Truman Heartland Community Foundation

THE FOUNDATION'S PRIMARY EXEMPT PURPOSE IS TO IMROVE THE LIVES OF EASTERN JACKSON COUNTY MISSOURI.

FOR NEARLY 40 YEARS, TRUMAN HEARTLAND COMMUNITY FOUNDATION HAS DEMONSTRATED THE EFFECT OF PRIVATE GIVING FOR THE PUBLIC GOOD IN EASTERN JACKSON COUNTY AND SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES. ALTHOUGH 2021 PRESENTED MANY CHALLENGES DUE TO THE CONTINUING WAVES OF COVID-19, OUR COMMUNITIES DEMONSTRATED A LEVEL OF GENEROSITY THAT WARRANTS CELEBRATION. GRANTS MADE FROM ALL FUNDS, INCLUDING DONOR ADVISED FUNDS, SCHOLARSHIPS, AND THE ANNUAL COMMUNITY GRANTS PROGRAM, REACHED AN ALL-TIME HIGH OF $5.9 MILLION. THERE ARE NOW MORE THAN 800 FUNDS, INCLUDING A RECORD 64 NEW FUNDS ESTABLISHED IN 2021, HELD AT THCF.THE ANNUAL GRANTS COMMITTEE, INCLUDING REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE FOUR ADVISORY BOARDS AND YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL, AWARDED 61 GRANTS TO NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS PERTAINING TO HEALTH AND WELFARE, ARTS AND CULTURE, COMMUNITY BETTERMENT, EDUCATION, AND MISSOURI WILDLIFE CONSERVATION TOTALING $427,323. SCHOLARSHIPS TOTALING 343 WERE AWARDED TO 241 INDIVIDUALS, INCLUDING HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS, UNDERGRADUATE, GRADUATE, AND TECHNICAL STUDENTS, TOTALING $536,192 TO SUPPORT CONTINUING EDUCATION. THE 126 SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS WERE CREATED THROUGH DONORS' DEDICATION AND GIVING.THE HEARTLAND LEGACY SOCIETY GREW TO NEARLY 180 MEMBERS IN 2021. THROUGH CAREFUL PLANNING, MEMBERS OF THIS SPECIAL GROUP HAVE MADE PROVISIONS IN THEIR ESTATE TO BENEFIT CHARITY. RATHER THAN MAKING A ONE-TIME FINAL GIFT TO CHARITY, LEGACY SOCIETY MEMBERS PLAN FOR FUTURE CONTRIBUTIONS TO BE ADDED TO AN EXISTING DAF OR TO ESTABLISH A NEW FUND FROM THE LEGACY GIFT. OUR MEMBERS FIND COMFORT IN KNOWING THEY WILL LEAVE BEHIND A LEGACY OF THOUGHTFUL PHILANTHROPY THAT WILL CONTINUE FOR YEARS TO COME.THANKS TO MORE THAN $125,000 IN FUNDHOLDER CONTRIBUTIONS, THE JOB SKILLS FOR NEW CAREERS INITIATIVE IMPROVED THE ECONOMIC STATUS OF 94 EASTERN JACKSON COUNTY PARTICIPANTS BY PROVIDING THEM WITH A PATHWAY TO HIGHER-PAYING, IN-DEMAND CAREERS THROUGH JOB SKILLS TRAINING, FINANCIAL COACHING, AND MENTORSHIP. JOB SKILLS FOR NEW CAREERS IS A COLLABORATION OF FOUR KEY ORGANIZATIONS: COMMUNITY SERVICES LEAGUE, KC SCHOLARS, MID-CONTINENT PUBLIC LIBRARY, AND THE UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL MISSOURI. BY UTILIZING EACH ORGANIZATION'S UNIQUE ASSETS, APPLICANTS RECEIVED FREE TRAINING IN FIELDS THAT PAY LIVING WAGES AND CONTINUE TO BE IN HIGH DEMAND IN OUR REGION, INCLUDING HEALTHCARE AND SKILLED INDUSTRIAL TRADES.THE THCF YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL (YAC) INCLUDED 60 STUDENTS FROM 12 LOCAL HIGH SCHOOLS. IN YAC, OUR "SCHOOL OF PHILANTHROPY," STUDENTS LEARN ABOUT PHILANTHROPY AND GAIN HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE IN FUNDRAISING, GRANTMAKING, AND VOLUNTEERISM. YAC HOSTED ITS ANNUAL FUNDRAISER IN MARCH 2021, A DRIVE-IN MOVIE EVENT, "WHEELS AND REELS." THE PROCEEDS FROM THE FUNDRAISER BENEFITTED THE YAC ENDOWMENT FUND TO INCREASE YAC'S GRANTMAKING TO AREA NONPROFITS AS PART OF THE FOUNDATION'S ANNUAL GRANTS PROGRAM. IN APRIL 2021, YAC HELD ITS ANNUAL "FILL THOSE TRUCKS" FOOD DRIVE, BENEFITTING COMMUNITY SERVICES LEAGUE, LEE'S SUMMIT SOCIAL SERVICES, AND RAYTOWN EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. THE AGENCIES RECEIVED MULTIPLE BOX TRUCK LOADS OF PANTRY STAPLES TO SUPPORT THEIR FOOD-INSECURE CLIENTELE. IN NOVEMBER 2021, YAC PARTICIPATED IN A GROUP VOLUNTEERING ACTIVITY WITH SLEEP IN HEAVENLY PEACE, AN AGENCY WHOSE MISSION IS TO BUILD BEDS FOR CHILDREN IN THE COMMUNITY IN NEED. YAC WAS ABLE TO BUILD 40 BEDS THAT DAY, THE SUPPLIES FOR WHICH WERE PURCHASED WITH GRANT FUNDING PROVIDED BY YAC IN NOVEMBER 2019 (THE BUILD DAY WAS DELAYED BY COVID-19). THE TOAST TO OUR TOWNS GALA COMMITTEE, CHAIRED BY LINDA GERDING, WAS EXCITED TO HAVE A LIVE GALA EVENT AGAIN IN 2021. DRESSED TO THE NINES AND WEARING OUR MASKS, WE GATHERED TO CELEBRATE THE EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE WHO HAVE DEDICATED THEMSELVES TO EASTERN JACKSON COUNTY AND THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES. THIS YEAR'S EVENT SHOW CASED THE FOUNDATION'S WORK IN THE COMMUNITY, HIGHLIGHTING THOSE INDIVIDUALS AND BUSINESSES MAKING SIGNIFICANT COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTIONS. IN SPECIAL RECOGNITION OF THE VALENT EFFORTS OF ALL OUR HEALTHCARE WORKERS DURING THE PANDEMIC, THCF HONORED SIX LOCAL HEALTHCARE HEROES WITH HEARTLAND SERVICE AWARDS FOR THEIR EFFORTS TO KEEP OUR COMMUNITIES HEALTHY AND SAFE. EARNINGS GOALS FOR THE GALA FAR EXCEEDED EXPECTATIONS IN 2021, AND THE PROCEEDS WERE USED FOR GENERAL OPERATING EXPENSES.