Designated Funds

Helping Local Organizations Sustain and Grow

Establishing a Designated Fund allows you to support the good work of a specific nonprofit organization -- a senior center, museum or virtually any nonprofit charitable organization.  Because it's given through your community foundation, your gift provides the organization not only funding, but also the power of endowment.  Your gift provides more than just funding--your favorite organization will benefit from your community foundation's investment stewardship and help with administrative details.

You can add to the fund at any time.  If the organization you select ceases to exist or changes in mission, the fund can be redirected so that it continues to address your original charitable intent.

Example Donor Story

A Source of Strength and Stability

Three times a week, Wendell Pittman delivers meals to homebound senior citizens as a volunteer for Meals for Seniors.  While the organization has benefited from volunteerism and community recognition for over a decade, it depended largely on small donations and lacked a more predictable funding source.  "Our organization needed more reliable funding, but we had trouble accepting large or complex gifts," said Mary Lynch, Meals for Seniors' executive director. 

After talking with Mary and with his financial advisor, Wendell decided to begin a Desginated Fund with his local community foundation.  He donated a piece of rental property that was becoming a bother in his retirement.  The community foundation immediately sold the property and established the Meals for Seniors Fund. 

Thanks to this fund, other donors can contribute assets of a variety of types and sizes.  "We're thrilled to be working with our community foundation," said Mary.  "Meals for Seniors would not have been able to do this on its own."

There is So Much More We'd Like You to Know

For more information and ideas on ways to integrate your financial planning with charitable giving, ask your financial advisor or estate planner, or contact the Foundation at info@midlandfoundation.org.