Impact Stories
 

Your Giving

The Power of Committed Community Members

At Truman Heartland Community Foundation, our work is possible only through the generosity of our donors and supporters. Read more about how their generosity helps create a lasting impact in our communities. 

Dog Lovers Make Plans for Perpetual Support


Lance and Heather Trammell developed an estate plan to help them meet their financial goals and ensure continued support for nonprofits that focus on the issues close to their hearts. More

YAC Graduate Now KC Nonprofit Executive


Youth Advisory Council graduate Vanessa Ramirez is putting the program's mission into action as the new Executive Director of YEP KC. More

Willa L. Fancher and Martha A. TaggartFaithful Friends Leave Transformative Gift to Community


A generous $2.8 million planned gift to Truman Heartland Community Foundation from lifelong friends Willa L. Fancher and Martha A. Taggart will ensure their affection for the region is felt forever. More 

Alexxus LindseyScholarships Help First-Generation College Student Follow Her Own Path


Alexxus Lindsey’s final year of nursing school looked very different than she expected, but she’s used to taking a non-traditional path to reaching her goals. More 

Alexandria ArndtLocal Student Ready to Lead


Alexandria Arndt accepts the title of role model with great pride. “I’m the type of person who can’t just sit back when something needs to be done.” More

Allan and Karen ThompsonCommitted to Investing in Raytown, Today and For the Future


Longtime volunteers, Allan and Karen Thompson saw first-hand the impact of area nonprofits on their Raytown community. As Heartland Legacy Society members, the couple will continue to support the causes they care about in perpetuity. More 

Jolee McMullinCOVID Fuels Local Student’s Career Dreams


Jolee McMullin is driven to succeed, no matter what life throws her way. "Nothing is going to make me give up this dream, not even a global pandemic.” More

Kelsey NewlandFirst-Generation College Student Inspired to Create a Brighter Future for Others


The eldest of four daughters in a single-parent home, Kelsey Newland saw college as a path to a brighter future for herself, but along the way developed a passion for making that path accessible for others. More 

Bryanna CountsFollowing Childhood Dream of Being an MD


Bryanna Counts has wanted to be a doctor since she was 10 years old. Like many students, Bryanna was concerned about the cost of going to college and the idea of accumulating student loan debt. Thanks to scholarships she's on her way to bringing her career dream to life. More 



Noel and Carolyn FulkersonCouple Finds a Harmonious Partner for their Legacy


Carolyn, a retired process artist for Hallmark Cards, and Noel, a retired choir director for the Raytown School District and co-founder of the Kansas City Metro Men’s Chorus, share a passion for philanthropy. Over their 48-year marriage, they have invested in several local nonprofits that exemplify their devotion to service and music education. More 

 

Rebecca KnepperCreating a Gift That Keeps on Giving


As a financial advisor, Rebecca Knepper has devoted her career to helping her clients reach their financial goals. With a desire to invest in her Blue Springs community, during her own estate planning process, Rebecca turned to the Truman Heartland Community Foundation for her planned giving strategy. More 

 

Putting Stock in Our Community


Dave and Connie Mayta are doers. With their philanthropic goals in mind, when deciding what to do with appreciated stocks from a previous employer, the couple’s financial advisor suggested they put it to work to benefit their community by transferring their appreciated stocks to Truman Heartland Community Foundation and establishing a donor advised fund.  More 

Making a Difference One Student at a Time


Both educators in the Raytown School District, Mike and Mary Jo (Jody) Watkins have made a difference in the life of many students over the years. Now retired, Mike and Jody are using their IRA Required Minimum Distributions (RMD) to fund a scholarship with Truman Heartland Community Foundation. This strategy allows Mike and Jody to fulfill their RMD, lower their taxable income and continue to support Raytown students. More 

Providing Support in Perpetuity


Charmingly down to earth, Jeff and Marita Ray have made a reputation of giving of their time and talent. With deep roots in their Independence community, Jeff, a successful engineer, and Marita, a retired elementary school teacher, have long supported nonprofits that help lift up people in need. As Legacy Society members, the Rays can maximize their giving impact and ensure that the charities they love will continue to receive their support in perpetuity. More 

Helping Students Find a Purpose


After the death of his grandmother in 2011, Tristen Caudle became an avid volunteer for the American Cancer Society. “The fight against cancer is something that is important for me and the experience of volunteering with the American Cancer Society has given me a vision for my career. It helped me learn what I want to do and who I want to help.” Thanks to scholarship fundholders at Truman Heartland, Tristen is making his vision a reality. More 

Making Community Impact a Family Tradition


Susan Wray has always felt driven to contribute to the community she lived in and loved. As a THCF fund holder and Advisory Board member, Susan uses her donor advised fund to support her favorite charities, learn more about the needs of her community and make charitable giving an important part of her family, today and well into the future. More 

For Dave and Lydia Jeter, Personal Experience Guides Philanthropic Giving


Dave and Lydia are fund holders at the Foundation and use their Donor Advised Fund to award grants to the nonprofits that they believe add value to their community. More 

5 Inspiring Quotes From Our Youth Advisory Council Graduates


Every year, the Community Foundation holds its annual Senior Dinner to celebrate the graduating seniors from our Youth Advisory Council (YAC). The evening consists of speeches from each student as they tell us about their most memorable moments in YAC, as well as the lessons they learned. More


THCF Scholarship Recipient Ashley Deacy Takes Her Dental Skills Abroad

 

Ashley Deacy loves giving people a reason to smile and now thanks to THCF Scholarship fund holders, she’s making her dreams a reality. An Independence native and graduate of Truman High School, Ashley planned on becoming a dentist since she was a little girl. More

 

 

Retired Educators Spend Free Time Giving Back To Their Community

As former educators, Doug and Helen Hatridge are both used to feeling connected to the community they live in. After both Helen and Doug retired, they decided to turn their attention to a different kind of education during the next phase of their lives. More.

THCF Scholarship Donors Help Hometown Girl Achieve Her Lifelong Dream

After Danielle Cunningham realized she wanted to become a doctor at the age of three, she wasted no time working to achieve her dream. Born and raised in Grain Valley, Danielle stayed busy throughout middle school and high school working to achieve her goals. More

For the Beem-Snapp Family, Charitable Giving is a Family Affair


For Betty and Terry Snapp, charitable giving is a family affair. The pair have been long-time supporters of Truman Heartland and have been involved in philanthropic giving on their own for a long time. More recently however, the Snapps decided to fulfill a long-time dream of theirs and start a family foundation with Truman Heartland using a donor advised fund. More

Local Business Owner Uses Personal Success to Give Back to His Community

Even after a move to Downtown Kansas City, Mark Whitlow considers himself a Blue Springs native at heart. Mark is founder and owner of Office Products Alliance (OPA), the largest locally-owned office product supply company in the Kansas City Metro Area; but he’s more than just a local business owner. More

Five Reasons I Use Truman Heartland for My Charitable Giving 


As a lifelong resident of Eastern Jackson County, Carol Baker is always looking for a new way to give back to her community. Carol has served on many non-profit and chamber boards in the area. Her enthusiasm for philanthropy was encouraged by her parents from a very young age and it’s a lesson she’s carried with her throughout her life. More

No Mysteries in Proper Planning


While you may often find Missy Reimann snuggled up with one of her favorite mystery novels, she has no desire to leave a mystery for her family to sort through after she is gone. More

Aspire: direct one’s hopes or ambitions toward achieving something

Chris and Stacey Payne inspire many people in their community to achieve greatness.  Their leadership and volunteerism has helped to shape their Raytown community for good through city redevelopment, spending time with pediatric cancer fighters, and leading the charge to transform their communities’ animal shelter. More

Convictions and Commitment

Jay and Sandy Greco have made volunteering in their home community of Blue Springs part of their family’s culture. When their kids were young, the entire family volunteered together in activities from manning charity fireworks tents to working at the Special Olympics. To this day the family is committed to giving back through volunteerism.  More

The Legacy of Philanthropy

Helen French’s father was a down-to-earth man. Armed only with a sixth grade education, he became an exceptionally successful farmer. With his success, he believed, came a responsibility to help his community - a value he instilled in Helen. More

A Family’s Spiritual Gift – the Gift of Giving

Ron and Karen Finke have been blessed with the spiritual gift of giving. More

Biking and Nature Enthusiast Believes in Balanced Living and Giving

Debra Wood grew up in a church-going family, where she learned the importance of giving back. More

Entrepreneurs Honor the Spirit of a Cherished Mother and Teacher

Since the sudden loss of Glenda, Eden’s mother, Nick and Eden have had a passion to impact students similar to those Glenda would have taught at Lee’s Summit North High School. More

Helping People Unconditionally at Home and Abroad

For Dr. James Elias, what began as a mission trip to Zambia to teach the Bible has become something much bigger, thanks in part to establishing a charitable fund at Truman Heartland Community Foundation. More

Honoring the Memory of a Beloved Daughter

Harvey and Lois House’s oldest child, Rachel, was a bright star. Growing up in Grain Valley, she was an outstanding student and a member of the National Honor Society. More

Maximizing Impact While Minimizing Taxes

For THCF fund holders Montie and Marjorie Tripp, two words best describe their relationship with Truman Heartland Community Foundation: simplicity and ease. More

Igniting a Fire in Young Philanthropists

Henri Goettel has spent a lifetime educating youth about philanthropy and Truman Heartland Community Foundation (THCF) has been a vessel for her passion. More

Giving Students a Better Start

For Gene and Joanne Cable, there’s no better feeling than seeing students succeed. They are in the position to directly impact the lives of young people through two philanthropic endeavors with Truman Heartland Community Foundation. More

From Cars to Causes: A Family Tradition of Giving Back

Cindy Cavanah believes she knows more about automobiles than running a family charitable trust. That’s one reason why she and her husband Marty started their donor advised fund – the Cavanah Family Foundation — with THCF. More

Good Stewards Today and Tomorrow

A primary reason that people create charitable foundations is to leave a legacy. And that’s exactly what Cliff and Diane Jones are doing. More

Wise Words of Charitable Giving

For Bob and Candy White, their donor advised fund initially allowed them to do more with less. More

Placing Stock in Community

Chuck and Colleen Foudree are committed to supporting their community and consider themselves honored to be able to give back to the causes close to their hearts. More

Simplifying Their Giving

Dennis Taylor and Bridget McCandless have a unique donor story as they were gifted their seed money for their donor advised fund as a wedding present.   As a couple committed to giving back to their community, Dennis and Bridget have contributed to and made grants out of their Family fund ever since its inception. More

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