Giving back has its perks.
Learn about the benefits we offer our donors.
Permanence
When you set up an endowed fund with the Community Foundation, you have done it for life. Because the principal of your original gift is retained in your fund while earnings are used for grant making year after year, you are assured your gift(s) will continue to benefit agencies and residents of the community forever.
Funds can be set up by individuals, businesses, corporations and community or nonprofit groups. A private family foundation can always be transferred to a fund set up under the Community Foundation, easing the cost and burden of yearly administration.
Flexibility
We offer donors a number of ways in which to create an endowment fund, a donor pass-through fund (including scholarship funds), or in making general gifts to one of the many funds already established.
Memorial gifts can be made in memory or in honor of someone special and recognized in our Book of Memory.
Simplicity
Setting up a fund with the Foundation is easy and administrative costs are low. If you don’t have a fund with us, it’s still easy to make donations to any one of our Field of Interest funds or any number of donor-advised funds. By donating, you create a simple way in which to fulfill multiple charitable interests for the Verdugo area.
Security
Since our establishment in 1956, we have retained and honed our skill in managing and safeguarding donor contributions. Investment policies are balanced between current laws guiding the Foundation’s fiduciary responsibilities with the expert guidance of financial professionals serving on the Board and Investment Committee. The Foundation’s investment management consultant is Jeffrey C. Peter of Morgan Stanley Wealth Management in Glendale, CA.
The Foundation practices prudent stewardship and carefully manages each fund to ensure the highest growth possible as well as ensuring that each fund’s use will be in keeping with the donor’s original intent as long as it is realistically sensible and possible.
Public Accountability
We are recognized by the IRS as a public charity (EIN #95-6068137) and comply with regulations stipulating that the Foundation is responsive to the general public rather than a limited number of persons. How the Foundation does this is through grant making. All grants given by the Foundation are used to benefit the public interest and are publicly disclosed as required by law.
In addition, the Foundation publishes an annual report to stay connected with donors, grantees, and the community at large, creating a transparency that enables all those we serve to better understand our accomplishments and mission.
Finally, an independent audit of our financials is performed annually and all financial information is publicly disclosed. As an advisor to your fund, you also receive financial reports on your fund from the Foundation on a quarterly basis.
Philanthropic Recognition
We help donors establish a personal legacy by creating permanent, endowed funds in their names since many donors appreciate the opportunity to assist the community while being recognized for their philanthropy. One reason for establishing an endowment now is to have in place a means whereby friends and loved ones can tangibly express their thoughtfulness during bereavement. Being able to give to something permanent that represents your ongoing influence can mean a lot to them.
Tax Benefits
As a community foundation, we differ from a private foundation because we offer maximum tax advantages under federal law to our donors. These advantages are of a greater nature than can be found through a private foundation (please check with your tax professional or financial advisor for details). Donations to the Community Foundation of the Verdugos are deductible as allowed by the U.S. Tax Code. In addition, gifts of appreciated assets like stocks, bonds, mutual funds and real estate, and gifts made through wills or trusts, have other added benefits.
To learn more about benefits to donors, contact us at (818) 241-8040 or e-mail info@cfverdugos.org.