We make it easy for you. There are seven choices of funds that can meet your charitable needs.
Whatever your philanthropic goals, the Community Foundation has the flexibility and the tools to help you reach them.
Acorn Funds – Donors who want to build their personal philanthropic legacy over time can begin by establishing an Acorn Fund and making restricted donations to the Foundation over several years. When the fund balance reaches the $10,000 level, it becomes your grant-making fund within the Foundation. This approach can be used to create any type of fund, Donor Advised, Designated, Field of Interest or Scholarship.
Designated – You can choose specific organizations to benefit from your grants forever from your designated fund. We can help you make a meaningful commitment to causes you care about with this simple, powerful type of gift.
Donor Advised – The best option when you and your family want to be fully involved in philanthropy. You recommend the grants from your fund, and the Foundation does all the administrative work. Take advantage of our knowledge of local issues and expertise about a wide range of issues, if and when you want it.
Field of Interest – Do you care deeply about a particular issue, such as the arts, education or health care, and want the community foundation to recommend the best organizations and projects in the field for your support? Grants from field of interest funds follow the donor's wishes.
Agency Funds – Nonprofit organizations can establish an agency endowment fund at the Community Foundation to take advantage of our greater investing capacity and our stewardship.
Scholarship – New Canaan is passionate about education, and charitable people just like you have created generous scholarship and award funds at our Community Foundation, which distribute over $175,000 in scholarships annually. You determine the selection guidelines and criteria that we use to select scholarship recipients.
Unrestricted – You can establish a fund named in honor of or in memory of someone special, or create a charitable legacy in your family’s name. You can trust the Community Foundation to determine how their fund’s grants will best be used to address current and future challenges in our community.
Interested in Establishing a Fund?