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How To Give
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
UNRESTRICTED
Donors allow the Foundation and its affiliates to respond with maximum
flexibility to changing community needs and opportunities, to support
innovative responses to community problems, to leverage unique charitable
opportunities, and to enhance the overall quality of life in Montana's
cities and towns.
Unrestricted funds exist to serve the state, regions, counties and
communities.
DONOR ADVISED FUNDS
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.
DESIGNATED ENDOWMENTS
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.
SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS
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.
AGENCY FUNDS
Montana has more than 1,700 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations. More
than 300 have created endowment funds and entrusted them with us.
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 so-called Agency
Funds.
The minimum opening balance for an agency fund is $25,000.
FIELD OF INTEREST FUNDS
The Montana Community Foundation has established three funds that
address very specific issues faced by Montanans.
The Women’s Foundation of Montana
The Montana Fund for Tolerance
The Montana Renaissance Fund
For more information about establishing a fund with the Montana
Community Foundation, contact
Program Manager Brian Lewis.
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