Our foundation is a trusted philanthropic leader because of our in-depth knowledge of area needs, decades of experience and longstanding relationships with nonprofit and civic leaders.

Increase Your Charitable Impact

Many area donors who have established or were considering their own private foundations have chosen to affiliate with the Community Foundation to increase their charitable impact in the community, take advantage of our philanthropic expertise and services, and/or reduce some of the burdens and expenses that come with running a private foundation.

We have a reputation for being the hub for meaningful philanthropy covering 42 communities in Eastern Connecticut.

• We establish powerful, sustainable charitable funds that reflect the passions of our donors – 600+ funds, totaling more than $120 million in assets.
• We issue charitable nonprofit grants and student scholarships through these funds – more than $100 million distributed since we were founded in 1983.
• We help local nonprofit organizations strengthen their capacity.
• We serve as a common meeting ground where regional leaders can convene to address community needs.

Read more about Our Work and about Why Donors Choose Us.

Keep Your Name & Purpose

There are three ways that private foundations can work with us to improve Eastern Connecticut – all while maintaining their foundation’s original name and charitable purpose.

• Establishing a parallel Donor-Advised Fund with us enables your private foundation to access our expertise in grant-making and other substantial capabilities – without altering your foundation’s structure. Read more about our services for Current Donors and Recent Grantees and Why Donors Choose Us.
• Gifting your foundation’s federally mandated 5 percent annual payout into a Donor-Advised Fund at the Community Foundation simplifies your grant-making and tax-reporting obligations, enables your foundation to avoid worries about meeting annual disbursement deadlines, and provides you with access to our expertise and efficiencies – again, without altering your foundation’s structure.
• Replacing your foundation with a Donor-Advised Fund at the Community Foundation is an option favored by donors who wish to be freed from burdensome administrative requirements. In addition to the benefits described above, this approach eliminates the requirement to file Federal Tax Form 990-PF every year. From an income-tax standpoint, contributions to a Donor-Advised Fund are deductible up to 50 percent of the donor’s adjusted gross income, as opposed to 30 percent for private foundations.