Funds for Individuals, Families, and Groups

Donor Advised Funds
Donor Advised Funds allow a donor to advise which charitable organizations should receive grants from the fund. It allows you to receive an immediate tax deduction for the complete amount you donate, while allowing you to direct your gifts over a period of time to one, or many, charitable organizations. At Community First Foundation you can make an initial contribution for as low as $5,000. Although many individuals establish private foundations to achieve their strategic giving goals, a Donor Advised Fund offers greater tax benefits and eliminates most administrative tasks. To read a comparison, select A Comparison of Donor Advised Funds with Private Foundations.

Benefits: Easy to set up; allows postponement of grant decision while receiving a current tax deduction; inexpensive and easy to manage; attractive alternative to creating a private foundation
 

Merrill Lynch Community Charitable Fund® Program

Are you a Merrill Lynch client? If so, we’d like you to know that Community First Foundation participates in the Merrill Lynch Community Charitable Fund® Program. This program allows Merrill Lynch clients to create a Donor Advised Fund at Community First Foundation with the guidance of your Merrill Lynch financial advisor. Merrill Lynch developed the program to give greater support to their clients by helping them use the grant-making expertise and local philanthropic knowledge of community foundations like ours. To learn more about the program and the benefits of creating your fund through a community foundation, select our brochure or contact us at 720.898.5900.

 

Endowment Funds
Creating an Endowment Fund is an ideal way to make sure your legacy continues in perpetuity. An endowment is a pool of funds designated to provide long-term funding for a charitable cause. When funds are endowed and the principal left to grow, a prudent percentage of the endowment can be used as an added revenue stream to support charitable organizations.
 
For more about charitable funds, select:
A Donor's Guide to Establishing a Donor Advised Fund
Benefits of Donor Advised Funds
When to Set Up a Donor Advised Fund

Donor Profiles

For personal assistance, please contact us at 720.898.5900.