A Donor Advised Fund allows individuals, families, civic organizations and businesses to choose the particular nonprofits they would like to support and the specific level of support they would like to provide. $10,000 minimum endowed; $5,000 minimum pass-through.

Important Fund Attributes

• These funds allow the donor – or persons designated by the donor – to make their own grant recommendations. The donor specifies the charitable organizations that will benefit from the fund, as well as the amount of the grant each organization will receive.
• These funds are popular among donors who prefer to have ongoing involvement in their charitable giving; and offer a cost-effective, time-saving alternative to establishing a private foundation.
• These funds are excellent vehicles for setting aside charitable dollars now and distributing them gradually over time. They can be set up as charitable investment accounts, with a portion of the fund’s income available for distribution annually or as needs arise.
• Grants issued through these funds are not limited to specific charitable organizations or areas of charitable interest.
• Donors can designate their children or other loved ones to serve as their “successor advisors” and specify how the fund may be transitioned to continue to honor their charitable wishes upon the death of their last designated successor advisor.

MORE INFORMATION ON DONOR ADVISED FUNDS

An Endowed Designated Fund allows donors to designate one or more specific nonprofits they would like to support in perpetuity. $10,000 minimum.

Important Fund Attributes

• These funds allow donors to specify the charitable organizations that will receive annual grants from the fund. They are an effective way to provide ongoing support to organizations that matter to you.
• Grants issued through these funds are limited to the specific charitable organizations that donors designate when the funds are established.
• If a designated nonprofit should dissolve, the donor can choose another closely-aligned charity to support (our foundation can also assume this responsibility if the donor is no longer living).
• These funds may be established by a gift during the donor’s lifetime or as a Planned Gift during estate planning.

An Endowed Field of Interest Fund allows donors to support issues of broad charitable concern that are important to them. $10,000 minimum.

Important Fund Attributes

• These funds allow donors to designate the specific fields of charitable interest the fund will support in perpetuity. These “fields of interest” can consist of a specific charitable issue – such as youth empowerment, health and human services, environmental protection and animal welfare – or a specific community or population.
• These funds give donors the flexibility to provide grants, to long established nonprofits as well as to emerging nonprofits or new programs, that address their charitable interests. They offer a broad, far-reaching way for donors to ensure their favorite causes enjoy ongoing support.
• Our foundation handles the grantmaking process. We solicit grant proposals from nonprofits in the designated field of interest, then convene a Grants Committee that reviews the proposals; vets the nonprofits to ensure they are effective in their missions and match your intentions; and awards grants to the nonprofits that offer the most promising programs, projects and solutions.

An Endowed Scholarship Fund allows donors to provide financial assistance for area students at qualified educational institutions. $25,000 minimum. Before establishing a scholarship fund, read our Scholarship Fund Policy.

Important Fund Attributes

• These funds enable donors to help open doors to educational opportunities for local students.
• Donors may share any background, desired impact, or purpose for the scholarship so that Foundation staff may provide recommendations for eligibility criteria.
• We review the Scholarship Applications and select the scholarship recipients, ensuring that recipients meet all qualifying criteria.
• All of our scholarship funds are endowed, meaning they are distributed in a way that allows them to provide scholarships forever.
• About Our Scholarships

An Endowed Unrestricted Fund allows donors to support the community’s needs as they emerge, no matter how those needs may change over time. $10,000 minimum.

Important Fund Attributes

• These funds enable our foundation to address the most pressing community issues as they arise and to respond effectively to changing needs in Eastern Connecticut. They can be used to support new and innovative programs and ideas, as well as nonprofits addressing new challenges.
• Our foundation is responsible for identifying and documenting community needs and overseeing the fund’s administration.
• Our foundation also handles the grantmaking process. We solicit grant proposals from appropriate nonprofits, then convene a Grants Committee to review the proposals; vet the nonprofits to ensure they are effective in their missions; and award grants to the nonprofits that offer the most promising programs, projects and solutions.

An Endowed Sustainability Fund allows donors to directly support the work of the Community Foundation in order to excel in its role as a philanthropic leader. $10,000 minimum.

Important Fund Attributes

• These funds enable us to maintain and strengthen our role as the hub for meaningful philanthropy for 42 thriving communities in the eastern part of our state.
• They allow us to serve our donors and nonprofit partners efficiently and cost effectively, and keep our administrative and investment fees as low as possible.
• These funds enable us to continue our work to establish powerful, sustainable charitable funds that reflect the passions of generous area donors; issue annual charitable grants to nonprofits and scholarships to students; help local nonprofit organizations strengthen their capabilities; and serve our community as a common meeting ground where regional leaders can convene to address community needs.
• Read more about Our Work and Our Priorities

NPO Endowments enable nonprofit organizations to establish a charitable fund at our foundation that produces a predictable, perpetual revenue stream that supports their operations and programs. $10,000 minimum.

Important Fund Attributes

• These funds enable nonprofit organizations to partner with us in the management of their endowment by taking advantage of Our Investment Strategies – which include a proven, diversified, asset-allocation approach and lower investment expenses than they could typically receive on their own.
• While a nonprofit’s funds are invested as part of our overall investment pool, they are tracked as distinct funds. We annually distribute a portion of the fund back to the nonprofit according to a pre-determined spending formula, which is carefully calculated to enable the funds to grow while providing a reliable income stream.
• These nonprofit partners enjoy access to the full range of expertise available from our foundation to help them not only build their endowment, but strengthen their organization and overall effectiveness.
• NPO Endowments with our Foundation.