We recognize that charitable giving is all about people: people with a dream to make this a better community and the talented individuals who help them do it.

Whether your clients are continuing a long tradition of philanthropy or just getting started, give us a call.  We're here to help.

• Contributions to the Community Foundation’s General Discretionary Endowment and 21^st Century Fund support the Community Foundations’ evolving grantmaking priorities. This gives our community flexibility to meet urgent and changing needs for generations to come.

• Your clients may also establish their own Discretionary Fund.  By establishing a discretionary fund in their name or in the name of someone they wish to honor, your clients help meet our community’s changing needs in a very special way by helping to support our evolving grantmaking priorities.

• Through a Field of Interest Fund, your clients can ensure permanent support for their favorite charitable interest, such as the environment, the elderly or education.  Specific recipients of support will vary through the years as outstanding programs are identified by the Community Foundation’s knowledgeable staff and board.

• By establishing a Designated Fund, your clients can provide permanent support to one or more of their favorite nonprofit organizations.  The fund can be in their names or the name of the organization they choose to support.

• A Donor Advised Fund gives your clients maximum flexibility in their philanthropy, allowing them to recommend grants that support any nonprofit organization they choose.  The Community Foundation protects the donor by independently confirming that the grants will carry out charitable purposes.

• Your clients can endow a Scholarship Fund in their name or in the name of a loved one to help students attend college or other qualified educational institutions.  They may choose the specific criteria for selecting recipients -- to help students attend a particular school, pursue a given course of study or go on to college from their high school or home town.

  An Endowment Fund may be established with an initial gift of $25,000 and may make grant distributions of $100 or more.

  Your client may also establish his or her own named Acorn Fund with an initial gift of $2,500 to support the Community Foundation’s general grantmaking priorities. Once additional gifts bring the fund to at least $25,000, Acorn Funds can become a Discretionary, Field of Interest, Designated, Donor Advised or Scholarship Endowment Fund as described above.

Your client can also establish a Supporting Foundation, which allows them to take advantage of significant tax savings through affiliation with Rochester Area Community Foundation while maintaining a distinct identity. The board of directors of the supporting foundation controls its investments and may develop and control the grantmaking process if desired.

A Supporting Foundation may be established with an initial contribution of $2 Million.

Non-endowed Funds
We also know that there are times when an endowed fund is not the most appropriate vehicle for your clients’ charitable goals.  We offer the following options for their current giving needs:

• Our Charitable Investor Fund^SM  is a donor-advised fund from which both income and principal may be spent. This fund offers a choice of investment blends to complement your clients’ grantmaking plans.  Any balance remaining in the fund when they pass away may be advised by a successor advisor for one generation; then the funds will support general community needs in the fund name.

  A Charitable Investor Fund^SM may be established with an initial gift of $10,000 and may make grant distributions from income or principal of $250 or more.

• Our Charitable Checking Account^SM allows your clients to make a tax-deductible gift of appreciated assets or cash (often at year-end) and then direct the Community Foundation to issue checks to their favorite nonprofit organizations at their convenience.  Your clients have the ease of making one gift for many purposes while reducing their paperwork.

  A Charitable Checking Account^SM may be established with an initial gift of $5,000 and may make grant distributions of $100 or more.