Stablish Foundation

30th Anniversary Slideshow Presentation

Barbara — Thu, 07 May 2026 16:34:00 +0000

On April 30th 2026 we held our 30th Anniversary Celebration at the Como Zoo and Conservatory. If you were not able to join us (or even if you were!), here are the slides that we shared that night.

See you in 2036 for our fortieth! 🙂

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Legacy Spotlight: Camp Odayin

Lisa Leum Thomas — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 20:00:29 +0000

Summer is a fun time for children. The time when school is out, the days are long, and they can be outside playing with other kids. But what if you have a heart condition that limits what you can do safely? Do you just sit and wish you could play freely with the other kids? It might be a sad summer for you and your family, but not if you can go to Camp Odayin!

At facilities in Minnesota and Wisconsin, kids with heart disease have a safe, inclusive environment where the activities are designed specifically for them. They are no longer the outlier. At Camp Odayin, they are with other kids who “are just like them!”

One of the Stablish Foundation donors, supports Camp Odayin through their Donor Advised Fund. The annual gift helps Camp Odayin to continue helping kids to have fun, improve their mental health and build lifelong relationships with other kids who “get them.”

To learn more about Camp Odayin, go to www.campodayin.org. And to learn how you can set up a Donor Advised Fund and support the charities of your choice, go to https://www.stablish.org or call Amy at 952-854-9188.

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Assisting Communities Through Charitable Giving

Lisa Leum Thomas — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 19:10:07 +0000

Stablish Foundation is committed to providing nonprofit organizations with funds to fulfill their charitable mission. In some cases, it is only through ongoing charitable donations that smaller communities can continue to provide important services to their residents. However, the benefits of this support are often overlooked or underestimated by the average donor.

Therefore, the following are some of the benefits received by both the donors and the recipient charities:

Efficient Local Giving: Making charitable gifts to nonprofits in your community gives the donor the opportunity to see and appreciate the benefits of their gifts. The donor may also be able to volunteer his or her time and talents with the organization, thereby increasing the benefit of their gift to the community. On the other hand, the nonprofit has the advantage of teaming up with other local organizations, recruiting volunteer assistance directly from the community, focusing on local needs, using local businesses for services, and having access to local government support, thereby assisting the community in a multitude of ways.
Improve the Local Economy: Just like community members who choose to shop at local businesses, any amount spent by a nonprofit locally provides a positive impact for the entire community. The funds spent may include wages of employees, services and goods purchased in the community, and any direct funds and services provided to its recipients.
Observe improvements in the Quality of Life of Your Neighbors: Many local nonprofits have a mission of filling the gap in the goods and services available to people in need in your community. For example, this could include feeding a hungry family, improving the health and well-being of a senior, or improving the performance of schoolchildren by augmenting materials and educational opportunities.
Minimize Bureaucracy: Large nonprofits deliver significant benefits in the overall charitable space. However, these entities have a level or bureaucracy which does not exist in smaller local nonprofits. Local nonprofits have the ability to be flexible when a need occurs and can provide assistance with more speed than a large nonprofit.
Lack of Government Assistance: Government assistance organizations often do not understand the need or do not have uncommitted funds available to help a small community nonprofit.
Income Tax Benefits: Depending upon the current rules at the Federal and State level, you may be entitled to either an income tax deduction or an income tax credit. This decreases the actual cost of your charitable gift.
Satisfaction of the Charitable Gift: Making a local charitable gift provides the donor with the satisfaction of seeing the benefit of their gift. This may give him or her a sense of purpose, thereby improving their own mental health while helping others in their community.

Stablish Foundation has several clients who choose to support nonprofits in smaller communities. Examples include:

Gifts to a nonprofit providing medical services that are otherwise unavailable in rural North Dakota.
Contributions to a local church to pay for capital improvements that the church could not otherwise afford; thereby assuring the community of a welcoming and safe place to worship.
Scholarships awarded anonymously to local high school graduates for advanced education.

Stablish Foundation can help you assist your local community through charitable giving, while creating YOUR personal and lasting Legacy.

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What Makes Stablish Unique?

Lisa Leum Thomas — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 18:01:02 +0000

When we decided to start Stablish Foundation in 1995, we spoke with potential Donors and their Investment Advisers and asked what they thought would make an ideal Community Foundation.

We took what we heard and created Stablish Foundation with the following unique characteristics:

Stablish Foundation was the first Community Foundation in Minnesota to offer Donor Advised Funds (DAF), not just Trusts;
Stablish Foundation does not pool assets from various DAFs. Rather, each DAF is segregated in its own investment account, allowing for easy reporting to the Donor.
Stablish Foundation maintains a triangular relationship between Stablish, the Donor and their Investment Advisor. The Donor’s personal Investment Advisor can remain as the advisor to the DAF, if he or she desires to do so.
Stablish Foundation does not have a specific minimum to start a Donor Advised Fund, since we believe that all Donors, regardless of their net worth, should be able to create a Legacy through charitable giving, if they so wish.
Stablish Foundation permits the Donor to modify their Statement of Charitable Intent as frequently as they desire since their charitable interests and goals may change over time.
Stablish Foundation will vet smaller charities recommended by Donors to make sure that the charitable organization is a valid 501(c)3, and that they use the donated funds as intended by the Donor. This allows Donors to consider small, unique charities that have significance to them, not just charities on a previously curated list.
Stablish Foundation has an independent third-party audit done every year, even though this is not required by law.
Stablish Foundation offers a personal touch. Donors and Investment Advisors have direct contact with a specific person within the organization, not just whoever happens to answer the phone.

It is these eight qualities that separate Stablish Foundation from the larger, better-known Community Foundations and these eight qualities that help our Donors to create their personal Legacy.

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Legacy Spotlight: Bravo Zulu House

Lisa Leum Thomas — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 18:10:15 +0000

𝑄𝑢𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑙𝑦, we shine a light on the incredible charities supported by Stablish Foundation’s Donor-Advised Funds.

This feature explores Bravo Zulu House, a groundbreaking sober living facility in Minnesota dedicated to helping Veterans heal from PTSD and addiction through community, stable housing, and specialized care.

War brings immense hardship and loss, and its impact is traumatic for everyone. For soldiers returning home with PTSD, the challenges can feel overwhelming. Since 9/11, 7,500 active military members have lost their lives in combat or training-related incidents. Heartbreakingly, approximately 120,000 veterans—about 20 each day—have died by suicide, often struggling with the combined burdens of PTSD and addiction. This is a serious and urgent crisis that deserves our collective attention and action.

Bravo Zulu House – the first all-Veteran sober living facility in the U.S. for vets dealing with addiction and PTSD – offers another alternative.

Each resident has a private room in a beautiful new home in Winnebago, Minnesota, living with other Vets who have experienced some of the same traumas. They receive outpatient medical and mental health services from the Mayo Clinic, as well as individual counseling, dog therapy and hydroponic farming opportunities. In addition, they work part-time jobs for 20-30 hours per week and pay rent of $600 per month. It is expected that residents will stay for an average of 18 months. At the recent Grand Opening Ceremony, Dr. Karthik Ghosh, Mayo Health Systems Medical Director for Minnesota, stated that “Mayo Health Systems believes in the Bravo Zulu House. It will be a vital resource offering a safe and supportive environment where our Veterans can heal and rebuild their lives.”

In the fall, Bravo Zulu House will begin fundraising for a house for women Veterans. This is a perfect example of saving lives by turning an extremely negative event into a positive result.

Learn more about this charity at: Bravozuluhouse.org

“As a soldier who served for 39 years and now as a veteran, I have seen firsthand how troops and veterans have struggled with, succeeded against, or tragically lost their lives to PTSD and addiction challenges. It is a toll that seems not to end. I joined the Board of Bravo Zulu House a little over a year ago, driven by the factors mentioned above and the continuing heartbreaking stories of veterans with whom I have served taking their lives. The need for Bravo Zulu House has never been greater than it is today.” – 4-Star General (ret.) Joseph Votel

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What is a Donor Advised Fund?

Lisa Leum Thomas — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 17:49:24 +0000

The Stablish Foundation, a Community Foundation, is devoted to fulfilling the charitable and philanthropic dreams of our Stablish members. To accomplish these dreams, a Donor Advised Fund (DAF) can be established by an individual during his or her lifetime or upon their death to provide ongoing financial support for the donor’s stated philanthropic purposes. This support can continue for a significant number of years after the death of the donor.

While the Donor of the DAF is alive, he or she serves as the Advisor to the fund to recommend the annual charitable gifts. The Donor may also designate their children to serve as Advisors to the Fund upon the Donor’s death. There-fore, by continuing to make annual periodic payments to charities that meet the donor’s stated philanthropic goals, the individual is creating a LEGACY for themselves and their family.

How is this accomplished? Working with the staff at the Stablish Foundation, the donor creates a Statement of Charitable Intent indicating the charity or charities they wish to support. The Statement of Charitable Intent can be general or a specific. For example, the donation could be given to the Stablish Foundation with the stated charitable intent of support for the University of Minnesota General Fund, to be spent wherever the Trustees feel the need is the greatest; or, the stated charitable intent could be the specific support of brain cancer research at the University of Minnesota. Furthermore, the Statement of Charitable Intent can be added to or modified at any time as the Donor’s interests change.

Donors often have very specific philanthropic desires. Actual examples include:

A DAF set up to create college scholarships for high school seniors with a C average.
A DAF created at the death of a Donor whose wife and children died from Cerebral Palsy to fund Cerebral Palsy research and to aid families dealing with the disease.
A DAF set up to provide operating (as opposed to program) support for the Donor’s church.

The funds in each DAF are in a segregated account, not combined with other DAF assets. Usually, the annual charitable contributions from the DAF equal 5% of the value of the fund at the end of the previous year. For instance, if the previous year’s value of a DAF is $100,000, the subsequent year’s contributions would total $5,000 paid to the proposed charities. Stablish Foundation is very proud to be involved in the gifts we manage for our Donors. Annually, Stablish Foundation distributes approximately $800,000 to charities from our Donor Advised Funds. We want to take this opportunity to thank our current and future Donors who are creating their LEGACY through the Stablish Foundation.

For more information on Donor Advised Funds, go to https://stablish.org/how-it-works or call (952) 854-9188

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Donor Advised Funds: a Powerful Tool in 2026

Lisa Leum Thomas — Fri, 13 Mar 2026 17:29:04 +0000

Major changes to Federal income tax laws are coming this year. It is essential for taxpayers to begin discussions with their tax advisors early in the tax season. Proactive planning will help you make the most of the new rules affecting charitable giving.

A DAF is a charitable account held by a sponsoring non-profit organization such as Stablish Foundation. With a DAF, you can receive an irrevocable current income tax deduction while deferring decisions on which charities will ultimately receive the donations. This flexibility makes Donor Advised Funds (DAFs) increasingly useful under the new tax landscape.

Understanding the New Charitable Deduction Rules

The new 2026 rules change how charitable contributions are deducted, depending upon your filing status:

Itemizers (New Deduction Floor): If you itemize your deductions, you can only deduct the portion of your total charitable contributions that exceeds 0.5% of your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI). For example, with an AGI of $200,000, the first $1,000 of your charitable giving is not deductible.
Non-Itemizers (Exclusion): A new “universal” above-the-line deduction allows non-itemizers to deduct up to $1,000 ($2,000 for joint filers). However, contributions to a DAF are excluded from this deduction. You may still benefit from not having to pay capital gains when contributing appreciated assets.
Deduction Cap for High Earners: For taxpayers in the top 37% tax bracket, the tax benefit of charitable deductions is capped at 35%.

Strategic Approaches for Charitable Giving

The following are various advantages and strategies for 2026 to use charitable giving in income tax planning:

~Bundling: Many taxpayers can maximize their deductions by “bundling” multiple years of contributions into a single year – often using a DAF. This strategy helps you exceed the standard deduction threshold, while allowing you to support your chosen charities over several years.

Bundling provides the following advantages:

Ability to navigate the 0.5% AGI floor
Ability to surpass the Standard Deduction to itemize your deductions. Optimize the tax benefits of your charitable gift
Avoid capital gains taxes
Maintain flexibility on the timing of your charitable gifts

~Gifts of Appreciated Property: Donating appreciated properties, such as securities, directly to a DAF eliminates capital gains on the appreciation. Your charitable deduction is based on the current value of the donated property, not the original cost.

~Combining Strategies: For many taxpayers, combining bundling and gifts of appreciated assets to a DAF provides the greatest tax benefit. This approach provides a source for future charitable gifts, while avoiding the capital gains from the sale of appreciated assets.

Professional Guidance

Charitable giving strategies should be tailored to your individual circumstances. Consult your income tax advisor to determine which approach is right for you. Stablish Foundation has been assisting Donors and their advisors, for over 30 years in navigating the income tax implications of charitable giving, including the use of Donor Advised Funds.

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Legacy Digest 1Q 2026 – Donor Advised Funds: a Powerful Tool in 2026

Barbara — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 19:08:18 +0000

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Legacy Digest 4Q 2025 – 30 Years of Creating Legacies

Barbara — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 16:38:37 +0000

As Stablish Foundation celebrates 30 years as a community foundation, we want to take a moment to reflect on the incredible and creative generosity of our Donors. Every gift—large or small, simple or complex—carries a story, a purpose, and creates a Legacy. While we can’t highlight every act of kindness, we’d like to share a few examples that illustrate the heart behind our Donor Advised Funds.

(PDF 307KB)

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Legacy Digest 3Q 2025 – 30 Years in the Making

Barbara — Mon, 13 Oct 2025 15:53:37 +0000

I’m Keith Witter, Board Chair of Stablish Foundation. Back in the 1990s, I was helping clients with charitable giving as part of their estate planning. Stablish Foundation was born out of the frustration that clients, their attorneys, and their financial advisors all faced when trying to make personal legacy giving work. We quickly ran into some
challenges…

Read Issue 12 of the Legacy Digest below:

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