LATEST ARTICLES

Help with Rising Wedding Costs

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Georgia
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One of the interesting aspects of our work is that people inquire about things that are not directly related to our core agenda, however things that impact our decisions.  One of the thing is about wedding in Maui.  Because it could cost so much, it becomes part of people’s important consideration when it comes to finances.  We’ve compiled some info to help with the process.

Maui is a great place for a destination wedding. It is beautiful and will give the picturesque site that every bride and groom hope to have on their big day. Planning a wedding in Maui is very easy too. Since many couples are doing it, engaged couples find it easy to find everything they need from the planners to the gown to great spots for the food. The advantage of having a destination wedding will be felt. There will be fewer guests to worry about and hence you will be happier on your wedding day than at home where you would have to worry about few people. But marrying in Maui is not all rosy. There are a few things you need to know to succeed and leave the place happy with the whole experience.

Make use of a wedding planner

Unlike at home where you can choose to skip paying a wedding planner, here you must make use of a wedding planner. Here is some general information on wedding planning.  If you don’t hire a wedding planner, you will have to take care of all these things on the list.  He or she will know the right places to look for all that is needed to make the wedding a success. From booking a minister to choosing the location to handle the license requirements, the planner will see you through the entire process. With someone who knows how weddings are planned and carried out in Maui by your side, you will have nothing to worry about. Just relax and let the planner handle everything for you.

Do not bring a photographer from home

You may have a friend who is a professional photographer, or it could be that you have heard of one. Carrying them all the way to Maui, however, is a bad idea. It is best to hire a professional photographer who is familiar with the geography and lighting. Look for photographers who are familiar with wedding photo shoots in the area, offer affordable rates and are talented. This way they will not mess up your big day by spoiling the shots.

Beware of the alcohol restrictions

Maui does not take irresponsible drinking lightly so be moderate. It does not end there. There are very many restrictions on alcohol. For instance, if you hold your wedding in public beach alcohol is not allowed. Drinking and driving have very harsh consequences and are best avoided. Just ensure that you have designated drivers who will move you from one place to the other and stay sober throughout the entire process.

You need a permit for beach wedding

Beach wedding with rainbow background
Beach wedding in Maui with rainbow background

Many dream of having a wedding at the beach with the blue water creating a picturesque background and a perfect ambiance as they hit on the rocks on the shore. Well, the good news is that Maui allows you to get just that. The only thing you need is to get the mandatory beach wedding permit and abide by the many rules set. Getting the permit is not hard, and the wedding service provider of choice will guide you. Their name must be in the permit application, and they must be qualified to operate on the island. The rules include that those attending the wedding must not be more than 20 people. If the wedding is done at a public beach, chairs, décor and other accessories cannot be added. What should you do? Exchange the vows at the beautiful beach environment and move to a reception area away from the beach where you can do whatever you want with no restriction.

The Difference Between a Public Charity and a Private Foundation

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Georgia
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Thinking about a foundation generally, lets you think about charity. However, you should know that a foundation is an organization that’s tax exempt, without profit and it’s publicly supported. Its goals are generally long termed, like building permanent, named funds for the broad-based public benefit in the area that they are located.

The Public Charities
Most of the income of the public charities derives from the support of the general public, individual grants, private foundations or government. Even if some of the public charities are engaged in grant activities, most of them will conduct a direct service or other activities that are tax-exempt. However, a private foundation will get its main fund from a single source, like an individual, a specific family, a big corporation and usually it activates as grant-maker.

Private Foundations
Generally, a private foundation is that nonprofit and nongovernmental organization that has a principal fund that is managed by its own directors and trustees. The private foundations aid or maintain charitable, religious, educational or other types of activities that serve the public good, mainly by making grants to other nonprofit organizations.

Why Should You Know the Difference?
It’s essential to examine the giving history of a funder, as it will tell you a lot about the foundation prospects. Any past grants can offer you information about the funder’s preferred subjects, the types of organization and the range of grant amounts.

All this information is easier to get from a private foundation, for which is mandatory to disclose all the grantees and the grant amounts in its accountability forms, especially the ones that are public. However, a grant-making public charity doesn’t have to give any of this information. So access to its grants will definitely depend on how much each specific founder is willing to share with the general public to its website, accountability forms or other communication channels.

If you can’t find anything about a specific foundation, you can search their website on the internet in the founder’s name. You’ll find different information on them, and you’ll see what news or press releases are about the grants that it made. It will all depend on their purpose and their goals, but it can be anything from the examples that we’ve given you. However, if you can’t find anything relevant, write them an email or give them a call and you might find the answers you were looking for.

Insights about Local and Community Foundations

By
Georgia
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0

A foundation is a legal category of nonprofit organization that you can find all over the world. This organization can donate funds and support other organizations, or they can provide the source of funding for their own charitable purposes. You can find private and public foundations. The private foundations are typically endowed by a family or an individual.

Short Description
There is a wide diversity of purposes and structures among the different foundations. However, there are some structural elements that are the same for every one of them. They need to have specific legal requirements for establishment, a clear purpose, economic activity, management and supervision provisions, accountability and auditing provisions, provisions for dissolution of the entity, tax status of corporate and private donors and specific tax status of the foundation.

Funding
All nonprofit organizations, especially the public foundations, have different sources of income that help them fulfill their goals and their missions. They have different fees for goods and services, individual donations and major gifts, bequests, foundation grants, corporate contributions, government grants and contracts, interest from investments, tax revenue or membership fees and dues. It has proven to be a good practice to utilize several diverse sources of income to achieve sustainability.

Goals
Being set for the broad-based public benefit of the residents from a given area, a local foundation is there to enhance the quality of life. It’s a broad mission that is carried out by foundations through building permanent endowment funds and also using some of their annual income for supporting a variety of other local nonprofit organization through special projects and grants.

Many of the community foundation assets are held in different funds that are established by local families, individuals, businesses or charitable institutions. There may be a special purpose for each fund, but the foundation board of directors that represents the community will oversee them all.

Differences
All the non-profit organizations have a specific mission. However, a local or a community foundation has a very broad mission – it is there to improve the quality of life in that area. This is translated into the ability to make grants in any field of interest with a charitable benefit to the local community.

This flexibility will allow the foundation to serve a wider group of potential donors but also a wider group of other nonprofit organizations that are considered partners in the task of improving the local communities.

Unlike other foundations, a community foundation will help the money stay in that area. This also benefits other local nonprofit organizations in different ways, and it’s different depending on the goals and the tasks that they deal with.

The community foundations will help make connections between the people who want to give something and the people who need their support.