Archives: Stories

THE POWER OF ENDOWMENTS: INVESTING IN THE ARTS PAYS OFF IN PERPETUITY

Celebrated philanthropist Lucille Little was passionate about the arts. All told, Mrs. Little awarded over $50 million to nonprofits in Fayette, Rowan and Elliott Counties. It would be hard to find an arts organization in those communities that has not benefitted from her generosity. Mrs. Little died in 2002, but… Read More

A Profile in Giving: Building a Strong Foundation of Generosity

In addition to building homes, James and Martha Monroe build communities. In 2006, when James and Martha were in their early twenties and had been married for a year, they launched James Monroe Homes. For the first several years while the company was getting started, James received no salary from… Read More

BGCF365: Our Impact

THE FINALS! 2022-23 Grantmaking Cycle Results BGCF365 members met at Base249 for The Finals, our annual grantmaking meeting, on April 20. We heard project pitches from three Lexington nonprofits supporting Fayette County youth and voted on how to award $25,000 in total grants: FIRST PLACE $15,000 GRANT WINNER: … Read More

BGCF365 Grants $25,000 to Lexington Youth Programs

BGCF365, a giving circle at Blue Grass Community Foundation for emerging philanthropists, held its annual grantmaking event, The Finals, on April 20th in Downtown Lexington’s Base249. During the event, three local nonprofits pitched innovative projects and competed for $25,000 in grants. In late January, the BGCF365 membership selected the… Read More

Community Funds Serve as Umbrella for Charitable Giving

Blue Grass Community Foundation hosts a network of endowed community funds, each seeking to improve the quality of life in their geography. In partnership with local leaders, these funds work to increase charitable giving and build local charitable resources to impact their city’s greatest needs and opportunities. Read More

BGCF Celebrates $150 Million in Total Grantmaking

Blue Grass Community Foundation is celebrating a tremendous milestone: awarding over $150 million in grants and scholarships since our founding in 1967! BGCF was established when C.W. and Irene Sulier invited several Central Kentucky philanthropists to join them in establishing a public foundation to encourage charitable giving and to… Read More

QCDs, RMDs and CRTs: Making Sense of the Secure Act 2.0 Alphabet Soup

Tax-savvy philanthropists may be interested in new provisions included in the $1.65 trillion omnibus spending bill, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 (CAA). These provisions, often referred to as SECURE 2.0, build upon the original SECURE Act of 2019 and provide enhancements to the rules for utilizing a qualified charitable… Read More