Are you all set for the upcoming holidays or are you like me? Slowed down by your day-to-day activities as well as all the time and effort it takes to make this season of light fun and festive for everyone? Much like any personal or professional project you undertake, you can get assistance from Generative AI.
All AI wants to do for Thanksgiving, the Holidays, and Christmas is to help you. From suggesting travel destinations, creating delicious meals, and helping us come up with unique gifting ideas, Generative AI is there to hold your hand. Be it Thanksgiving, Christmas, Festivus, New Year, or whatever holiday you celebrate, let AI enhance your festive season and free you some time to actually enjoy these festivals with your family and loved ones. Here's what you need to know. How is AI helpful for the holidays? AI has been around for years. Tools like Siri, Alexa, and Google use Conversational AI which allows you to look for items with your voice. In recent years, Generative AI is technology has put the power of AI in your hands. These tools allow you to generate content like text, images, music, videos, and ideas by analyzing vast datasets and by scraping data. You may already be familiar with some of the popular AI tools such as ChatGPT, Co-Pilot, Gemini, and Meta.AI. These ChatBots learn from the data they’re trained on and can generate outputs that mimic human creativity. This makes them perfect for assisting humans in creative tasks such as prepping for the festive season. These platforms can be not just for business but for all social aspects of your life. If you're going to thrive and survive and AI world, you need to find ways to incorporate in into all aspects of your life. What can AI help you with this holiday season? So, what can generative AI do to make your festive season more enjoyable? Well, pretty much everything you ask it. Think of AI as personal virtual elves! They are at your service, to help you with all your festive needs. Here are the ways AI can help you make the best of this festive season! Make Travel Plans During the Holidays. Planning to visit friends and family this holiday season? Traveling can be stressful, but AI can simplify it. Generative AI can create customized itineraries based on your preferences, like sightseeing spots, dining, and activities. Try this prompt: I need you to act as my travel agent. Can you plan out a 4 day family trip for 2 teenage kids, myself and my wife to travel to Chicago for Christmas. We're driving. We need the best route, places to stay downtown, and places to see and eat. The more details you add such as travel dates, interests, food choices, etc. the more detailed the itineraries will be. These GenAI tools can create travel routes, suggest flights, hotels, and dining options, and also guide local commutes. Some of them can even give you travel tips based on the weather and who you’re traveling with. Last-minute gift ideas. Depending on the personality and interest, finding gifts can either be extremely easy or the most difficult part of the holidays. Luckily, AI can help with that. Both Google and Microsoft’s Bing have created AI-generated gift idea searches that can help find gifts for the most difficult member of the family or a hard-to-buy friend. Plus, Google Shopping uses artificial intelligence (AI) to improve the online shopping experience by offering personalized search results, virtual try-on and feeds that are tuned into what you normally shop for. If you want help from a Generative ChatBot, try this prompt "Hey, I need you to act as a professional shopper. I'm shopping for my wife who has everything and rushes out to purchase new items. Can you give 3 unique gift ideas that will blow her mind. They don't have to be physical gifts." Writing Santa letters. Writing letters to Santa is a common thing for kids to tell the jolly man what they want for Christmas. If you're struggling to get into the mindset of Santa, AI can help. Try the following AI Prompt: "I need you to act as if you are Santa Claus. I need to create a letter to my 5 year child named Suzi who is pretty much a good kid during the year. I need you to let her know you'll be visiting Christmas Eve and let her know you're bringing gifts, specially that Mini BarbieLand DreamHouse & Vehicle Play Set". Grocery lists. Coming up with a grocery list may seem like an easy thing to do. It is just another thing that must be done in a long list of holiday chores or preparations for family and good times. It's time you turn to AI this holiday to help. Did you know you can upload a photo of your fridge or food and spice items in your home to AI to have it analyze the items in the photos to help you create a grocery list? Just tell it what you're making and AI will do the rest. Try this prompt: "I need to create a shopping list based on the ingredients I currently have and the meals I want to prepare. Here are the ingredients I have: Please analyze these ingredients and identify what additional items I need to buy to complete these meals." Holiday Special Recipes AI shines in the kitchen too. Platforms like ChatGPT, RecipeGPT, Mr. Cook, and DishGen can suggest meal plans and recipes for festive dishes based on the ingredients you have or dietary restrictions. For instance, if you’re hosting a dinner, simply input the type of dishes you want (e.g., vegan sweets), and these tools will provide personalized recipe suggestions and cooking instructions. AI can also save you from the fuss of last-minute grocery runs by recommending substitutions if you’re missing an ingredient. Try this prompt: "I need you to act as my personal chef. Can you come up with a new twist for turkey for my thanksgiving dinner?" Fun Games and Festive Activities. You could break out the old board games or you can turn to AI. Party games and activities can be just as important as the food or music. AI can help you plan a fun-filled festival. AI can help create custom quizzes, scavenger hunts, or trivia games based on your theme. It can also generate theme-based coloring pages and activity sheets for the kids. Hopefully, this will give you tips about using AI to help you have a fun and stress-free holiday season. If you have any questions, please reach out. I'm always available. Want to ask me a tech question? Send it to [email protected]. I love technology. I've read all of the manuals and I'm serious about making technology fun and easy to use for everyone.
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I am looking forward to the holiday season this year even more than usual. My hope is it will allow us to turn our thinking from the divisive nature of the election and politics and remember what brings us together as families and communities. Thanksgiving is a time when we pause and count our many blessings. For my family, the biggest new blessing is our first grandchild, Jacklynn, who will be 1 year old on December 7th, so this will be her first Thanksgiving. My wife Nancy and I are enjoying the truly awesome role of grandparents. And we are very thankful that all three of our children are in town and gather most Sundays at our home for dinner which now includes the Jacklynn show, as she is certainly the center of attention. She has her 2 doting aunts and her uncle wrapped around her finger in addition to her grandparents. I am also very thankful for all the people my Community Foundation has the privilege of working with to support their charitable giving through their fund here at the Foundation. Last year our total grants and scholarships totaled $7.3 Million, and we are on pace to break that record again due to the generosity of our fundholders. Last year our Donor Advised Fund Holders made grants to charities they support totaling $3.2 Million. Year to date they have already made grants of $3.5 Million as we enter the holiday season which is always a busy grantmaking time. Our scholarships this year also set a new record of $828,000, which will impact the education opportunities of the 334 students who received scholarships. Soon the classic Christmas movies will appear on our television screens. My mind goes to “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”, and the iconic line “And what happened then..? Well … in Whoville they say, that the Grinch’s small heart grew three sizes that day”. My heart, that of a new grandparent, has certainly grown a few sizes due to Jacklynn’s addition to our family, as have the hearts of our entire family. But the growth of our hearts is not just impacted by Grandkids. I truly believe charitable giving is another act of love that grows the sizes of hearts. As the Grinch learned, the holiday season is about more than just presents and trimmings-it’s about love, community, and the spirit of the season. The Grinch’s transformation was a shift from bitterness and isolation to joy and connection. My wish for the holiday season is that all our hearts may continue to grow. Happy Holidays!  Cross Fit Fig, a Grain Valley Cross Fit gym, will host Chad 1000X on Saturday, November 9th from 9:00am - Noon at Butterfly Trail, with a challenging workout and community gathering to raise awareness about veteran mental health and suicide prevention. Registrants are invited to challenge themselves and contribute to a great cause by registering or donating to support the event. An event flyer is provided below, or visit https://tockify.com/grainvalleynews/detail/208/1731164400000 for more information.   Missourians vote to increase minimum wage, require paid sick leaveby Clara Bates, Missouri Independent An effort to hike the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour and guarantee paid sick leave won the support of Missouri voters Tuesday night. Proposition A was approved by Missouri voters 58% to 42%. The approval follows a trend of Missourians using the initiative petition process to increase the minimum wage — and more broadly, of Missourians using that process to advance policies at odds with the beliefs of the state’s Republican dominated legislature. Proposition A was backed by various unions and workers’ advocacy groups, social justice and civil rights organizations, over 500 state business owners and others. Some business groups, including the state Chamber of Commerce, have opposed it, especially the guaranteed sick leave portion. But there wasn’t a coordinated opposition campaign. The campaign in favor of the measure, called Missourians for Healthy Families and Fair Wages, raised nearly $6 million — including from out-of-state groups that don’t disclose their donors — and collected 210,000 signatures to have the issue placed on the statewide ballot. The current minimum wage in Missouri is $12.30, which is equivalent to $492 per week, before taxes. The ballot measure would raise the state’s minimum wage to $13.75 next year and $15 in January 2026. The increase would affect over 562,000 workers in the state, according to the Missouri Budget Project, or nearly 1 in 4 workers. The minimum wage would be adjusted based on inflation every year after 2026. Voters approved a minimum-wage hike in 2006, with 75% of the vote, and again in 2018, with 62% of the vote. And businesses will be required to provide one hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked, up to five days per year for small businesses and seven days per year for larger businesses. Small businesses are those with fewer than 15 employees. The paid sick time provision will go into effect on May 1, 2025. Without sick leave, proponents argue, workers have to choose between their financial and physical wellbeing — going into work sick or losing out on a needed paycheck. Missouri will join 15 states that require employers to provide paid sick leave. The United States, unlike nearly every other country, lacks federal paid sick leave, so states, as well as cities, have taken the lead. Some business groups raised alarm particularly with the sick leave provisions, saying the proposal constitutes government overreach in what should be the decisions of business owners. At the same time, a coalition of hundreds of businesspeople in the state have signed on to support the ballot measure, arguing the policies help their bottom line, causing lower employee turnover, increased productivity and better health and safety conditions. The ballot measure would change the state law but not the constitution, meaning the legislature could overturn it, but those on both sides of the issue told The Independent last month they see that as unlikely. This article has been updated to reflect final, unofficial results. GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.
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This year, it seems like another day, another data breach. Every time you turn on the news there's mention of a company who's leaked your private data. These attacks aren't carried out by skilled computer hackers. They are carried out by cyber criminals who are using socially engineered AI-based attacks to trick the employees who work at these companies. With all of the data breaches that have occurred over the years, there's a good chance your information is floating on the dark web or in the hands of criminals. When it comes to hacking, it's best to be proactive to make sure criminals aren't using your information for their purposes. Here's what you need to know: How are criminals able to "hack" your information? In today's digital age, cybercrime is a human problem. 99% of all cyber-attacks require human interaction. Rather than crooks trying to break into your devices by using traditional hacking methods, they resort to socially engineered attacks which are designed to use fear and deception to get you to click on links in emails and text messages as well as fall for voice cloning calls making you volunteer sensitive data. Criminals use these methods of attacks because every technology device you own is immune from a traditional hack as well as the devices used by large corporations. The methods crooks use to trick you into clicking on links and fooling you into giving up your personal information are the same methods they use to target corporations that hold your data. The other 1% of breaches come from the large corporations that leak your data to the web. In this AI age we live in, it's hard for anyone to resist socially engineered attacks. This is why it's important to build up your human firewall and ensure you're always taking steps to protect yourself and your data. For your personal devices, as long as you aren't clicking on unknown links in emails and giving your information out to strangers, you will stay safe. Your only weakness are companies whose employees are careless to emails and voice calls that trick them into giving out data. What information do criminals want? When criminals launch large-scale socially engineered attacks against companies, they are after the following information: Social Security numbers and government ID documents Contact information, including email, addresses and phone numbers Birthdates Bank account numbers Utility bills Names of Relatives and other personal connections Once criminals get access to your data, there are many things they can do with it. Cybercriminals can use personal data in various malicious ways: Identity Theft: They can use your information to impersonate you, applying for loans, credit cards, or other financial services in your name. Phishing Attacks: With your details, they can craft convincing phishing emails or messages to trick you into revealing more sensitive information. Selling Data: Personal data is often sold on the dark web to other criminals who may use it for various illegal activities. Steal Your Social Media Accounts. Criminals steal social media accounts to launch sophisticated phishing attacks against your friends and followers. Financial Fraud: They can access your bank accounts, make unauthorized transactions, or commit tax fraud. Spamming and Scamming: Your data can be used to send spam emails or scam others by pretending to be you. Data Manipulation: In some cases, cybercriminals might alter your data to cause harm or disrupt operations. What can I do if I discover I've been hacked? Building up your human firewall is a very important step to keep your information safe in a breach. It's always important to change passwords and enable 2-factor authentication, but there are some other things you can do to stay safe. Here are some things you can do to stay protected. If your bank account has been hacked, report it to your bank's fraud department and freeze the account. Then, immediately change your passwords and security questions. If you don't report the incident immediately, banks may not refund your money. If you can't log into your social media accounts because of a hack, there's nothing you can do. All social media platforms are run by AI, which means there's no human support to gain access to your account. If you think you accidentally let a hacker into your computer, you should disconnect it from the internet. Then, turn off your computer and router immediately. After a few minutes, you can turn it on and look to see if malicious programs have been installed on it and remove them. If the problem persists, consider performing a factory reset to remove all data and restore your phone to its original settings. Same as with your computer, turn off your smartphone and remove any malicious programs. If you're unable to fix any problems, consider doing a factory reset. Be proactive with your credit. If you think you've been hacked, place a security freeze on your credit report with each of the three major credit reporting agencies. Here’s how: Equifax: Visit Equifax.com and follow the steps to freeze online. By phone, call 1‑888‑298‑0045. Experian: To do it online, visit the Experian Freeze Center. By phone, call 1‑888‑EXPERIAN (1‑888‑397‑3742), TransUnion: Add a freeze online on the TransUnion website. Call 1‑888‑916‑8800. To keep your Social Security number safe, use the government’s free Self Lock feature. You’ll need an E‑Verify account to do this online. You can also request a block by calling the Social Security Administration at 1‑800‑772‑1213. If your Social Security number is stolen and used by crooks, like applying for a loan or getting a job, start with IdentityTheft.gov. Fill out the form there, and you’ll get an entire plan for how to recover your identity and protect yourself going forward. Want to ask me a tech question? Send it to [email protected]. I love technology. I've read all of the manuals and I'm serious about making technology fun and easy to use for everyone.  St. Mary’s Medical Center, a member of Prime Healthcare, announced that it has achieved numerous accolades for clinical excellence from Healthgrades. Among St. Mary’s Medical Center’s distinctions are 2 Specialty Excellence Awards, placing the hospital among the nation’s top 10% for Pulmonary Care and Patient Safety. St. Mary’s Medical Center was also rated five stars for 4 services, including Pacemaker Procedures, Treatment of Pneumonia, Gallbladder Removal, and Diabetic Emergencies in Critical Care. In addition to these national recognitions, St. Mary’s Medical Center was ranked #3 in Missouri for Pulmonary Care. These achievements place St. Mary’s Medical Center among the best hospitals for specialty care nationwide and reflect the organization’s commitment to delivering exceptional care year after year. As part of its 2025 hospital assessment, Healthgrades evaluated risk-adjusted mortality and complication rates for over 30 of the most common conditions and procedures at approximately 4,500 hospitals nationwide to determine the top performers in specialty care. As variation in performance among hospitals continues to grow, it is increasingly important for consumers to seek care at top-rated programs. Healthgrades’ 2025 analysis revealed that if all hospitals as a group performed similarly to five-star hospitals during the 2021-2023 study period, on average, 224,958 lives could potentially have been saved and 141,692 complications could potentially have been avoided.* “Healthgrades commends St. Mary’s Medical Center for their clear commitment to delivering consistently superior patient outcomes in critical service areas, including Cardiac, Pumonary, Gastrointestinal, Critical Care, and Patient Safety” said Brad Bowman, MD, chief medical officer and head of data science at Healthgrades. “St. Mary’s Medical Center’s leadership, expertise, and unwavering dedication to clinical excellence set a high mark for specialty care in Missouri and nationwide.” Consumers can visit healthgrades.com to learn more about how Healthgrades measures hospital quality and access a patient-friendly overview of how we rate and why hospital quality matters here. *Statistics are based on Healthgrades analysis of MedPAR data for years 2021 through 2023 and represent three-year estimates for Medicare patients only. Click here to view the complete 2025 Specialty Awards and Ratings Methodology.  Missouri nonfarm payroll employment decreased by 900 jobs in September 2024, and the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was unchanged from August at 3.9 percent. Private industry employment decreased by 1,300 jobs and government employment increased by 400 jobs. Over the year, there was an increase of 86,500 jobs from September 2023 to September 2024, and the unemployment rate increased by six-tenths of a percentage point, from 3.3 percent in September 2023 to 3.9 percent in September 2024. EMPLOYMENT Missouri's nonfarm payroll employment was 3,064,800 in September 2024, down by 900 from the revised August 2024 figure. The August 2024 total was revised downward by 1,100 jobs from the preliminary estimate. Goods-producing industries decreased by 400 jobs over the month, with mining, logging, and construction decreasing by 300 jobs and manufacturing decreasing by 100 jobs. Private service-providing industries declined by 900 jobs between August 2024 and September 2024. Employment in private service-providing industries decreased in leisure and hospitality (-1,600 jobs); trade, transportation, and utilities (-1,200 jobs); professional and business services (-400 jobs); and information (-400 jobs). Employment increased in financial activities (1,200 jobs); private education and health services (900 jobs); and other services (600 jobs). Total government employment increased by 400 jobs over the month, with increases in local (300 jobs) and state government (100 jobs). Over the year, total payroll employment increased by 86,500 jobs from September 2023 to September 2024. The largest gain was in private education and health services (25,800 jobs), followed by leisure and hospitality (18,500 jobs); financial activities (8,400 jobs); trade, transportation, and utilities (6,700 jobs); mining, logging, and construction (6,600 jobs); other services (3,100 jobs); professional and business services (2,400 jobs); and manufacturing (2,100 jobs). Employment decreased in information (-100 jobs). Government employment increased by 13,000 jobs over the year, with increases in local (6,700 jobs), state (5,300 jobs), and federal government (1,000 jobs). UNEMPLOYMENT Missouri's smoothed seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained at 3.9 percent in September 2024. The September 2024 rate was six-tenths of a percentage point higher than the September 2023 rate. The estimated number of unemployed Missourians was 121,636 in September 2024, down by 654 from August's 122,290. The state's not-seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate decreased in September 2024, declining by nine-tenths of a percentage point to 3 percent from the August 2024 not-seasonally-adjusted rate of 3.9 percent. A year ago, the not-seasonally-adjusted rate was 2.7 percent. The corresponding not-seasonally-adjusted national rate for September 2024 was 3.9 percent. Missouri's labor force participation rate was 63.9 percent in September 2024, 1.2 percentage points higher than the national rate of 62.7 percent. Missouri's employment-population ratio was 61.4 percent in September 2024, 1.2 percentage points higher than the national rate of 60.2 percent. Missouri's unemployment rate was 3.9 percent in September 2024, two-tenths of a percentage point lower than the national rate of 4.1 percent. Missouri's unemployment rate has been at or below the national rate for more than nine years. Read the full report at https://meric.mo.gov/missouri-monthly-jobs-report. 
I am pleased to share that $508,205 in grants will be awarded at our Grants Luncheon on November 14th to 63 area nonprofits. The competitive grants program at Truman Heartland Community Foundation (THCF) received a total of 125 grant requests this year from local nonprofits, covering a wide range of impact areas, including arts, culture, and historical preservation; community betterment; adult/non-traditional education; children's education; health and human services; and Missouri wildlife conservation. The cumulative dollar amount of these grant requests reached more than $1 million, reflecting the continuing need for substantial funding for a variety of initiatives across the region. Two competitive grant programs are available through THCF: the Community Grants Program and the Jelley Family Foundation Endowment for Children's Education. Following a thorough review process by the volunteers serving on the foundation’s grants committee, 63 competitive grants were awarded, providing vital support to projects and initiatives that directly impact our local communities. The primary source of these grant dollars are the 20 endowed funds that were established at your Community Foundation through estate gifts of generous legacy donors. These endowed funds provided $431,179 of the $508,205 total. These legacy donors were generous in their lifetime, and their legacy of supporting the community lives on through their endowed funds. We are also grateful to the Junior Service League (JSL) for once again participating in our grants process and providing $8,000 in grant dollars for 4 organizations. We also had for the first time a grant from the Eileen Normile Weir Community Impact Endowment fund, providing $1,878. The balance of the grant dollars was provided by our donor advised fund holders, who helped fill the gap between what we wish we could provide in grants and what we had available. We are very grateful for their generosity again this year. This rigorous review process could not have been completed without the steadfast dedication of the foundation’s Board and Advisory Board volunteers serving on the Grants Committee. These individuals spent countless hours poring over each grant application. Members of the grants committee include Allan Thompson, Committee Chair; Cathy Allie; Beth Franklin; Lori Halsey; Liesl Hays; Damon Hodges; Mayor Mike Larson; Dave Mayta; Ritchie Momon; Jovannah Rohs; Steve Noll; Tom Rohr; Bridgette Shaffer; Dr. Beth Rosemergey; DeeAnn Stock; Rob Binney; Ryan Crider; Dr. Joy Vann-Hamilton; and Zac Sweets. And the JSL representative was Leslie Cutshall. We are also very grateful to our Youth Advisory Council members who made site visits with organizations requesting grants and provided valuable information and feedback to the grants committee. These local high school students truly help us make better decisions about our grants and provide a valuable service to the Foundation. Our November 14th Grants Luncheon Celebrations is being dedicated to the memory of Dave Mayta, a devoted member of the THCF Board of Directors and grants committee. Dave, who passed away earlier this year, has been a valuable member of the grants committee for many years, and we will honor his service to the community at the luncheon. You can find more information about our Grants Luncheon on our website www.thcf.org. What stands out when you visit Cross Fit Fig in Grain Valley is the sense of community. Friends catch up before and after class, members are high fiving each other as they complete their runs outside the building, and participants support each other as they move throughout their workouts. Owner Felix Figueroa, a former college football player, knew this was one of the keys to Cross Fit's success when he first experienced it himself. "I was always into fitness. Cross Fit was the most fun and most challenging form of fitness I'd encountered, and I could see this being something a lot of people would enjoy to break up the boredom of normal gym workouts," Figueroa said. Cross Fit Fig has been in business for more than 13 years at locations in Blue Springs and Grain Valley, finally settling at their location at 1500 NW Broadway in Grain Valley, where they've created a welcoming environment for participants at every stage of fitness. While Cross Fit has become more widely known through social media videos of elite athletes completing impressive feats in gyms or in the Cross Fit Games, Figueroa explains that Cross Fit is truly for individuals at every level of fitness and those who are just beginning their fitness journey are welcome and more the norm at the gym. "What you see first is the Cross Fit Games or YouTube videos of elite Cross Fit athletes. Those are so far from what we are here on a daily basis. And that's been any Cross Fit gym's biggest challenge, is countering those messages that it's scary, intimidating, or intense. Really, it just takes that courage to step through the doors, and once you get in here and try it, you realize 'oh wow, this is not what I thought it was', and you get hooked". New attendees start off with an intro session with one of the coaches. "We guide you through step-by-step what we do on a day-to-day basis. You go through some foundational movements, and we will teach you how to perform each movement properly," Figueroa said. "It's like group fitness and personal training, without the cost of personal training. We always have our eyes on you, and we are motivating you and making sure you are doing the right things." While the workouts are different every day, the routine is the same. Participants start at the whiteboard to go over the workout for the day and break down any complex moves. "And then, at your own pace, we allow you to add a bit of weight at a time. Along the way, we're monitoring you to make sure every movement you do is safe." As Figueroa explains, there are endless modifications can be made to meet participants where they are in their fitness journey. "On a typical day, you'll see every walk of life. Fit, unfit, new participants, and veterans to our gym. They are all doing the same workout, but they are doing it to whatever their fitness level is. For example, if it's a pull up. If you can do a pull up, you'll do a pull up. If you are not there yet, maybe you'll try a jumping pull up. If that's too hard, you may try what we call a low bar pull up. All those progressions are designed to get you to the next hardest progression, and if your goal is to do a pull-up, you'll eventually get there. And that goes for every movement." Figueroa says the community that comes from participants at all different levels of fitness makes it that much more welcoming for new guests. "Within your first week, you'll make friends here. Because everyone knows what it's like to start, and the intimidation you feel. Everyone's done it, and so they treat those new people how they were treated when they first started. The environment of support from the coaches, the fellow classmates is unmatched. We say the coaches will motivate you, and we will, but that won't be your number one source of motivation. It will be the people around you that support you." Cross Fit Fig offers a Fit Start Intro Rate for new guests, which includes a free introductory session and two-month intro rate, as well as two guest passes each month to share with friends. For more information, visit CrossFit FIG | Your New Gym for Health and Fitness. Find Cross Fit Fig on Facebook crossfit fig - Search Results | Facebook.  Owner Felix Figueroa supports individuals at all levels of fitness to achieve their goals and be a part of a welcoming community at Cross Fit Fig, located at 1500 NW Broadway, Grain Valley.   Cross Fit Fig is located at 1500 NW Broadway St, Grain Valley, MO 64029.  by Phil Hanson, President and CEO, Truman Heartland Community Foundation Several reports on charitable giving were issued over the summer, and I want to share a few of their findings and my perspective on the charitable giving environment. In June, the annual Giving USA Report was issued, reporting that total Charitable Giving in 2023 increased to $557.16 Billion an increase of 1.9% over 2022. Unfortunately, when adjusted for inflation, the total decline was 2.1%. This follows a decline of 3.4% in 2022 in current dollars, which was a decline of 10.5% adjusted for inflation. So, overall charitable giving in the past two years has not been growing. Giving by individuals continues to provide the preponderance of giving. At $374.4 billion individual giving is 67% of the total and when you add in Bequests from individuals it is 75% of the total. Giving by Foundations was 19% of the total and corporations 7%. The Giving USA Report includes a relatively new chapter reporting on giving by and to donor advised funds (DAFs). The report indicates that grants made from DAFs in 2022 totaled $52.16 Billion, an increase of 9.1% over the preceding year. During this same time, the approximately 300 donor advised funds here at your Community Foundation increased grants by 20% to $3.2 Million in 2022. Donor Advised Fund Giving is one of the most positive trends in charitable giving. A study was also done for the first time, “The 2024 DAF Fundraising Report-The Inaugural Benchmark Study on Nonprofit Fundraising from Donor Advised Funds”. The study utilized data from 20 larger nonprofits with 34,498 donors who gave to them via their DAF. A key finding from the study was that once donors began giving via their DAF their giving to the organization increased on average 96%. For example, if a donor had given a $1,000 gift by credit card previously, their gift from their DAF would be nearly $2,000 per year after. Some people criticize DAFs as a way for the wealthy to get an immediate tax deduction but not have to make an immediate grant from their fund to their charities of choice. They often characterize this as hoarding their charitable giving. Organizations like your Community Foundation, which work with community members who have DAFs, realize that DAFs are to charitable giving what 401(k)s are to retirement or Health Savings Accounts are to healthcare expenses. They are dedicated sources for charitable giving, and as this study found, having this dedicated source enhances the generosity of donors. Again, donor advised fund giving is one of the most positive trends in charitable giving. Call or email the staff at your community foundation today to learn how you can do more with your giving with a DAF. (816) 836-8189 or [email protected]. |
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