Charitable Fund Options

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.

Funds for the Common Good

Meeting ever-changing community needs.
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

Connecting personal values to high-impact opportunities.
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.

Designated Funds

Helping sustain and grow local organizations.
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.

Agency Funds

Endowing your nonprofit organization.
Nonprofit organizations can also establish an Agency Designated Fund or agency endowment at the Community Foundation. It’s a simple and efficient way to build an endowment—and help create sustainability—for your nonprofit organization. The community foundation’s experienced staff can also help your organization develop planned giving programs and assist with investment management and administrative details.

Donor Advised Funds

A personal approach to giving.
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.

Scholarships

Investing in deserving students.
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.

Supporting Organizations

High impact, high involvement, low hassle.
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.

Seed Funds

Build to endowment over time.
Seed Funds allow you to start a fund and gradually build upon it to create a mature fully-endowed fund. Your Seed Fund will grow into an endowment that will let you support the charities or causes you choose and will forever have an impact on the quality of life in your community. The Seed Fund program can be used to establish any type of endowment fund: Donor Advised Funds, Scholarships Funds, Designated Funds, Agency Funds, Field of Interest Funds and Unrestricted Funds.