1. Decide when to give.

You can create your fund now, establish it in your will, or create it through a trust arrangement that benefits your family as well as charity. You may give in honor of an anniversary, to celebrate a special event or to support a cause. Tax deductions are earned at the time of your gift, while grants awarded from your fund will continue into the future.

2. Decide what to give.

Almost any kind of asset can be used to start your fund, such as cash, publicly traded securities, closely-held stock, interests in limited partnerships, real estate, life insurance, tangible personal property, and private foundation assets. We can also discuss other options with you, such as bequests, charitable remainder unitrusts, charitable remainder annuity trusts, charitable lead trusts, pooled income funds, charitable gift annuities, life income, and deferred charitable gift annuities.

3. Choose the name for your fund.

Most of our funds are named for the donor, the donor's family or as a memorial to someone special. Every grant from the fund will carry this name. If you prefer anonymity, you may choose a name that reflects your fund's charitable purposes. Here is a list of our current funds to give you some ideas.

4. Choose a type of fund.

We offer a variety of funds that are flexible to meet our donors' different charitable interests, while achieving greater impact in our communities:

• Unrestricted funds offer the broadest giving option, allowing grants to be made to wherever the Foundation determines our communities' needs are greatest.
• Donor-advised funds enable you to make recommendations to the board about causes of interest for consideration of Foundation-designated grants.
• Scholarship funds help students pursue academic goals. You may define guidelines for candidacy, the advisory committee, the school and the award itself.
• Designated funds let you support specific organizations while we make sure that grants to these groups remain relevant over time and expansive to changing circumstances.
• Agency funds are established by nonprofit organizations to provide them with income. We handle all administrative and investment responsibilities, freeing the organization to pursue its charitable mission.
• Field-of-interest funds create grants that meet needs in a particular field or geographic area that is of interest to you.

To learn more about establishing a fund that aligns with your philanthropic goals, please contact Melissa Diers at mdiers@facfoundation.org or 402-721-4252.