You can create your charitable fund now, establish it in your will, or create it through a trust arrangement that benefits your family as well as charity. Tax deductions are earned at the time of your gift, while grants awarded from your fund will continue into the future.

What kind of charitable fund is right for me?

• Donor Advised Fund — Donors recommend grants to qualified 501(c)(3) organizations from the funds they have established. You can start a donor advised fund with an initial gift of $5,000.
• Unrestricted Fund — The broadest giving option, allowing grants to be made to wherever our professional staff determines our community’s needs are the greatest.
• Field of Interest Fund — Allows donors to direct the fund to specific areas of need that have special meaning to the donor, such as children’s programs, arts education, the environment, aiding the homeless, or specific geographic areas such as east Manatee County.
• Scholarship Fund — Helps students pursue academic goals, including high school students going on to post-secondary education or adult learners going back to school. Donors may define guidelines for candidacy, the advisory committee, the school and the award itself.
• Designated Fund — Provides perpetual support to specific charities that donors care about the most.
• Agency Fund — Established by nonprofit organizations to serve as everlasting endowments.

Is my giving limited to Manatee County?

Many fund holders at Manatee Community Foundation care deeply about their own community but also support regional, state-wide, or national charitable programs. Funds at MCF can support any 501(c)(3) charitable organization in the country, including churches and colleges. Our team collaborates with other foundations across our state and country for recommendations and shared knowledge.

What assets can I use to establish a fund?

Funds can be established with gifts of cash, marketable securities, real estate, a lead trust, closely held stock, retirement plan assets, or by transferring an existing private foundation. Future gifts may be funded with a a gift annuity, a charitable remainder trust, a life insurance policy, will, bequest or living trust. You can start a donor advised fund with an initial gift of just $5,000.

Get started today.

It is easy to get started or to get more information.

Contact Jennifer Abbott, Director of Philanthropy, at (941) 747-7765 or JAbbott@ManateeCF.org to arrange a phone appointment, Zoom session, or a safe, socially-distant meeting in person with a member of our team.