Giving Back to Tuolumne County

With the Holiday Season upon us it is time to take a moment and be thankful for the bountiful blessings that we have and a time to think about sharing those blessings with others.

Here at the Sonora Area Foundation our mission is to strengthen our community through assisting donors, making grants and providing experienced leadership. That mission is carried out by our very experienced staff that provides personalized service, flexibility and informed grantmaking. We manage 173 donor funds that continue to help people and non-profits with quality of life issues.

Simply stated, what better way for you to give back to your community than by investing in our community’s future. You may want to give someone the same opportunity in life that others perhaps gave you. You may wish to create a legacy for your family by your charitable giving. You could establish a scholarship fund for High School students. You may want to set up a donor advised fund that allows an individual, family, or business to contribute assets to a fund at any time and then recommend grants to support qualified nonprofit agencies, schools, or congregations. You may want to consider a Field-of Interest Fund which provides support to organizations that work on a particular area of interest to you.

Knowing what options which are available, the Sonora Area Foundation Staff can help you decide what kind of gift makes sense. Should you give during your lifetime, or should you make the gift effective upon your death? The Foundation can help indentify causes, issues or groups which are in need of support and what are the tax benefits of giving back to your community.

I encourage you to take a moment and think about how you can give back now or how to make a legacy with your giving. Cash, securities, tangible personal property, real estate, bequests, life insurance or retirement plan beneficiary designation are some of the ways with which you can make a difference.

Through the Sonora Area Foundation our community has and continues to realize the benefits of giving. The late Irving J. Symons and his sister, Elaine Symons Baker had a vision as to how to facilitate charitable giving and that vision continues to grow and proper as other individuals, families and businesses follow in their philanthropic footsteps. Because of their legacies in giving back, we charge no fees for our work.

During this season of giving, please remember that it is more blessed to give then to receive.