Create a Fund
There are many advantages to creating a fund with the Community Foundation and the process is simple. Call us to discuss your philanthropic goals and fund options to best suit your needs. Or, explore our Frequently Asked Questions about our funds.
We welcome the opportunity to describe our services — including investment management, grantmaking expertise and philanthropic educational events — and to explain our fee structure, based on which type of fund you choose. To open a new fund, a contribution of $10,000 or more is recommended. A variety of assets may be used to create funds and you may choose between an endowment fund or an expendable fund in determining how it is invested. You may also wish to designate assets that will come to us after your lifetime as a legacy gift.
Assets you may contribute include:
- Cash
- Publicly traded Securities or Mutual Fund Shares
- Closely-held and pre-IPO stock
- Real Estate (some restrictions apply)
- Retained Life Estate
- Retirement Fund Plans
- Life Insurance
- Pooled Income Fund (remainder of)
- Charitable Remainder Trust (remainder of)
- Charitable Lead Trust (lead gift of)
- Bequest
Choose from these types of funds to meet your charitable goals. For more details, click on each fund type:
- Donor-Advised and Committee-Advised Funds
- Organization Funds
- Community Endowment Funds
- Field-of-Interest Funds
- Scholarship Funds
- Healdsburg Area Funds
- Sonoma Valley Funds
- Community Project Funds
- Supporting Organization Funds
Please contact J Mullineaux at 707.303.9620
Greg Young, a Community Foundation donor advisor, talks of the rewards of supporting a nonprofit organization with a local branch in Sebastopol. "I belong to Bread for the Journey because I want to support local start-up organizations that need a little boost to achieve their vision. That boost is often money, but sometimes it's simply asking the right question like, 'What is a business plan and why do you need one?' Watching these seeds sprout is even more rewarding than I had dreamed; meeting people who have the passion and knowledge to make our community a better place is an amazing experience. It fills me with hope for the future... and joy."
Helen McStravick’s commitment to caring for those in need spans her lifetime and continues today through her donor-advised fund with the Community Foundation Sonoma County. After Harry’s death in 2001, Helen has continued to make grants from their donor-advised fund to support the mentally ill homeless population in Sonoma County, and she will leave the remainder of her estate to do the same. It’s comforting as she grows older, “a gift for me,” she says, and a way of honoring her husband’s wishes and extending her reach in the community. More…