You
may already support the organizations and issues
you care about by giving to them directly. Now you're
ready to consider creating a private foundation or
charitable fund to continue today’s giving
into the future.
If
you're looking for more impact, less paperwork, better
tax advantages, and expert advice, The Community
Foundation of Shreveport-Bossier is for you. We offer
a variety of charitable funds and trusts to meet
your financial and charitable goals so you can support
the causes and institutions that are important to
you and your family. You receive maximum tax advantages
while we handle the administrative work.
Create a giving program that is customized to your assets, your wishes, and
your personal and financial goals. At The Community Foundation you get competitive
investment returns, along with professional advice and personal attention
from a local partner committed to the community.
Our staff is available at any time to assist you with your giving. We have
many ideas to share!
We
offer six types of funds to provide the flexibility
for you to achieve your philanthropic goals.
· Unrestricted Funds afford
the Foundation the greatest flexibility to support the frequently changing needs
in the community. Gifts
and bequests to these funds are used now and in perpetuity to address our community’s
greatest needs.
· Designated Funds allow
the donor to name specific organizations to which grants will be made, with the
assurance that the designation will be
adhered to as long as the need exists. These funds are endowed to support a specific
charitable agency or agencies with annual grants from the income of the funds’ endowment.
· Agency
Endowment Funds offer non-profit organizations
the opportunity to establish their own fund within the Foundation as a means
of sharing the benefits of broader investment management and enjoying the increased
visibility that comes from being a part of the Foundation family.
· Donor Advised Funds enable donors to be actively involved
in promoting their personal philanthropic vision. Donor advised funds are especially
useful for donors who want to take a charitable deduction one year and spread
charitable giving into the community over future years. Many donors choose to
set up a donor advised fund rather than commit valuable grant dollars to the
administration and taxation of a private foundation.
· Field of Interest Funds support work in a chosen area
of concern, such as education or the environment. These funds are managed to
address pressing community needs in the area of greatest priority to the donor.
· Scholarship Funds provide grants for deserving students.
They may be established in honor or memory of an individual or for a specified
field of study, such as geology.
We also encourage you to become a Sustaining Member to ensure
that the Foundation has sufficient resources to continue to serve your community
as a permanent and growing resource of expertise and funds.
How
are Funds created?
1. Contact the staff regarding your desire to open a fund.
2. Pick a name for your fund.
3. Prepare a brief statement of purpose for your fund.
4. Complete an initial minimum gift of $5,000 to establish the fund.
5. Review a fund agreement prepared for you by the Foundation’s staff.
6. Sign a fund agreement that explains the use(s) of the fund.
7. Start investing in the community.
Bill and Freda Stephenson
with
Charles Ravenna |
When Bill Stephenson and his
wife, Freda, decided to create a fund at
the Foundation,
they chose not to include their name or any
member of their families in the naming of the
fund. Instead, they established the EULAVA
JOYCE AND CHARLES RAVENNA FUND in the names
of two of Mr. Stephenson’s former teachers
and to honor the public school teachers of
Caddo Parish. The earnings from this fund are
used to purchase glasses and hearing aids for
needy children identified by public school
teachers in Caddo Parish.
Mr. Stephenson said, “Teachers could never be paid enough for what they
do, yet they are so often unappreciated.” Mr. and Mrs. Stephenson’s
wish is to leave a legacy that provides for children the advantage of learning
without the disadvantage of a vision or hearing deficit, and at the same time “to
honor Public School Teachers in Caddo Parish, to thank them, and let them know
how much they are appreciated”.
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