The Fairfield County Community Foundation manages more than 500 funds with total assets exceeding $150 million. Funds benefit from the Foundation's professional financial stewardship and philanthropic advisory services.
There are five types of funds donors can establish at the Community Foundation:
Donor, Family & Corporate Advised Funds
More than 150 individuals, families and businesses have chosen to open a Donor Advised Fund at the Foundation to support the causes they care about. These funds are tax exempt, make it easy to actively participate in your charitable giving and allow you to give now and award grants over a long period of time. You recommend grants from the fund to any qualifying public charity in the U.S. You can give anonymously. You can access our knowledge and philanthropic expertise for guidance about community issues and local nonprofits. We handle all of the paperwork and reporting.
Field of Interest funds allow you to support areas of need important to you, such as the arts, education and health care. You can also support a specific community. If you have a passion for a specific area of interest or community, you can establish and name a fund, or join other like-minded contributors to collectively support your favorite cause or issue through an existing fund. The Foundation makes grants in perpetuity to nonprofits that serve your field of interest.
A contribution or planned gift is often used by donors to create and name a discretionary fund to address the most pressing needs in Fairfield County, even as those needs change over time. The Foundation depends on Discretionary funds to help make the communities of Fairfield County vibrant and sustainable, and where all enjoy opportunities to participate and thrive.
A Designated fund is ideal when you want to support a specific nonprofit organization in perpetuity. You may name one or more organizations to receive annual grants from your fund. If your designated organizations dissolve or change their purpose, the Foundation ensures your original charitable objectives are continued.
A nonprofit can establish an Organization Endowment fund to create a stable financial future. When an organization establishes a fund it becomes part of the Foundation’s investment pool, and benefits from robust investment diversification and economies of scale. The fund is stewarded for the long-term needs of the organization with oversight by the Foundation’s Investment Committee and Board of Directors. The organizations’ donors are assured that assets are held separately from its operating fund. The Foundation handles all administrative responsibilities, including regulatory reporting, ensuring compliance and freeing the organization to pursue its charitable mission.
These funds support the educational advancement of students based on criteria of your choice. Scholarships often memorialize a loved one or honor a special person. The Foundation appreciates the work of generous volunteers who review scholarship applications.
