Fund Types and Structures

We can work with groups of non-related donors who share a common vision to create Affinity Funds, providing an efficient vehicle to pool contributions and process grants. One form of collective philanthropy, affinity groups work collaboratively to recommend grants that reflect their agreed-upon goals. Thursday Roundtable is one affinity fund that we manage.

Agency Funds are an ideal way to simplify and enhance your nonprofit organization’s asset management by leveraging our professional management, investment committee experience, and portfolio size. Nonprofits can participate in our endowment investment portfolio that they could not replicate on a stand-alone basis. Agency funds can provide your organization with a permanent source of operating income and professionally managed “rainy day” funds.

An Award Fund is a way to inspire and recognize excellence by awarding merit-based grants to individuals or organizations, based upon fundholders’ goals. We can assist in developing award criteria as well as the selection process to maximize impact and ensure compliance with IRS rules.

Increase the impact of your gift and put it to work solving our community’s most pressing challenges. Our Grants Committee carefully vets Competitive Grant applications and makes awards based on community need, impact, and organizational capacity. Gifts to support this fund can be designated for specific areas including animals, arts & culture, human services, education, conservation & environment, civic engagement, and recreation.

With Designated Funds, you identify one or more qualified nonprofits or projects as beneficiaries when you create the fund. Your gift can address either immediate or long-term needs, and we will handle all the asset management and disbursements.

Donor Advised Funds offer maximum flexibility for granting with immediate tax benefits. Fund holders retain the ability to recommend grants to qualified charities in the U.S. or abroad, whenever they wish. We take care of tracking grantees, processing payments, and reporting. All of the joy of giving with none of the administration–what could be better? You maintain ongoing advisory involvement and can also name children, or anyone else, as additional or successor advisors to your fund.

Scholarship Funds help individuals pursue educational or professional goals and opportunities. Donors can contribute to existing funds or start new ones, recommend scholarship guidelines and participate in the selection process with the Community Foundation’s Scholarship Committee.

With Spend Down Funds, the gift principal is wholly available for granting. We do not charge administrative fees on spend down funds and there is no restriction on the number of grants that you can disburse. Income earned on these funds accrues to benefit the Community Foundation’s operating fund. Spend down funds are charitable checking accounts that support regular, ongoing grant activity.

Endowment Funds provide stable, perennial financial support. Endowments operate similarly to private foundations that yield a set percentage for granting each year while eliminating administration. You can recommend grant recipients or pass your charitable legacy to your children. Investment income accrues to the fund. We assess quarterly administrative fees based on a percentage of assets to support the Foundation’s operations.

Investors Circle fund holders participate in our investment portfolio. These funds can be structured as either Spend Down or Endowment Funds, though they are not formally endowed. Investment income accrues to the fund. We assess quarterly administrative fees based on a percentage of assets, which supports the Foundation’s operations.