Two Funds Established with Community Foundation of Howard County

Two board members for the Community Foundation of Howard County established funds with the foundation, which raises, manages and distributes funds to support Howard County nonprofits. Chris Gable of Ellicott City established the Chris and Nicole Gable Family Fund, and Steven D. Sass of Columbia established the Sass Family Fund.

“I’ve learned about the needs of Howard County through my involvement with the Community Foundation,” Gable said. “Earlier generations of my family lived in Howard County, and we trust the Community Foundation’s discernment. The foundation has a strong process in place to identify which organizations are most qualified and in need of support.”

Gable established his fund with a stock gift, an advantage for the donation’s tax benefits, he said. Gable avoided being taxed on the stock’s sale, while also earning an income-tax deduction based on the stock’s full market value. Gable, a financial planner with Morgan Stanley, said his company offered a 25 percent match as well.

Sass, an attorney and senior vice president with Receivable Management Services owned by iQor Holdings, also established his fund with a matching gift, in his case a two-to-one match achieved with a payroll deduction through his company.

“The ability to multiply gifts by matching is much more unusual than it was in years past and should not be overlooked when it presents itself,” Sass said. “The Community Foundation of Howard County seemed to be an excellent way to focus giving and thereby enhance the impact over time.”

The Gable Family Fund is an unrestricted fund benefiting organizations at the Community Foundation’s direction, while the Sass Family Fund is a donor-advised fund benefiting organizations according to input from the Sass family.