Why partner with the Community Foundation?

As a professional advisor, you are often the first and most important source of information for people interested in planned giving or in creating a substantial charitable legacy. We help local donors and their professional advisors find solutions to make the most of their generosity. As a grant-makers in our community, we are knowledgeable about the mission and needs of many local organizations, and can help connect your clients with the causes they care about most today and in perpetuity.

How you and your clients can benefit from working with the Community Foundation

We do as you direct us

• Honoring donor intent is our mandate. A donor’s intent is captured when a fund is established or planned for, and in the case of a planned gift through a letter of understanding to ensure each donor’s charitable legacy is managed in perpetuity.
• We offer opportunities for donors to establish a perpetual legacy.
• We make scholarships simple. We have one of the largest scholarship program in our community and can simplify the process for organizations or donors trying to navigate the IRS rules themselves.

Our investment performance is competitive

• Our assets are professionally managed and have consistently outperformed benchmarks.
• Donors’ charitable assets reap the benefits of pooled resources – our investment portfolio is fully diversified and include investment products that may be inaccessible to the individual donor. The end result is more money available to support charitable causes.

We make giving easy

• Donors are not required to file 990 forms; their privacy is protected. All funds within the Community Foundation are covered under a single 990 form and a single audit. That minimizes the administrative burden and also allows donors to disclose what they give, when they choose to disclose it.
• Funds at the Community Foundation are not subject to annual taxes or minimum payout requirements so they can accumulate for future charitable purposes.
• Your clients receive a full tax deduction for their original and any subsequent gifts, which are invested in a tax-free environment and then used for charitable purposes.
• The process for creating a named fund is simple, can be accomplished in a matter of minutes and we do not charge for our time.
• A donor can establish a gift using non-cash assets including closely-held or publicly traded stock, real or personal property, and insurance.
• We offer opportunities for donors with children to share their values and beliefs about giving with their heirs.

The role we play is up to you. Your clients can determine their desired level of involvement. If they prefer to remain anonymous, we are glad to work exclusively with you. If not, you’re welcome to invite them to contact us directly.