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Establishing a Fund
The Montana Community Foundation offers numerous options and flexibility
to enable donors to fulfill their philanthropic goals.
The Foundation preserves and protects donors' investments and
charitable intentions forever. The unique power of endowments means
that as donors' gifts grow, they continue to benefit the community
now and in the future.
Many fund types can be recorded in the name of the donor, a legacy
of personal commitment to charitable giving. Similarly, there are
many ways to give, including outright gifts of cash, real estate,
securities and personal property; bequests by will of cash or property;
memorials or honorariums in tribute to a friend or loved one, or
private foundation transfers to the Montana Community Foundation
that retain the foundation's original name and purpose.
The Foundation accepts all forms of planned gifts to create a
new fund or build an existing one, and is registered with Montana’s
State Auditor to offer gift annuities.
Types of Funds Available
Donor Advised
The Foundation acts on donor recommendations regarding charitable
organizations to receive gifts from their funds. Considerable flexibility
is provided by the Foundation; donors may ask the Foundation to
connect their charitable interests with a need in the community;
others may request only the processing of grant recommendations
and fund administration.
The Foundation offers business entities the benefits associated
with donor advised funds, as well as the opportunity to build their
endowments with significant incentives for outright gifts provided
by the Montana Endowment Tax Credit. See our list of
donor advised funds here.
Donor Designated
Donors identify a specific charitable organization to receive financial
support from their fund. Should that organization cease to exist
or should its mission no longer agree with the donor's interest,
the Foundation will redirect the grants to organizations with similar
purposes. See our list of donor designated funds here
Scholarship
Donors interested in promoting education often establish scholarship
funds—a specialized donor advised fund. Scholarships may support
any level of education and can be directed toward students attending
a particular school, studying in a particular field or coming from
a particular geographical area. The Foundation helps donors administer
the fund with impartiality and helps donors comply with tax regulations
regarding scholarships. See our list of scholarship funds here.
Non-Permanent
The Foundation serves as the fiscal sponsor and financial administrator
for a number of funds that have been specifically established as
temporary funds for a unique purpose. These funds have a life span
that depends of the programs that they are supporting and the duration
of the agreement. See our list of
non-permanent funds here.
Agency Funds
Montana is affiliated with more than 1,700 nonprofit organizations.
More than 300 have created endowment funds and entrusted them to
our care. By leaving the administration and investment of their
endowments to us, these organizations can focus their attention
on what they do best, and that is their mission. You can help assure
their future stability by making a gift or gifts to any of these
Agency Funds.
The minimum opening balance for an agency fund is $25,000. See
our list of agency funds here.
MCF Funds
The Montana Community Foundation has overall responsibility for
several funds, but the Foundation has also established three “special
interest” funds that address very specific issues faced by
Montanans: The Women’s Foundation of Montana; The Montana
Fund for Tolerance; The Montana Renaissance Fund.
See our list of MCF funds here.
For more information about establishing a fund with the Montana
Community Foundation, contact Program Manager Brian Lewis .
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