Charitable Funds
The Community Foundation is a vehicle for philanthropy. It does not promote any one charitable cause. Rather, its mission is simply to encourage and facilitate charitable giving in this community. You can establish a personal charitable fund in The Community Foundation with a gift of almost any sort. The proceeds are used to generate grants to charitable organizations, with your wishes being carefully observed.
The Foundation offers donors a choice of creating two basic types of funds: endowment funds and donor advised gift funds.

Endowment funds are an excellent way to assure support – both now and into the future – for charitable efforts of special interest to you. Because endowments are permanent funds, they keep giving year after year.

Donor Advised
The Community Foundation carefully invests your gifts to an endowment fund so that they may grow in their ability to benefit your charitable interests. Endowments may be started with an initial gift of as little as $5,000. Donors should remember, however, that it takes a substantial asset base to generate significant income for distribution. You may add to your endowment in any amount at any time. Some donors contribute to their endowment with a modest initial gift then fund it substantially through a bequest in their will.
ENDOWMENT FUNDS may take a variety of forms:

Unrestricted Funds
Meeting ever-changing community needs.
When you establish an Unrestricted Fund, your gift can address a broad range of local needs – including future needs that often cannot be anticipated at the time your gift is made. We evaluate all aspects of community well-being: arts and culture, economic development, education, environment, health and human services, neighborhood revitalization, and more. The flexibility of your unrestricted gift enables your community foundation’s program experts to respond to the community’s most pressing needs, today and tomorrow.

Field of Interest Funds
Connecting personal values to high-impact opportunities.
By establishing a Field of Interest Fund, you can target your gift to address needs in an important area of community life. Arts. AIDS. Aging. At-risk youth. You identify your personal interest area when making your gift; our board awards grants to community organizations and programs that are making a difference in the area you select. Your gift stays flexible enough to meet community needs in your interest area – even as they change over time.

Scholarships

Investing in deserving students.
In creating a Scholarship, you invest in the community’s future and show students you care. The Chippewa County Community Foundation provides the expertise to help you meet your personal goals and awards Scholarships to deserving students. Your gift can help students – from preschool to postgraduate – achieve their lifetime dreams.

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, your church, or virtually any nonprofit charitable organization. Because it’s given through the community foundation, your gift provides the organization you select not only funding, but planned giving and investment management services and the power of endowment.

Endowing your nonprofit organization.
Nonprofit organizations can also establish a Designated Fund or agency endowment at the community foundation. It’s a simple and efficient way to build an endowment – and help create sustainability – for your nonprofit organization. The community foundation’s experienced staff can also help your organization develop planned giving programs and assist with investment management and administrative details.

DONOR ADVISED FUNDS

A personal approach to giving.
Establishing a Donor Advised Fund allows you to make a gift to the community foundation then remain actively involved in suggesting uses for your gift. You can work with the community foundation’s professional program staff to suggest ongoing uses for the fund – targeting the issues you care about most. Grant awards are issued to charities in the name of the fund (or anonymously if you prefer). It’s a simple, powerful and highly personal approach to giving.

Supporting Organizations
High impact, high involvement, low hassle.
A Supporting Organization is an excellent alternative to a private foundation – with only a fraction of the administrative responsibilities. You select some of the board members, maintain personal involvement, and support the causes you care about most while enjoying the favorable tax treatment of a public charity. Leave investment management, startup costs, grant administration, and reporting to the community foundation.