Types of Funds
Choose the right vehicle for your charitable wishes!
Any of these funds can be established in your name, or in the name of your family, your organization, or anyone you wish to honor. All grants distributed from the fund you establish — today and in the future — are then awarded to charities in the name of that fund. It’s a great way to always be involved with, and remembered for, your community investment.
Donor Advised Funds
You can have ongoing involvement in the use of your gift. You work with our professional program staff, identifying ways to use dollars from the Donor Advised Fund you establish to address the issues and needs you care about most. Your recommendations are submitted to our local board for approval; we then distribute grant dollars.
Unrestricted Funds
Your gift can address ever-changing community needs — including future needs that often cannot be anticipated at the time your gift is made. We evaluate all aspects of community well-being — arts and culture, economic development, education, environment, health and human services, neighborhood revitalization, and more. The flexibility of your unrestricted gift enables your community foundation’s program experts to respond to the community’s most pressing needs, today and tomorrow.
Field of Interest Funds
You can target your gift to address needs in an important area of community life. Arts. AIDS. Aging. At-risk youth. You identify your personal interest area when making your gift; our board awards grants to community organizations and programs that are making a difference in the area you select.
Scholarships
You can invest your gift in our community’s future and show students you care, all with the guidance and personal services of your community foundation. You determine the criteria students must meet to receive the Scholarship you establish. With your assistance, students achieve their academic and career-oriented goals—from preschool to postgraduate work.
Designated Funds
You can direct your gift to a specific nonprofit organization or purpose. Help provide ongoing funding for a senior center, museum, or virtually any nonprofit charitable organization. Nonprofit organizations can use a Designated Fund through the community foundation to build their endowment and enhance their ability to accept large and complex gifts.
Supporting Organizations
You can use your gift to establish an excellent alternative to a private foundation — with only a fraction of the administrative responsibilities. You select some of the board members, maintain personal involvement, and support the causes and organizations you care about while enjoying the favorable tax treatment of a public charity. Leave investment management, startup costs, grant administration, and reporting to your community foundation.
Endowed
vs.
Non-Endowed
Donations made to an endowment fund are intended to be given for perpetuity. The principal funds are invested and only the earnings are available for charitable grants.
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Donations made to a non-endowed fund may be granted at any time per the guidelines of the established fund.
Not to add confusion to the mix, there is also a quasi-endowed fund which in essence is still an endowment fund with some prevision that principal may be accessed at the organization’s discretion when there are extenuating circumstances.
Regardless of endowment status, all funds are still subject to donor restrictions or intents per establishing documents.