What Can I Donate To?

Fund Types

Competitive Community Grant Funds

Increase the impact of your gift and put it to work solving our community’s most pressing problems, not just alleviating symptoms. Competitive grant applications are carefully vetted by our Grants Committee, and after thorough due diligence, grants are awarded based upon community need, impact, and organizational capacity. Gifts may be designated to specifically support certain areas, such as animals, arts & culture, human services, education, conservation & environment, civic engagement, or recreation.

Community Impact Funds

Community impact funds have been established for each county in our five county areas. These funds may be added to and will meet the most pressing issues in that county.

Donor Advised Funds

Donor advised funds offer the advantages of a private foundation, yet have greater tax benefits. They are especially useful for donors who make a charitable deduction one year and make distributions from income or principal in future years. Donors are able to participate actively in the giving process by recommending organizations to receive grants.

Discretionary Funds

Increase the impact of your gift and put it to work solving our community's most pressing problems, not just alleviating symptoms. Competitive grant applications are carefully vetted by our geographic advisory board grant committee, and after thorough due diligence, grants are awarded based upon community need, impact, and organizational capacity.

Field of Interest Funds

Field of interest funds allow a donor to invest in specific causes. These funds can support a broad array of interests such as the arts, education, or health. The donor specifies his or her interest at the time the fund is created and may rely on CFTT to identify organizations capable of making greatest impact.

Designated Funds

Designated funds ensure long-term support for a specific nonprofit organization, identified by the donor at the time the fund is established. The named organization receives an annual disbursement from the designated fund.

Organization Funds

Nonprofit organizations may place their endowed funds at CFTT, thus assuring their donors that funds earmarked for the future will be invested wisely and used appropriately. CFTT manages the funds as part of its investment portfolio and distributes payments.

Scholarship Funds

CFTT’s scholarship funds bring together students in need and individuals who care about post secondary education to enable more students to reach their educational goals. Scholarship funds may be established to benefit a specific student.

School District Funds

CFTT partners with area school districts working to raise support to enhance the educational opportunities for the students and faculty in our educational community. Working together CFTT provides a means by which you, as a caring and interested community resident, can contribute financial support which will go directly to the advancement of educational programs, faculty initiatives and student scholarships.

Fund Structures

After identifying the appropriate fund type to achieve your goals, a fund structure is subsequently selected to align with the anticipated size, activity level and life span of your fund. The fund structure determines the applicable administrative fees, and how the fund’s assets are invested.

1. Spend Down
   With a Spend Down fund, gift principal is wholly available for granting. Spend Down funds can be thought of as charitable checking accounts, where there is regular, ongoing grant activity.
2. Endowment
   Endowment funds provide stable, perennial financial support. An endowment operates similarly to a private foundation, yielding a set percentage for granting each year while eliminating administrative duties. You may recommend grant recipients or pass your charitable legacy to your children. Investment income accrues to the fund, and a quarterly administrative fee based on a percentage of assets supports the Foundation’s operations.
3. Blended Option
   Blended option funds offer fund holders the ability to participate in the investment returns of the Foundation’s portfolio. These funds may function like a Spend Down Fund or an Endowment Fund, depending on the needs of the fund holder, but are not formally endowed. Investment income accrues to the fund, and a quarterly administrative fee based on a percentage of assets supports the Foundation’s operations.