Your planned giving partner: Five ways the community foundation can help your nonprofit

As our region's home for charitable giving, the community foundation works with hundreds of families, individuals, businesses, civic leaders, and nonprofit organizations to help grow philanthropy, connect donors to causes they care about, and lead on critical community issues. At the heart of making a difference are the many nonprofit organizations who meet the needs of thousands of people every single day in hundreds of different ways.

As a nonprofit professional, you and your colleagues may already be familiar with the community foundation's grant programs. We're grateful for the generosity of so many donors who have made these grant programs possible. You might also be familiar with the community foundation's services for managing nonprofit reserve funds and endowment funds. We are honored to do so. What you might not be familiar with, however, are the ways that the community foundation can help bolster your efforts to secure your donors' legacy gifts and other planned gifts.

Here are five ways we can help.

Regular updates on charitable giving trends

The community foundation is committed to sharing tips, insights, and trends related to tax laws, complex charitable giving, and donor motivations. We know it's hard to keep a finger on the pulse of the many developments swirling around charitable giving. Our team keeps a close eye on what's happening, curates the highlights, and passes it along so that you stay in the know.

Messaging for your marketing assets

For nonprofits who have established an endowment or reserve fund at the community foundation, our team is happy to provide sample language describing how donors can make a gift. Offering resources ranging from sample bequest language to reminders about gifts of appreciated stock, the community foundation can help equip you with the fundamental tools you need to position your fund for growth.

Assistance with complex gifts

Real estate. Closely-held business interests. Charitable remainder trusts. These types of gifts can feel intimidating. The community foundation team works on complex charitable gifts on a regular basis. We can help evaluate opportunities in collaboration with a donor's legal and tax advisors. In many cases, the community foundation can serve as a vehicle for receiving and administering gifts of hard-to-value assets so that the proceeds ultimately support your mission.

Education for your board of directors

Planned giving becomes much more manageable when everyone shares a basic understanding of the terminology and opportunities. We understand that your board of directors does not work in the area of charitable giving every day, and many concepts may be unfamiliar. We are happy to make a brief presentation during your regular board meeting to reinforce the importance of planned giving to your overall fundraising strategy, as well as clarify how the community foundation works with individuals, families, businesses, and nonprofits.

Alternative gift structures

From time to time, you may encounter a donor who wants to support your organization but does not wish to make an outright gift. The community foundation offers designated funds that allow a donor to set aside assets to benefit your organization over time. The community foundation will help achieve the donor's intent, enabling the dollars to support your mission over the long term.

This newsletter is provided for informational purposes only. It is not intended as legal, accounting, or financial planning advice.