Giving the Gift that Keeps on Giving: David and Debbie Ross, Tau Chapter/Maryland
by Resource, Development and Management Committee

ESP thanks David and Debbie Ross of Tau Chapter - Maryland for their large donation during the 2018 Development Fund Campaign. David and Debbie are active in ESP National and locally in Tau Chapter. Debbie served as Tau Chapter President for several years, continues as membership chair and maintains the Tau database and website. Because of her, Maryland was one of the pilot chapters for the recent change to the national membership dues system, Wild Apricot. She has served as a voting delegate multiple times at National Council meetings and organized or assisted with several national fundraising auctions. As an IT staff person, she has found many ways to learn from and to contribute to ESP. Debbie hopes that ESP will continue efforts to reach Extension Professionals from Faculty to Staff.

David is active at the national level since first serving as Regional Vice President and Chair of the National Resource Development and Management (RDM) Committee in 2002-2004. He is a founding member of the current Development Fund and has worked tirelessly in assisting National ESP with annual fundraising campaigns at the National Conference as well as during the year. David is a retired Extension Agricultural Engineer and Professor Emeritus  at the University of Maryland since 2010. He continues to serve as a life member participating on the RDM Committee and providing leadership for annual fundraising for the Development Fund.

David and Debbie, together continue to be involved in ESP and wish to lead by example in getting the Development Fund to reach its initial goal of $500,000 in member donations. The fund provides over $31,000 in scholarships and grants to members from its annual earnings.  Consider applying for professional development funding from ESP.  Consider donating!

Menu

The ESP Silent Auction Goes 21st Century; Now Everyone Can Contribute Even If You Don't Come to Colorado Springs (Although We Hope You Do!)
Christy Fitzpatrick, Member - Planning Committee for the 2019 ESP National Conference

The Planning Committee for the 2019 ESP National Conference in Colorado Springs is excited to announce that the annual fundraiser Silent Auction will be online using www.32Auctions.com!  We know that this sounds a little scary, but we feel that the advantage will be that people from all across our organization can be part of the auction whether they come to Colorado Springs or not.  Contributing to the auction is just a matter of filling in a form and posting a photo into a Google Doc.  Once everything is posted, we will open the bidding which is also very simple.  We’ll send out detailed instructions and the dates to remember over the summer.  Once the auction is open and you start bidding, our auction site will notify you if you are outbid by someone else.  You will never have to wonder if you still have a winning bid on your favorite items.

And how do you get your item to the winning bidder?  The easiest way will be to bring your item to the National Conference and if the winning bidder is there, just pass it off.  If the winner is not present, we will ask you to pack up your item and mail it to the winner.  This, of course, argues for choosing items that are pretty small and light.

But what about those wonderful big baskets we all know and love? We will still have a live auction for larger and unique items.  So if you or your state or committee usually put together something really eye-catching, you can still do that and we will have it in the live auction.

Aren’t we worried that people won’t participate? Last fall at our Annual Extension Forum, Colorado Zeta Chapter piloted this online auction concept.  We found that people did participate in the online auction and that we raised more than our traditional silent auction the year before.  The big advantage is that everyone who wants to be part of fundraising for ESP is able to contribute even if they don’t get to the national meeting.

Still not sure? Stay tuned for more information that will come out in the summer newsletters and throughout the early fall.  We will make sure you know exactly what to do, and when, and we think you will enjoy the fun of online bidding to support ESP!

Menu

Professional Development Committee Report
Mark Platten, National Professional Development Committee Chair & West Region Vice-President

The professional development committee has had a busy and productive two months as we
showcased the first of two webinars with over 150 people pre-registering! It was a great webinar
and is on the front of our website if you didn’t get a chance to see it live.

We have our second webinar on May 30 starting at noon eastern time. The title of this presentation is, “New technologies
in outreach: AR, 360 images and VR, 3D printing & crowdsourcing.” These are all new technologies Extension is using to enhance programs and reach new audiences. Be on the lookout for the webinar RSVP in the next few days.

We also received almost 100 submissions for concurrent sessions, posters, research and lightning sessions. This was almost double what we had for the 2018 conference! So, although it was a lot of work for my committee to review all the submissions, we believe we have an outstanding conference planned for you and hope you can attend.

Along those lines, our Zeta Chapter is busy putting together the final pre-conference and life member tours along with a couple of Colorado “tokens” to help you through the week. If you have a couple of extra days of vacation, we suggest coming in early and/or leaving late. The conference hotel is extending its $139 price to the pre and post conference stays. As a little incentive to stay a little longer, I’ve included a photo of the Garden of the Gods, which was ranked the #1 city park in the United States and #2 Worldwide!

Menu

Seeking an International Extension Opportunity?
Nancy Kadwill, Member - Global Relations Committee

For many extension educators, a global assignment is exciting, wonderful and a career highlight. The satisfaction of teaching, sharing ideas to help people, learning new cultural ideas, eating new foods, and getting to know another corner of the world are just some of the many benefits. The old adage, “You Learn More Than You Teach” is so true. But sometimes it’s just not possible or available. Perhaps your director/spouse is not supportive, or a myriad of other “life happens” situations get in the way of leaving for any extended period of time.

Consider a one or two-week study tour as a viable option (seriously, take vacation time if you can’t get official approval). Get immersed in local extension planning, see cultural highlights, and learn how global teachings can apply at home. I was fortunate to have traveled with the Michigan State ESP chapter to South Africa, Ireland and Peru- priceless memories!

I am pleased to share that our national Global Relations Committee is pursuing a study trip to the Philippines. We have support of the ESP Board and Utah State University and are hoping all the pieces fit together in the near future. We will keep you posted.

In the meantime, check with your university’s International Department, check out non-Extension opportunities to serve, consider volunteer vacations abroad, perhaps chaperone students, try Farmer-To-Farmer groups, mission trips, IFYE programs, etc. I recently traveled to Guatemala for a week (through Casas por Christo) and helped build a house (for a family in need) in three days!!! What an awesome experience.

“Travel is the Only Thing You Buy That Makes You Richer” is a lovely sign that sits on my kitchen window sill. Smile, enrich your life, serve and travel.

Menu

ESP Creates Positive State Partnerships
Natasha Lucas, Alpha Kappa Chapter, Member National Membership, Recruitment & Retention Committee

One of the goals of the ESP National Membership, Recruitment & Retention Committee is to examine and increase diversity of our ESP Membership.  Our desired action is to reach out to chapter presidents and membership chairs to encourage membership from 1890’s and 1994 institutions.  These partnerships between land grant universities in each state are vital to the overall growth of the Cooperative Extension Service and to your local ESP Chapter.

In my local chapter, the Alpha Kappa Chapter of Kentucky, we try to do just that.  Both the University of Kentucky and Kentucky State University make up the Kentucky Cooperative Extension System and our state ESP Chapter is no exception.  We work together on the various committees, and   have members that serve as area contacts in our chapter.  We celebrate each other’s successful award entries, work together on all ESP projects, and accomplish our chapter goals as a cohesive unit.   

In addition to our ESP Chapter, both land grants work together on many other projects, workshops and trainings on a daily basis.  Marketing the KY Cooperative Extension System through signage, sharing of resources and other strategies is also commonplace. 

Does your state have an 1890’s or 1994 institution? It would be beneficial for your state chapter to reach out to those institutions to increase membership, resources, partnerships and diversity.  To view a map on the location of all land grant universities (1862’s, 1890’s and 1994 land grant universities), please click on this link https://nifa.usda.gov/sites/default/files/resource/LGU-Map-03-18-19.pdf .

The National ESP MRR Committee looks forward to learning more about your efforts to include all land grant universities in your state ESP chapter.  For additional information, please contact Natasha Lucas at nlucas@uky.edu.

Menu

Tax Break for Charitable Contributions Still Available for Seniors Even if They Can't Itemize
Doug Beech, Resource Development and Management Committee Member, Life Member, Alpha Rho Chapter/Kansas

The 2019 tax season has just wrapped up, and, for many of you, this was the first time you really came to understand the personal impact of the major new tax law (Tax Cuts and Jobs Act) passed in late 2017. Quite a few donors to charities were surprised and disappointed to discover that they would not be able to receive the tax benefit of itemizing their charitable contributions, as a result of the approximate doubling of the standard deduction under the new tax law.

But for donors age 70 ½  and older who own IRA accounts, the Charitable IRA Rollover provision of federal tax law is now an especially valuable and good friend! Indeed, for most charitably inclined seniors, Charitable IRA Rollovers (technically referred to as “qualified charitable distributions”, or QCDs) should now be considered the method of first choice or consideration for making charitable contributions. This is because IRA withdrawals made directly to charity that meet all the requirements are excluded from the taxpayer’s adjusted gross income. Their tax benefit doesn’t depend at all on whether the donor is itemizing charitable deductions or not. In effect, the taxpayer is getting a tax deduction for charitable giving without itemizing deductions.

Another valuable benefit: People reaching 70 ½ must begin taking “required minimum distributions” (RMDs) from their IRAs. Charitable IRA Rollovers count toward satisfying the IRA owner’s RMD for the year!

Now more than ever, Charitable IRA Rollovers should have a prominent place in senior’s charitable giving and tax plans. You truly owe it to yourself to visit with your tax adviser and IRA provider soon to discuss incorporating QCDs into your annual charitable gift planning. Since qualifying rollovers must go directly from your IRA provider to charity, earlier, rather than later planning in a given calendar year is encouraged in order to maximize coordination of your RMDs and rollovers for that particular calendar year.

Needless to say, National ESP would be exceedingly grateful and honored to be one of the charities you choose to receive a QCD.  In order to be of assistance, we have added information to our Development page that lists the specific rules associated with Charitable IRA Rollovers and that provides two forms that donors can utilize when making an IRA Rollover gift to National ESP. You might also want to review a prior article on Charitable IRA Rollovers that is included in the August/September 2018 edition of the ESP Connection newsletter, archived on the National ESP website.

Doug Beech can be reached by e-mail at dbeech@ksu.edu.

Menu