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President's Message November 2009
Published: Nov 1, 2009
Why Do We Need A Foundation?
If past Presidents don’t get it,
how can we expect the general membership to understand? They don’t have the
experience of being in the boardroom to see how we make decisions.
CADS has a long history of
charitable giving. We were honored several years back as the Outstanding
Philanthropic Organization by the Austin Fundraising Professionals. This honor
recognized a commitment to the community by our members. This is no small
achievement. One or two year’s work won’t qualify anyone for this award. As an
organization, CADS has over 70 years of community involvement and giving.
We have raised money for our
charities through an annual Gala for the past ten years. A problem was
identified with the legalities of donors deducting their contributions. CADS
addressed the issue by forming a 501(c) (3) foundation. This new entity was
required to have a Board of Directors that was separate from CADS. This led to
the formation of the Capital Area Dental Foundation. The enhanced tax status of
the foundation makes it easier for donors to support our causes.
I have seen a distinct
misunderstanding in our CADS Board and the membership concerning the connection
of the two organizations caused by the need to have two separate boards. The
function of the Foundation is to accomplish the charitable goals of CADS.
Anything that the Foundation does is a direct benefit to CADS as far as public
relations and community involvement is concerned. The Foundation handles the
financial end of our work. CADS volunteers are always needed to provide the
manpower and technical expertise to accomplish our mission.
One of the immediate benefits of
the new board was a renewed energy and focus on our community involvement. By
drawing upon the expertise of those who have participated in foundations
before, we have both short and long range plans in place. The focus on
fundraising has expanded beyond our traditional areas. In addition to asking
our members and suppliers for contributions, we are also writing grant requests
to fund our projects.
The Future:
All of these programs and
activity comes with a price. The Foundation Board has revamped and refocused
the annual Gala to raise the initial money to cover these projects and our
charitable donations to local foundations providing care. We are also in the
process of securing grant money to help run these projects. One of the first
things granting organizations would like to see is support for a foundation by
its own members. Our efforts to raise more money than ever before through
member donations and a matching $25,000 grant from St. David’s Community Health
Foundation should prove this to anyone beyond a doubt. Our members not only
provide countless volunteer service hours, but also financial support for our
efforts. Hopefully in the future grant money will support a greater percentage
of our expenses. The Foundation Board is going forth with a vision to be the
leaders in the community regarding dental disease. By remaining focused on the
task and continuing to draw upon support from CADS dentists, this is an
attainable goal.
I hope this clears the air of why
we need a foundation and what will it do for CADS. The Foundation only exists
because CADS formed it. The Foundation does work in the community which
enhances the public image and standing of all our member dentists. It can allow
us to achieve goals never before possible without being a true non-profit
corporation. It can allow us to be true community leaders in our profession.
Our Foundation will only succeed with the continued volunteer support of our
member dentists. I ask for all CADS members to put their total support behind
this endeavor.
Stan LaCroix
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