Southern Sierran
ANGELES CHAPTER FOUNDATION 101
ONE OF THE FOUNDATION'S NEWEST BOARD MEMBERS OFFERS AN OVERVIEW

BY CAROLE MINTZER

As one of the newest Board members of the Angeles Chapter Foundation (ACF), I wanted to share with you some of the things I've learned about ACF and how it supports the Angeles Chapter.

Probably the most important thing to know about ACF is that donations to it are tax deductible. This is especially good news to donors who itemize deductions on their tax return. However, this very benefit to the donors puts some constraints on how the money can be spent. Donations to ACF can be spent on educational activities or litigation costs, but not on political activities, such as lobbying or helping elect environmental candidates. ACF provides supplemental funding for the activities of the Angeles Chapter, including Inner City Outings, the San Gabriel River Project, and leadership training. If you are looking to support these types of efforts, donating to ACF can be a good choice. If, like me, you also like to make sure the Chapter has sufficient flexibility to fund all types of environmental activities, including those that cannot be paid for from tax-deductible donations, then it's important to also donate directly to the Angeles Chapter, even though those donations are not tax deductible.

Another important thing to know about ACF is that Chapter entities, such as Groups, Committees, Task Forces and Sections, can set up their own fund account within ACF. This is an important option, especially for those entities that need to raise funds for expenses that can be paid from tax-deductible donations, such as litigation. More than once I have seen Chapter entities ask members for donations to support a good cause that could be paid for with tax-deductible donations, but because they lacked the mechanism to accept tax-deductible donations, they did not offer their donors that benefit. While not everyone needs the tax deduction, it can help boost donations if that is available to donors, and by setting up an account with ACF, it is easy to offer that benefit to donors. If you are part of an entity that will need to raise money for an expensive lawsuit (is there any other kind?) or a major educational effort, you definitely want to contact ACF to see how you can set up an account for your entity.

Other things to know about ACF is that it was established in 1987 as the Friends of the Angeles Chapter Foundation, so it has been around for awhile. It has a nine-member volunteer Board that is very committed to supporting the environmental activities of the Angeles Chapter and to making sure ACF funds are protected in the current economic environment. While some would say ACF is too conservative in how it invests its funds, others would cheer the fact that it did not lose any principal in the last year. Sometimes being conservative pays off - but we conservationists know that.

For more information about ACF, go to its website at www.angelesfoundation.org.

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