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TCAA's New Academic Enrichment Fund By Doug Collar '64 This article appeared in the Fall 2005 Tornado Connections
It has been a long standing goal of the Tiffin Columbian Association to find new ways to financially assist the academic programs in the Tiffin City Schools and to enhance our scholarship program for deserving Columbian seniors. Now, through our affiliation with the Tiffin Charitable Foundation, the TCAA board has established the TCAA Academic Enrichment Fund. The new fund and the existing TCAA Scholarship Fund are now able to accept tax exempt contributions from donors.
The Tiffin Charitable Foundation, Inc. was founded in 1983 by a group of civic minded citizens to create a permanent tax exempt charitable foundation designed to assist organizations in pursuing their charitable interests conveniently and with maximum tax benefit. The Tiffin Charitable Foundation manages assets over $2 million and currently manages 27 funds.
TCAA will continue to manage its normal operating expenses, but the TCAA Academic Enrichment Fund and TCAA Scholarship Funds will be managed by the Tiffin Charitable Trust. This arrangement will benefit TCAA in two important ways. First, all contributions to these funds will be tax-exempt. Second, the funds will be a part of a major investment portfolio which means a better return on our investment than is currently available through a money market account.
However, the biggest pay off will be the impact we hope to have in enhancing the academic programs in the Tiffin City Schools. The steady decline in state funding has hit public schools hard in Ohio. Tiffin teacher, administrators, and school board members have done a heroic job of delivering an award-winning program under severe budget constraints in recent years. Yet, many customary expenses like field trips, new book purchases, and equipment replacement have been placed on hold or eliminated.
TCAA has traditionally contributed funds for such worthy programs as The Academic Letter Breakfast held each spring, the fifth grade nature retreat, the Power of the Pen program, as well as individual teacher grants. This summer, TCAA helped fund Columbian science teacher Chris Mansour’s work with the Cheetah Conservation Fund in Namibia which has had a major impact on Tiffin students this year. Our scholarship fund has distributed over $11,000 to Columbian seniors over the past decade.
As a first phase goal, TCAA has set a $5,000 goal for the first year of The Academic Enrichment Fund. It is hoped that alumni will appreciate the tax benefits of contributing to the TCAA Academic Enrichment Fund knowing that they are “helping keep the tradition alive,” educationally speaking for Tiffin kids. Memorial contributions are encouraged to commemorate classmates, loved ones, and favorite teachers. Tornado Connections will publish a list of contributors and dedications in each issue.
Checks may be made out
either to the TCAA Academic Enrichment Fund or to the “TCAA Scholarship Fund”
and should be mailed to TCAA, 300 South Monroe Street, Tiffin, OH 44883. They
will be deposited in their respective funds at The Tiffin Charitable Trust,
Inc. We repeat, all contributions to these funds are fully tax deductible. A
contribution form is located
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