Rob Collier and Reneé Johnston at the Cornerstone Reception

Season’s Greetings! We are officially into the holiday season. ‘Tis the season for Christmas shopping, holiday parties and end-of-year giving. However you spend the next few weeks, I would like to encourage you to reflect on the past year and look forward to another.

The Saginaw Community Foundation jumped into the season by kicking off the 20th annual Lucy R. Allen Cornerstone campaign. For the past two decades, people like you have helped ensure the success and growth of the foundation. A Cornerstone Club gift is any donation made between Nov. 1 and Dec. 31. Your gift is permanently endowed, helping us to make a long-lasting impact on Saginaw County through our grants, scholarships and community initiatives.

You can learn more about the Cornerstone campaign through our “So Far. So Good.” video series at youtube.com/user/saginawcomfoundation. Additional information also is available at saginawfoundation.org/site/cornerstoneclub.

Our 2011-2012 Cornerstone contributors recently joined us at Citizens Bank for our annual Christmas celebration and donor recognition event for a lovely evening. At the event, Rob Collier, executive director of the Council of Michigan Foundations, offered a few words about philanthropy across the state of Michigan and the impact community foundations have in their immediate communities.

During the event, Rob briefly commented on the “fiscal cliff,” a topic we discuss in this issue of Cornerstone. I would encourage you to consult with your financial advisors to make sure you are presented with the best options while these critical tax questions are under discussion. I’m also available at SCF to answer any questions about charitable giving, philanthropy and how you can make the greatest impact before the end of 2012.

The other political question Rob discussed was charitable deductions. A number of charitable, faith-based and education leaders stood on the Capitol steps in Washington, D.C., hoping to encourage political leaders to make the right decision regarding the issue.

Regardless of the political situation at hand or the critical times we face, we need to have hope as a community and believe that we can overcome the challenges as presented.

The staff and board of directors at the foundation would like to wish you and your families a happy holiday season. We look forward to seeing you in 2013.