a partner at Collins, Rafik & Jacobson, LLC, a Boulder-based firm specializing in criminal defense – is a retired member of the Colorado Supreme Court Criminal Rules Committee, and serves as chairperson of the Supreme Court Attorney Regulation Committee.
Steve also understands the importance of volunteering in our community. Indeed, he’s a past president of the Emergency Family Assistance Association (EFAA) – a grantee of the Community Foundation. He’s also a past president of the Bixby School, and a past board member of Boulder Valley Women’s Health (also a foundation grantee).
“I was raised in a culture of giving,” he says. “My mother was a director at United Way. I see the Community Foundation as a similar agency in our community, and I wanted my dollars to make a difference in Boulder County.
“Then, when I first saw a copy of the foundation’s TRENDS Report, I thought it was a fabulous document. That’s when I knew I wanted to support the Community Foundation.”
Steve went on to describe TRENDS as “eye-popping.” “Like many things in life, many of us make assumptions about what’s going on in our community,” he says. “And when we’re presented with other viewpoints and facts, they often seem counterintuitive.
“TRENDS documents what might seem very counterintuitive, but what turns out to be true about our community. As a result, TRENDS has sharpened my focus on giving – including supporting TRENDS, specifically.”
Steve calls out one particularly surprising Boulder County trend – namely our low giving ratio – which, he argues, is bound to get worse with tax law changes. “Besides the altruistic benefits of giving, there are unintended consequences to changing the way charitable deductions work. More people will have fewer tax incentives to give, which means there will be a greater burden of giving on those who give regardless – out of caring and compassion and because they recognize the need for giving back.”
Steve further points out shifting demographic trends. “TRENDS has this incredible graph that shows the booming number of people in Boulder County who are 65 and older. Even those for whom affordability isn’t an issue, they’re downsizing and leaving this community because there aren’t enough smaller residences available.
“There’s plenty of work to be done, locally. And the Community Foundation provides the insight and information to propel us forward.”
