The following guest column by Phillip P. Lanham appeared in the Saturday, November 18, 2023 edition of SRQ Daily:
Together we will soon gather with our families and loved ones around the Thanksgiving table to express our gratitude. This is one of my favorite holidays, a time to spread warmth and gratefulness. This is also a popular time of year for families to decide on how they want to give thanks to their community and discuss ways that they can give back through volunteering and making financial contributions.
At Gulf Coast Community Foundation (Gulf Coast), we want to inspire you to have these conversations with your loved ones around the Thanksgiving table this year. We encourage you to discuss giving back to your community in meaningful ways and finding out how your family can help.
So, where do you start?
Here are a couple of suggestions. You could create a family mission statement that serves as the backbone of your charitable giving, thinking about why you want to give and what defines success when it comes to giving. Or you could simply ask your family around the Thanksgiving table, how are we currently giving back or serving our community? What are we passionate about supporting in the community? What causes are most important to us? Who needs our help most?
At Gulf Coast we can assist you in achieving your philanthropic goals, helping you create a charitable giving plan, or consider tax-savvy ways to make your giving go further. Yearend is the perfect time to embark on supporting the causes that mean the most to you, and our Philanthropy team is ready to help you create your charitable plan to give back in meaningful ways. You can learn more about yearend giving through Gulf Coast here. Together we can do more.
A community foundation does two things – it inspires philanthropy and creates meaningful impact. Gulf Coast is uniquely positioned to move the needle on our region’s most pressing needs through our data-driven initiatives and projects. We take innovative approaches and invest in scalable solutions that lead to regional transformation. By becoming a philanthropic partner with Gulf Coast, you can be a part of this powerful impact.
I hope you have a joyous Thanksgiving.
Phillip P. Lanham is President and CEO of Gulf Coast Community Foundation.
