Establishing a Fund

The Nevada Community Foundation provides a simple, powerful, and highly personalized approach to giving. We help you establish a Fund in your name, or any other name of your choosing — The Jane Smith Fund, The Smith Family Foundation, or The ‘Use Your Words’ Fund, as examples. You can gift cash, appreciated stocks, real estate, or other assets into your Fund and receive the maximum charitable tax benefit. Then, when you are ready, you advise which charities or programs you want to support. It’s like having your own personal foundation without the legal hassles or expense.

Establishing a fund with the Nevada Community Foundation is simple — it can usually be created within one day. All that is needed is an initial contribution and a signed Fund Agreement, which the Nevada Community Foundation prepares with the assistance of our legal counsel.

Whether you wish to start small — some funds begin at $5,000 — or you elect to consolidate all of your giving through the Nevada Community Foundation — some funds are in the millions — we’re here to help you every step of the way. Simply call us at 892.2326 or follow the easy steps, below:

Step 1:

Define your charitable and financial objectives. Consider what charities or charitable causes you wish to support, whether or not you want other family members involved in your philanthropy, whether or not you want to be involved in making grants from your fund and whether or not you want the fund to last forever.

Step 2:

Choose whether your fund will be created with current assets or through your estate plan.  Almost any kind of asset can be used to start a fund: cash, securities (publicly traded or closely held), real estate or tangible personal property, qualified retirement plans, etc. Foundation staff is available to discuss the various options with you or your adviser.

Step 3:

Select the type of fund that matches your charitable interests.  Whether you want to support your favorite charity, make grant distributions to many charities, or serve a particular area of interest ( e.g., education, arts and culture, the environment, etc.), the Foundation offers an array of options that can be customized to meet your charitable intent. Our team of philanthropic advisers will work with you to customize a plan tailored to match your philanthropic vision.

Step 4:

Choose a name for your fund.  Many donors choose a family name, such as The Smith Foundation or The Smith Family Fund.  You may choose a name that is meaningful to you, or for that matter, you may elect to remain anonymous. The choice is yours. We’re here to help.