Why Partner With Us - Sonoma Community Foundation

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Why partner
with us

Give with impact

With deep roots in our community and a personalized approach to philanthropy, we connect your charitable goals with the people, organizations, and opportunities that can create lasting impact in Sonoma County.

Local Knowledge

We know Sonoma County. We know the issues, people, and organizations. We bring solutions and big ideas to local problems. We bring heart to solving community challenges.

Leveraged Resources

With us, our donors can do more than simply make a grant to a local nonprofit. By leveraging investments into collective action, we bring donors and organizations together to create lasting community impact.

Legacy Inspiration and Planning

We believe in our responsibility to leave this place better than we found it. We bring inspiration and practical solutions that create peace of mind.

Philanthropic Services

Whether you give to support a cause you care deeply about or share your philanthropic values, you give because you care.

We are ready to help you deepen your philanthropy, so you can give knowing that your donations will make a difference on the issues that you care about all while supporting the community you love.

Essential Service

Philanthropic services to activate  your giving.

Philanthropic services to activate  your giving.
You’re in control with this self-guided option that offers an easy, simple to navigate option for making grants to your favorite nonprofit organizations, backed by the local service you rely on from Sonoma Community Foundation.

Elevate Service

Bring your philanthropy to the next level with Elevate

With Elevate, your dedicated Philanthropic Advisor will support your giving by bringing you local knowledge on the issues that matter most to you, providing strategic grantmaking support based on your vision and values.

DOWNLOAD OUR PHILANTHROPIC SERVICES MENU

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Get in contact with our philanthropic advising team

Your Fund, Your Choices

Sonoma Community Foundation administers over 450 funds that serve a wide variety of charitable purposes and reflect the intent of  our donors.

Donor-Advised or Committee-Advised Funds

Our most common fund type, these are established by individuals, families, groups, or companies, allowing you to contribute assets and recommend grants at any time. This is a flexible, personalized way to support your favorite nonprofit groups in Sonoma County, elsewhere in the U.S., or anywhere in the world.

Organization Funds

Individuals or nonprofits can create this kind of fund for a specific nonprofit beneficiary. Nonprofit organizations can also establish this kind of fund as part of a fundraising strategy. Organization endowment funds are particularly valuable in assuring long-term financial stability and independence.

Field-of-Interest Funds

Stewarded by our Community Impact Team, these funds provide the major resources used by the Community Foundation to make discretionary grants. Funds are invested for the long term and provide an annual payout that ensures regular, on-going support for our annual grantmaking. Since needs and opportunities change, our ability to respond effectively is maximized by having flexible funds.

Distribution types

Endowments

These funds are invested for long-term growth, with only a portion of the funds value granted out each year while the principal remains invested in perpetuity. This creates a lasting source of support for the causes you care about, generating grants year after year. Endowed funds are a powerful way to build a legacy of giving that can outlast any single gift.

Expendable Funds

Designed for immediate impact, the full balance of these funds can be granted out to support causes you care about. These funds are ideal for donors who want their giving to make a difference now and into the future, whether for a specific project, an emerging need, or ongoing support.