Funding Charitable Organizations To Enhance The Quality Of Life In The Bell County Area
Who We Are
Bell Community Foundation is an IRS approved public charity founded in 2018 with a generous donation from the Norma Renner estate. Community foundations are created to support the specific needs of a local area and to have a profound impact on the quality of life in their locales. BCF was created to provide those benefits to our Bell County area for generations to come.
The initial donation from the Renner Trust was used to create a permanent endowment fund which will make distributions from earnings to benefit local charitable organizations selected by our Board of Directors. The general endowment fund will grow through gifts from generous benefactors like you, and from investment gains on the fund.
What We Do
Bell Community Foundation is a community partner and resource for nonprofit organizations in Bell County and the surrounding area. Individuals and corporate donors make gifts and bequests of any size to the Foundation. Each year, the Foundation provides grants to meet diverse community needs—supporting programs and projects in education, human services, health, cultural arts and other civic concerns. Our mission is to create a better quality of life for those who live and work in Central Texas.
2022 was the first year Bell Community Foundation awarded grants. The initial recipients were the Temple Children’s Museum, CASA of Bell & Coryell Counties, and Feed My Sheep of Temple. Each recieved donations of $10,000.
Temple Children’s Museum sparks curiosity through hands-on learning. The Temple Children’s Museum is designed for children ages 0–8 years of age and provides a place for families to engage in play that inspires a love of learning with a significant focus in interaction between parents or guardians and children.
CASA of Bell & Coryell Counties supports and promotes court-appointed advocates for abused or neglected children in the foster care system. CASA volunteers are trained community members who are appointed by a judge and their role is to gather information and make recommendations in the best interest of the child.
Feed My Sheep is a Christ-centered, Temple-based, volunteer-driven nonprofit organization formed to provide, through community involvement, nourishment and basic human needs to the homeless and needy people of Bell County. Their mission is to feed those who are hungry physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
Giving
Gifts to Bell Community Foundation, large and small, are usually eligible for a tax deduction. Gifts such as:
- Checks and cash
- Appreciated assets, such as stocks or real estate
- QCDs (Qualified Charitable Distributions) of IRA required minimum distributions
- Life insurance death benefits and lifetime policy assignments
- Bequests under wills and trusts
Undesignated donations to BCF are added to the Endowment Fund to support grants to worthy charitable causes selected by the Board of Directors. Major donors may choose to create a separate, permanent fund managed by BCF to benefit charitable organizations or purposes that they designate. The advantages of these separate funds include reduced costs of set up, administration and compliance, as well as continuity and permanance. When considering major gifts or utilizing non cash contributions, always consult with a tax professional and coordinate in advance with BCF.
Our Directors
Our Board of Directors consists of community leaders who have demonstrated their commitment to the betterment of Central Texas. They come from a variety of backgrounds and their service to other local organizations provides insight and perspective into the needs of the area. Their experience and guidance is invaluable when evaluating applications to BCF for grant support.
