“The day-by-day work of the Foundation, its donors and the agencies it serves is about much more than money. It is about the fabric of a community.” –Donor

Giving Options

Philanthropic Giving with NCCF

The New Canaan Community Foundation offers a simple way for you to make charitable giving an important part of your life and to make a lasting difference in our local community or in other communities you care about. Like other community foundations, we serve our residents who share a common interest—improving the quality of life for others. At NCCF we...

• provide personal, customized philanthropic services to our donors
• know our community and our neighboring communities
• are interested in your interests
• care about our residents' and community's future
• offer local charitable giving vehicles that are easy to set up and manage and that provide tax benefits

We offer Personalized Service in meeting your charitable goals. We will work with you and your family members to help refine your charitable intent and determine the best ways to achieve your vision. Community Foundations are an attractive alternative to many who are thinking of starting a private family foundation.

We offer our donors Local Expertise. Our Board and our staff have an in depth understanding of the challenges facing our community and the organizations that are addressing these challenges.

We also offer Community Leadership with a Board of Directors comprised of leaders from all facets of our community who are acutely aware of community needs and knowledgeable about who is working to address those pressing needs.

NCCF manages what is, in essence, a community savings account, a collection of gifts and funds, large and small, given to enhance the quality of life for the citizens of our local community.

Donors have several options available to them when working with NCCF. A donor may

• make an unrestricted gift to NCCF's Community Impact Fund or Neighbors United program
• establish a donor advised fund or other charitable fund
• contribute to an existing fund at NCCF
• name NCCF as a beneficiary in their will
• make a pass-through grant from their private foundation

Partnering and investing in NCCF enables residents with varied philanthropic interests, and with great or modest means, to easily and effectively support the community issues they care about – immediately, or through their wills.

Who Benefits

The residents of New Canaan, our overall community, and our neighboring towns benefit from our services. By providing grants to organizations that address critical and emerging needs in the community, and by connecting the interests of local philanthropists to those needs, NCCF is making an impact on many aspects of our community life. Additionally, residents who choose to establish a fund with NCCF benefit from achieving their charitable goals while working with our knowledgeable staff and Board, and recommending grants to organizations and communities important to them.

For many donors, a community foundation is a valued partner because they know that the original intent of their gifts will be honored in perpetuity.

We are here to help our local residents fulfill their philanthropic goals and make a positive impact in our community through the organizations our donors care about.