Being employed by a nonprofit in the Berkshires, Brian Cruey remains acutely aware of the role charitable giving plays in both “tying people to the work and funding the work,” a pair of priorities that inspire him and his husband Matthew King to contribute to the causes they care most about in their community. Chief among them are the environment (in particular land conservation and protection) and diversity initiatives (especially programs that support gay people and gay youth). “It’s just crucial,” he says of supporting the community.
Community Support, Nonprofit Support
Neither individual sees himself as a philanthropist per se, but they believe it is one of many ways to serve the community they call home. Cruey and King relocated to the Berkshires over a dozen years ago. “It’s quiet and busy, rural but also metropolitan, and naturally and culturally rich in so many ways,” says Cruey. The couple shared a desire to understand, get involved, and support their new community, which is what first led them to Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation (BTCF). As an organization with deep local roots and broad knowledge of community issues, BTCF was the perfect place to get started.
“We very much love the community, want to be part of it, and do what we can to support it in many different ways,” says King.
Cruey and King view charitable giving as one of many ways to support organizations they care for, and fully understand the impact of each and every gift. Cruey has worked for nonprofits for many years – he currently oversees nine local properties in his position as Portfolio Director for the Southern Berkshires with The Trustees of Reservations, and his exposure to organizations of various sizes has only reinforced the importance of support, in any way possible. When King took a job that offered a charitable match program as part of its benefits package, they began to think about giving in a different way.
Maxmize Matching Program Benefits
As King and Cruey learned more about BTCF, they decided to open a Donor Advised Fund (DAF) as a flexible and practical way to support the variety of causes they care about. They appreciated the simplified means of giving that empowers donor advisors to choose what causes to support and when. King, an attorney, quickly realized another benefit – his DAF could help him fully leverage the matching program offered by his employer. Like many similar programs, the match program is a fixed amount of money his employer provides to match donations that an individual makes to a qualifying nonprofit. That amount resets every year, so any funds that remain after a year of giving are effectively lost. King views the charitable matching program as a key part of his compensation, and, despite giving to several organizations every year, would find himself “leaving money on the table” at year end. After making his gifts to a variety of nonprofits over the course of the year, King now contributes to his DAF and directs the remaining match money to BTCF. “This way, I’m taking full advantage of my match benefit, supporting Berkshire Taconic, and growing my Donor Advised Fund for future charitable giving.”
Over the years, Cruey and King have deepened their ties in the community and with BTCF. As a resident of Otis, King was invited to join the advisory committee for BTCF’s South Berkshire County Fund — an endowed fund that is a permanent resource for the 15 towns in southern Berkshire County. King looks forward to their continued involvement, “Berkshire Taconic does a great job of working with donors to direct funds and energies to places that need them.”
