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Ron Johnson has been practicing law in Greensboro for over 30 years. In his role as an estate planning attorney, he has worked with the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro since its inception. He calls it “the ideal organization to partner with professionally.”
Throughout his professional career, he has introduced a number of clients to the various charitable options available through the Community Foundation. One option that he is most excited about is Donor Advised Funds. He has been advising clients to dissolve their family foundations into a Donor Advised Fund in order to take advantage of the benefits of partnering with the Community Foundation. When asked about the benefits, he readily lists three:
- The red tape. Community Foundation does all of that for you.
- Tax returns. Family Foundations must file very complicated tax returns – and again, the Community Foundation does that for you.
- Family foundations are required to donate 5% of their funds annually. During market downturns, some family foundations are losing quite a significant amount of their principal. Again, with a Donor Advised Fund at the Community Foundation, there are no required annual allocations.
As he puts it – “It’s a win-win proposition.”
Johnson is a member of the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro Board of Directors, and has served on the Professional Advisors Committee and the Finance and Administration Committee for a number of years.
He has been thrilled to see the organization continue to monitor the needs of the community and stepping out to tackle some of the more sensitive issues we face. Johnson feels the organization is “reaching out into the community like no other group is willing or able to do.”
Finally, Johnson has set a personal goal for himself while serving his remaining term on the Board. “I want to focus on building the Community Grantmaking Fund of the organization,” he said. “The Grants Committee needs more funds to support up-and-coming organizations, bolster those who are affected by cutbacks and those who want to diversify their focus.”
Ron Johnson is one of a host of outstanding volunteers who dedicate many hours to the success of the Community Foundation. Says former Board Chair, David Sprinkle, “Ron has made a tremendous impact with his work. We owe him a debt of gratitude”. | 
