More than fun & games: gatherings can generate some important financial contributions for students and community

Picnics with children running, laughing and playing as their elders exchange stories is the usual scene that comes to mind when envisioning a "family reunion." Although this traditional image warms the heart, families are starting to reinvent the traditional family reunion. For example, some families are pooling their resources to donate money to their favorite charities, create family businesses and contribute to the Black community in general. "Families are becoming more business-savvy," says Gloria Herbert, associate publisher of Black Meetings and Tourism.

A few years ago, Herbert says she introduced a financial consultant to a family planning a reunion. As a result of helping that one family, the consultant has assisted many other families in setting up family scholarships. "[Families are] now investing money and investing in real estate. This creates a sense of ownership, the sense that 'this belongs to us,'" says Herbert.

The National Lowe Family Reunion is one Black family that is creating a business-like entity by pooling their resources. In the past, the family has used money from its family reunion treasury for young family members heading off to college. They have collected funds for their treasury by hosting fund-raisers, where they would market products to the general public and put proceeds back into the family foundation. Jeanette Stephens-El, who is editor of the National Lowe Family Reunion quarterly newspaper, says her family has always been community-minded, so they decided they wanted to do more, the family is and is currently working on incorporating a family scholarship.

"It's a great thing for our young people to know that they have the support of their family," Stephens-El says. "They need to know they have the backing of their community and the backing of their family."

The family contacted attorney Olivia H. Stoner, who specializes in creating generational wealth. Stoner explained to the family the process of establishing a scholarship corporation and other charitable nonprofit organizations. The IRS heavily regulates non-profit organizations, so a form must be submitted and approved; an organization can be incorporated only after all IRS qualifications are met. Once incorporated, the money received cannot be awarded only to family members, but must be made available to the public. Family members benefit when they donate money toward the scholarship fund because they receive tax breaks, but there is also the benefit of the scholarship award that carries the family name.

"[The Lowe Family's] objective was to create a nonprofit, private foundation to provide scholarships, not just for themselves, but as a symbol of legacy from the family," Stoner says.

There are many other families who have ideas similar to the Lowes. The Jack & Mariah Summerall Family Gathering is a reunion held in Baxley, Ga. (Appling County), by the descendants of former slaves Jack and Mariah Summerall. Herman Stevens Jr., the reunion's current president, says that the family presents a scholarship to members, but also lends its name and efforts to a corporation that gives back to the local Appling County community. The idea came from Summerall family member Lawanda Jackson, an Appling county native who says that she felt a sense of "despair and hopelessness" when she returned for visits. "The high school dropout and teenage-pregnancy rates were high in the community," Jackson says. "The nearest movie theater may be 100 miles away. There is no positive outlet for the kids. We needed to offer some service within the community." After discussing Appling County problems with family members, local residents and Baxley mayor Steve Rigdon, the family founded the Jack and Mariah Summerall Corporation so that they could apply for state and federal grants to help the Appling County community.

Stevens says the family corporation previously had rented a building and used it to tutor children in the area. Through family funds, the family purchased the property and is currently working to get a community center built on the land. "The worst thing is to pass through this life and leave nothing behind," says Jackson. "Our family believes that God brought us this far ... and we have to give back."

The Summerall Family Gathering and the National Lowe Family reunion are just two of the many family reunions that realize the economic and business potential of combining family resources. While enjoying the laughter and memories that reunion festivities bring, these families also have established a way to give more to one another and also give back to their communities. "It's important to remember where you came from and where you're going," says Jackson. "You have to leave a legacy behind."

COPYRIGHT 2007 Johnson Publishing Co.
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning