Create a Fund

There are so many ways for you to give to your community, and creating a fund is one of the best. When you create a fund at the Community Foundation, you create an investment that will continue to grow and give for generations to come. You can choose which type of fund you would like, which kind of charities it may contribute to, and name the fund. Some donors choose to name their funds in memory of loved ones, some for the causes they believe in most, and others choose to remain anonymous. Whatever you choose, the Community Foundation will be there to help you in your aim to help others.

As a donor, you’ll also receive the benefit of the Community Foundation’s professional grant and gift processing. We maintain an investment program that preserves and enhances the real value of funds, and we provide accurate and timely information about gifts made to our funds. The Community Foundation is here to help you give and to make your gifts meet their maximum potential.

FOUR EASY STEPS TO SET UP YOUR FUND

1. Choose a name for your fund.

2. Choose your purpose / criteria.

3. Decide what amount you want to award annually.

4. Donate the amount to principal of the endowment so that it will generate the annual award (based on foundation spending policy). $5,000 minimum is required before a grant can be awarded from a fund.


Professional Advisors

Partner with the Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation

CRCF works with professional advisors to connect with donors who wish to give to the community and create a legacy based on their charitable intentions and ideals. For more than 25 years, we have served the community by providing a medium through which scholarships and other types of charitable grants can be awarded and distributed.

By partnering with CRCF professional advisors – such as a financial planners, insurance agents, attorneys, and accountants – are able to help their clients achieve their personal financial and charitable goals. Working together we are able to help donors create a fund or leave a legacy in the community, all while meeting the charitable and tax objectives of your clients.

The Foundation coordinates all the components needed for establishing a charitable fund. We assist with transfer of assets, provide acknowledgments and tax receipts, handle record keeping and reporting, process grants, check eligibility of recipients and provide fund statements to keep your client – and you – informed.

So partner with us; we can help make your clients’ philanthropic intentions into perpetual realities.


Donor Advised Funds

Establish a donor advised fund and take your philanthropy to the next level:

For donors that want to remain active in directing their philanthropic works while taking advantage of the trusted, expert guidance and administration of the Community Foundation, a donor advised fund may be the perfect option. Donor Advised funds function as a dedicated account for charitable giving that enable donors to contribute to the fund to be eligible for an immediate tax deduction and later recommend and steer grants to the charitable causes they want to support.

An endowed donor advised fund is invested for tax-free growth so a donor’s initial investment will grow to maximize a donor’s impact and legacy of giving over time.

A donor advised fund at the Community Foundation allows donors to contribute cash or appreciated non-cash assets and securities to eliminate possible capital gains taxes. Additionally, a donor advised fund allows donors over the age 70½ or older to make an IRA Qualified Charitable Distribution of up to $100,000 to the fund, allowing the fund to grow and allowing the donor to receive an immediate tax deduction without having to make immediate decisions on directing the distribution to other qualified charities.

Donor advised funds also allow donors to direct their charitable support with the peace of mind that their grantmaking will have the maximum impact thanks to the Community Foundation’s deep familiarity and connection to the community and the nonprofits that serve it. As a grantmaking organization, the Foundation can help connect donors to organizations in cause areas they are passionate about and ensure that they are being responsive in their grantmaking and supporting nonprofits that meet the changing needs of the community.