What is an endowment fund?
Many people think of donations as a one-time lump sum of money given to a charity. But donations can also be set up so that the gift has the power to give year-after-year. This perpetual giving is called an endowment fund, and is a popular choice for many donors in our communities.
Types of funds
The Foundation administers more than 200 endowment funds of all different kinds. Some are set up to give to a specific charity or community year after year. Other funds let the donor choose what causes they would like to support each year, and still others leverage the expertise of the Community Foundation to select charities that will have significant community impact. While not all of these funds are open to public donations, many of them are.
To learn more about different types of endowment funds, you can browse a complete list of all existing funds or visit our Donor-Advised Funds page and our Agency Funds page.
How can you donate to a fund?
Donate to an existing endowment fund
Visit our Give Now page to view a list of funds, which are open for anyone to donate to. Donating to one of these funds can be a great way to team up to support a charity or cause or to support the wishes of someone you value.
Create your own fund
You can choose to give to a cause or a charity that you would like to support and then, with the Community Foundation’s assistance, your gift is invested for the long term. Every year, in perpetuity, earnings from that investment are given to cause you care about.
If you are thinking of creating your own fund, please contact us. We’d love to offer advice or assistance. Aaron McRann: aaronmcrann@cfso.net or phone 250-488-0036.
Join the Legacy Club
The Legacy Club is our way of honouring the generosity of donors who have included the Foundation in their estate plans. Learn more about the Legacy Club here.
