Kinds of Funds
As a donor to a community foundation, you can contribute to an already established fund or create one of your own. Many donors choose to target an area of interest such as: children, youth, seniors, health, arts & culture, recreation, education, environment and/or social services. If you choose to establish your own fund it can be named or remain anonymous. Your direction is all that is needed to make a lasting impact.
You can create a fund in your name, your family's name, or the name of a loved one in any of these categories. Donors can establish a fund in their name, in a family's name, or in the name of any person or organization they wish to honor. Capital is never spent... each gift remains with the Foundation in perpetuity. All gifts are invested and stewarded with the income earned on each fund being used for community grants and donor designations.
Grants distributed from a donor's fund are awarded in the name of their fund. This person or organization will always be remembered and linked to good works in our community.
Community Fund
The Community Fund helps meet ever-changing community needs – including future needs that often cannot be anticipated at the time a gift is made. Our local expertise helps us evaluate all aspects of community well-being. This fund is then used to make a difference where it is needed most.
All undesignated contributions, large or small, are added to this fund. This fund gives the Foundation the most flexibility to respond to changing needs in the community. No minimum contribution is required.
Field-of-Interest Fund
The donor defines the charitable field of interest to which the income from this fund will be directed. A minimum level of donation is required.
Designated Fund
The donor directs earnings from this fund to a named charitable organization, to a specific cause, to scholarships or bursaries, or to other specific charitable undertakings. A minimum level of donation is required.
Donor Advised Fund
Donors inform the Foundation each year which organizations should receive the income from their invested funds. A minimum level of donation is required.
Agency Endowment Funds
Many nonprofit organizations establish their own endowment with us because we are "in the business of endowment"; we make it easy and efficient for them and they trust us as stewards of their fund. These funds support specific organizations, allowing them to benefit from the Foundation's prudent investment expertise and donor relations.
Operating Fund
Like any other charitable organization the Sarnia Community Foundation requires funds to operate. Unlike many other charitable organizations the Sarnia Community Foundation has a fund specifically designated as an endowed operating fund. We use the income from this fund along with a modest service fee on our other funds to pay our operating costs.
The Board of the Foundation regularly reviews operations to ensure that each dolllar spent on operations will indeed further the work of the Foundation as it seeks to build a better community.
This page was last modified: September 23, 2009
