Sorry, I didn’t know I was required to be at your attention. Look, I’m just posing a simple suggestion. There are hundreds of Community Foundations throughout the country that do great work. Yes there are many charities as well. Setting this up is simple. Distribution is hard. No, typically those participating receive no compensation. I’m not looking for a penny. Hell, I don’t care if I’m involved going forward. The point was many could sacrifice very little for the greater good. Many have posted they don’t need the relatively small cash distribution. Ok. Instead of spending it on entertainment, or giving it back (lol), offer it to a local foundation run by people who give a damn.

Great questions. Every for profit corporate foundation must be transparent through annual report and required IRS filings which are made public. Establishing the organization is pretty simple, probably no more than a few weeks. That’s the easy part.

Sure, but are they specifically concerned about the service workers who until now drove 20+ miles to serve our every need until now. Restaurants are running on skeleton staff. Most are unemployed. Just yesterday, I needed to be in Office Depot. Their staff now numbers 3.

Restaurants will hire staff back when this is over as will Office Depot.

In the interim, those laid off employees will also receive stimulus checks as well as having the ability to file for unemployment which has been raised quite a bit. In addition, businesses are able to obtain business loans to pay their employees which will be forgiven if they do, in fact, pay their staff.

My check, and yes I will receive one, is going to the vet techs at my veterinarian and if permitted, small gift cards to those at Publix that helped keep us fed. I don’t need anyone to decide where my money goes. I’m smart enough to decide that on my own and know who I want to help.

Thanks to 72lions for the kind impulse. My preference has also been to support local charities as well as those with reasonable administrative costs.

However with such low interest rates now and no investment plans for the foundation's monies, it seems the funds might come in and be quickly disbursed, end of story. It would require a significant effort to review applications and have board meetings to review and vet each application, especially if the grants are smaller amounts.

While I admire your generous spirit and desire to help, I think for me the answer will still be to support charities I trust that already have their internal infrastructures in place and with established track records of service. However I'm very open to reconsidering down the line if this becomes a reality.

Yes, I thought this exact same thing weeks ago. A fund created to assist the people that serve us who were reliant on wages or tips to survive. Sounds like a logistical nightmare though. Maybe just over-tip when things come back

I don't like Go Fund Me's. I think they often do not reach the intended recipients and I think people can financially support those directly who need.

Bravo

I agree with you. I didn’t know we were all going to get $1200. You have a good idea. How to carry it forward is beyond me. Good luck

I posted something similar a week or so ago. I said IF you do not need the money, CONSIDER handing out larger than normal tips (or tips where you don’t normally hand them out) to our grocery workers, hairdresser, servers, manicurists, cashiers, etc. Either way works!

#10
 

#10) You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

Let's stop discussing what the Morse's are (or are not) doing.

I think this is a lovely idea. However, I doubt that many residents of The Villages will be getting the full $1,200. I know that I will be getting only $100.

Dale,
Your idea is a nice and thoughtful one but most of us who would be willing to participate are already charitable way before the stimulus check. We will give 10% first to our Church, followed by the Wildwood Food Pantry, Humane Society, etc. etc. etc. and perhaps some work on our home providing money to a work person. Also, my husband and I have moved 20 times first with the military and then with corporate. We have never lived in a more beautiful and enjoyable place so please all who do--stop putting down the Morse family and stop pretending to know whether or not they are charitable. We all need to take care of ourselves and not expect the Morse family to become our rescuers.

Why not use it as was intended as stimulus. Spend at the local businesses

Dr. Ben Carson from the ghetto is a prime example of success. Read his book.

Make life easy - We have charities already in place - share it with the Lady Lake and Wildwood food pantries, Homebound (currently forced to close) that function all year. The Food Pantries have an immediate need for funds and have an immediate visible result and they can use the support so they can share it with the surrounding community.

If I do get anything I will send to my brother and sister in NJ who got laid off from the casinos.

I’m would pay your house cleaner or lawn person an extra week like at Christmas. Direct assists are best. No overhead

This sad thread, with many suggesting innocent victims of our present high unemployment do not deserve help, has become one factor weighing on my not-yet-final decision of whether or not to continue living in The Villages. How can you be so lacking in empathy, compassion and/or intelligence? I will assume, kindest assumption of the three, that it is the later and you are not bright enough to realize people who lost their jobs to this disaster need help. (Isn't it possible they were so young they had no emergency fund yet, or that their emergency fund had already been drained by another emergency and not yet built back up, or that they were never educated about having an emergency fund, which is just pitiful. I know there are "cheats" but in this terrible time we can help those who lost their job without judgment about their emergency funds.)

Is there any sunset clause or does this Foundation run in perpetuity? What about the Solumam? family who operates many restaurants in the Villages but has a son who often is in the paper for beating on his girlfriend. Does he get gifted too? Who decides worthiness of the beneficiaries?

Suleiman Family
 

Nate Suleiman is a COUSIN. He has nothing to with the restaurants!

Wow...mind blown
Someone says that’s do something good in a very positive post about helping others (the thousands of people out of work in our community) and some how things like “don’t be jealous of the Morris family, You’re poor because of bad choices you made in life and all the other ugly statements made. Makes me just shake my head. No positive feed back .....it’s stuff like this is why people say The Villagers have entitlement issue......have you all forgotten you once worked for a living. Let’s put this situation that we are in day and say in 1990, you are working and you have a family of four and out of nowhere you have a Stay at Home......would you feel the same way as you do today. Just understand no one ask for this so, can we just do our best to remember there are young families out there that are truly scared.

America’s Friendliest Hometown!

my god, people don't understand the difference between optional opt - in question and required opt-out question? The OP question was an optional opt-in question, meaning only people interested should proceed further, a required post on here is not even required. I wish there was a mute or block button for some posters so I don't have to read their verbal diahrea.

The OP wants to do something nice, has some experience, and if he can make it work, great! I can see some of the obstacles and understand the concepts, but am in no position to contribute. But to discourage or to criticize the inquiry of interest is really pretty petty and mean. Sometimes I wonder what I will say when I meet and figure out who some of the very opinionated "I must post my entitled negative opinion to every post I think or feel is idiotic for me."

sportsguy

I've worked for a community foundation in Indiana. When setting up the foundation, a certain amount of money can be put aside to give grants immediately and the rest of the money is "endowed" and managed by an investment group or board of trustees. They take the profits to use as the "grants". In order to receive a grant, you must apply/comply with a certain criteria. This, of course, is decided by the board. The one I worked for only gave to non-profits for their use in helping the community. It is a great way to help without it being a "handout" to just anyone. At this time of all the uncertainty, giving whatever we can to help others is always a good thing.

Does it ever end?

Look under settings, you can do.

It might be a bit of a stretch to say “this is heaven here...”. It is a wonderful retirement community. :coolsmiley:

Why make a big deal over it
 

[QUOTE=72lions;1744438]Here’s an idea. Let The Villages lead the way in supporting those in need. Here’s how:

Assume 100,000 Villagers will receive $1,200. That’s $120 MILLION. Now, assume most don’t really NEED this money and 1 out if every 4 would part with it. Just ask around find a couple of people give it to them they need money now

Let’s set up a Villages Community Foundation registered with the IRS and the State as a bone fide charitable organization.

Take the money - as much as $30 million and start providing gifts, grants and/or loans to our less fortunate workers and business owners as needed.

Who knows, maybe the Morse extended family could throw in a large contribution (tax deductible ) for good measure.

THIS IS NOT A JOKE. I AM VERY SERIOUS.

If you agree, simply post your support now. If you believe you could offer meaningful ideas and would like to help in some way, send me an email and I will start a group.

We owe something to the cashiers, restaurant workers, shop owners and their employees and others who make[/L w just ask around find a couple of people they need it now not later

Goes into perpetuity.

we decided weeks ago that we'd gift the $2400 we'll be receiving to those in need

we'll do it privately though and we have identified who we'll gift money to

your suggestion, though very well intended, will involve administrative efforts and somewhere along the line someone will want a piece of the action for their time

secondly the last thing I want to see happen is for anyone to get involved in our decisions pertaining to whom, how much, how often and when I help those with less than we have that are in need

BTW, leave the Morse family out of this. I'm sure that the Morse family is already doing a lot to help those in need.

I am a great believer Community Foundations . Was a founding director and chairman of a Foundation in Washington County Maryland (pop 135,000), prior to moving here

That being said we do not need to reinvent the wheel here at this time I know of at least two Community Foundations serving this area which would be happy to establish Donor Advised Funds for the purposes that you describe . There are also many 501c 3 charities serving almost every human need that we could imagine in and around the Village, ie Salvation Army, dozens of child care groups, food banks ----------.

I do enthusiastic support your suggestion that those who do not need stimulus funds, make contributions to existing relief groups. Those of us who are fortunate enough to be free of significant financial issues will most probably " bank" the funds. This accomplishes nothing toward the goal of stimulus. Giving to those who help others will assure that these funds get back into the economy quickly while helping the suffering, sick , hungry, those out of a job and many others.

Yes , but of course you know that so many with no real knowledge, feel compelled to engage in "ad hominem" attacks on the Family.

[QUOTE=charlieo1126@gmail.com;1744962]
First Step= State approval , new corporation

Next Step - IRS Approval

Third Step - Experienced and very competent people to run it

Time frame = probably 3-6 months if it goes extremely well .


Solution to delay-- use what we already have- Hundreds of human service, and faith based, social agencies and avoid choke points above. The wheel was invented long ago and still works perfectly well.

Great idea even if you got less than ypur projection a lot of good could be done.

Thanks for thinking of others in this time while some of the respondents can only think of themselves.

This post has surely shown, the good, the bad and the ugly that live within the community walls.

Many have no choice. You worked hard, but you were also very lucky. You were lucky in the family you were born into and the genes you inherited. You were lucky to be born in a time and place where your skills could be developed and there was a market for them. You were lucky that you had the physical and mental ability to do what you did. Not everyone is lucky. Be grateful, not condescending.

As the old saying goes.
"If you want to get rich, start a Church or a Charity!"

Do you live in a vacuum? Those that lost their jobs will also receive a stimulus check. They are entitled to unemployment which has been raised substantially. Businesses can apply for loans that will not need to be paid back if used to pay employees. Young or older makes no difference. Distribute your stimulus as you wish not at the behest of someone else and be careful who you point fingers at for being unintelligent.

As Gary Player once said.
"The harder you work, the luckier you get."

Welcome to the new TOTV.. Where every thread has to be an argument..