Open A Fund

Donors can create a permanent charitable fund through the Community Foundation that will benefit the community in perpetuity. This fund can be created during your lifetime or with a bequest in your will. Your gift and all the future earnings from your gift become a permanent source of capital for community impact.

Donors can establish this fund as a gift to the Foundation, which will allow the flexibility to respond to needs in the community as they change over time. Funds without restriction offer the broadest options for charitable giving in our community – and therefore bring about the greatest good. An unrestricted fund is named by or for the donor. A sustainable percentage of the fund’s balance is granted each year to charities selected by the governing board of the Community Foundation. They also empower the Community Foundation to respond to emergencies, which require flexible funding.

Donors stay actively involved in the grantmaking process. Some donors wish to support multiple non-profit organizations throughout the year. The Community Foundation can help identify appropriate nonprofits and programs, ensure their charitable status and provide grantmaking and administrative support. These funds offer an immediate tax benefit while allowing the donor to make grants over time to their favorite nonprofit organizations.

Donors identify a specific area of interest to support, such as children’s programs, education, arts, aiding the homeless or any other concern. The Community Foundation awards grants to high-performing organizations or programs in the selected field.

Donors select a specific non-profit organization to be supported. Grants from these funds provide a reliable annual income stream to one or more of a donor’s favorite organizations in perpetuity. If the charity ceases to exist, another charity serving the same needs will benefit from the endowment.

Donors helps students pursue academic goals, including high school students going on to post-secondary education or adult learners going back to school. Donors may define guidelines for candidacy, the advisory committee, the school and the award itself.