Canada has 191 Community Foundations. Community foundations play a crucial role in how people give back to their communities. We connect people, families and companies with causes that inspire them – pooling resources, knowledge and expertise to achieve the greatest impact. Collectively, we manage more than $3.3 billion in assets and invested more than $143-million in Canadian communities.
Most of us care about our homes, our communities, the places we have lived, played, worked, and raised a family. Many of us want to find a way to give back to these places.
To show our appreciation, or just because it feels good to give, (and give back).
With the Columbia Valley Community Foundation – one of 191 community foundations in Canada – it’s possible to give back to your community now, and leave a legacy for the future as well. We work with you to set up an endowment fund – a kind of savings account dedicated to philanthropy. We help you put aside money that will be used for the charity or project of your choice.
The Columbia Valley Community Foundation has helped donors make a positive difference in their communities, and in the lives of the people who live here.
It’s easy to set up your own endowment fund. The Columbia Valley Community Foundation will do all the paperwork, and we look after issuing your grant cheques. You just need to make three decisions:
Timing
Choose the timing.
Do you want your endowment fund to be established:
- Immediately (and you can start giving grants right away)
- In a short time, through a savings program
- Later, through your estate.
Type of Fund
Decide on the type of fund you would like:
- Donor-Advised Fund – You select all charities or projects that will benefit (includes Scholarships and Bursaries).
- Field of Interest Fund – You dedicate your funds to a general area (like Arts and Culture, or Animal Welfare) and one of our advisory committees decides on the specific charity or project to support.
- Designated Fund – Allows you to support the good work of a specific non-profit organization and receive the tax benefits in the year the gift was made. The Foundation board issues grants to the designated non-profit organization, and handles all the administrative details, including managing specific qualifications that you may establish for distributing grants.
- Community Fund – Pool your money with others to address community needs.
Finances
Choose any number of financial instruments to set up your fund.
- Cash
- Life insurance
- Publicly traded securities
- Gifts in wills
- Real estate