Innovative New Philanthropy Collective Responds to a Colorado Community’s Needs

By: Brannon J. Fisher, CFP®

Simon Quick’s Chief Marketing Officer Darcy O’Brien and Client Advisor Brannon Fisher recently joined Spur Philanthropy’s CEO and Founder Tony Rosendo and Chief Relationship Officer Laura Blackburn to discuss a new facility to convene funders and several trends impacting philanthropy.

Spur partnered with the Pikes Peak Community Foundation (PPCF) in Colorado Springs to develop the Philanthropy Collective. Ten local private foundations have moved into one side of the new facility with the goal of collaborating and assembling their resources and expertise to better address local needs through philanthropic efforts. The other side houses The Well, a food and beverage hall and a gathering space that generates revenue to support the Collective.

Guests attend the Philanthropy Collective’s Grand Opening on April 22, 2022

Rosendo hopes that the Collective will encourage partnerships between different kinds of capital providers: philanthropists, the private sector and government. “The lines are being blurred in charitable giving,” he said, in reference to individuals, foundations and government entities strategically pooling capital in Community Impact Trusts (CITs) and other vehicles designed to harness the economy of scale. Pikes Peak Community Foundation (PPCF) and similar community foundations have seen an uptick in the popularity of Donor Advised Funds (DAFs) that they steward on behalf of charitably inclined locals. The donor has peace of mind knowing that their gifts go to local organizations that have been professionally vetted, and whose work is truly focused and carried out efficiently.

Tony Rosendo addresses the crowd at the Philanthropy Collective on April 22, 2022

Blackburn notes how nimble, online campaigns have made charitable giving accessible to more people and allowed donors to respond to needs that resonate with them in a customized and personalized way. The internet has changed not only how people give, but how they volunteer. Catchafire, for example, provides an online forum that matches nonprofits with millions of highly skilled professionals seeking opportunities to donate their time and talent, streamlining a traditionally inefficient process. Through The Philanthropy Collective, PPCF partnered with 13 other funders to offer the Catchafire platform to 100 area non-profits for free.

Fisher has seen a trend among Simon Quick clients that have accelerated their giving since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, some clients have concentrated more of their giving to organizations closer to home—especially in the health and human services sector.

The Accelerating Charitable Efforts (ACE) Act could soon impact charitable donations by modifying existing rules relating to DAFs, making certain changes to the rules for the excise tax on undistributed income of private foundations, and exempting certain private foundations from the excise tax on investment income. Its potential impact on the work of Spur, PPCF and other groups is unclear.

Watch our recent discussion on trends in philanthropy with Tony Rosendo, Laura Blackburn, Darcy O’Brien, and Brannon Fisher

Time stamps:

Introduction ~ Trends in Philanthropy: 0:00
Panelist Introductions: 1:30
Why Collaboration Amongst Foundations is Crucial 4:15
Changes on the Horizon in Philanthropy 7:30
Trends in Giving among High Net Worth Individuals 13:30
Tax-efficient Vehicles for Charitable Giving 14:30
Trends in Philanthropy 16:15
Conclusion 18:15

Additional links to learn about the Philanthropy Collective:

A Simon Quick advisor can help you create a philanthropy plan and mission statement to guide your family’s charitable giving efforts. To learn more, please contact me at bfisher@simonquickadvisors.com.

About Brannon Fisher, CFP®

Brannon joined Simon Quick in April of 2019 and helped extend the firm’s reach into the Rocky Mountain region by establishing an office in Denver. He is responsible for new business development and works closely with the New Jersey-based Client Advisory teams to provide ongoing services to our valued clients. Brannon holds degrees from Colgate University, CU-Boulder, and Dominican University of California. He remains involved with higher education by volunteering for Greenhouse Scholars as a mentor, career advisor and selection committee member. Brannon, his wife Mandy, and his daughters Waverly and Layla enjoy a variety of active outdoor pursuits and host a revolving cast of foster pets for Mandy’s nonprofit animal rescue, Old Dogs New Digs. To learn more about Brannon, connect with him on LinkedIn.

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