Stay on Mission While Growing Your Reserves

Agency Endowment

Plan for the future with an endowed fund. If your nonprofit organization is committed to providing service for generations to come, you can benefit from an endowed fund’s steady stream of annual income. Invested for the long-term, earnings support your missions forever.

Agency Flex Funds

Ideal for operating or capital reserves, an Agency Flexible Fund is a non-endowed fund at Community Foundation Santa Cruz County, established by the board of directors of a nonprofit organization to support its work, either current or long-term. As a non-endowed fund, both the principal and the earnings to the fund are available for use by the nonprofit as needed. The Foundation pools the fund with other Foundation assets for investment purposes.

Benefits of Funds at the Foundation

With an endowed fund, your donors can be sure that the fund’s principal will not be spent, can grow over time, and will provide a source of lasting support.

Your supporters can leave a gift through their wills and trusts through Community Foundation Santa Cruz County to benefit your organization forever and create a personal legacy. We can facilitate even the most complex planned gifts, including gifts of appreciated stock or real estate. Your donors will be secure in the knowledge that their donation will be held by a large, stable organization.

When your organization has an agency endowed fund, your donors can establish a charitable gift annuity for as little as $10,000.

With a flexible fund, you can access any amount of the fund balance, at any time, with board approval. Full access allows you to accumulate funds for your capital campaign, or simply use it as a way of receiving better returns on your cash reserve.

We handle investment management and administrative responsibilities for both endowed and flexible funds so that you can concentrate on fulfilling your mission.

How it Works

Your organization can start a fund with a minimum amount of $25,000. Your board and leadership works with our staff to determine the type of fund you need and how much you want to place in it. The resulting fund bears your organization’s name, making it easy for your supporters to give to you. Your organization or individuals can add to the fund at any time.

We handle all the administrative details – including investment management. You have online access to fund activity and statements.

The fund is placed in our investment pool, providing the benefits of a diverse investment portfolio and low investment fees that typically come only with very large funds.

Endowments and Fundraising

Developing an endowment is very different from fundraising for annual operating support. An endowment effort can be presented to your current donors as an additional way to support your organization. It shows your foresight as an organization that is planning for its financial future. Strategically-minded organizations earmark all planned gifts, such as bequests, for their endowment.

Community Foundation Santa Cruz County’s reputation as a permanent community resource reassures donors who may wish to contribute to your agency’s endowment. We can help you accept gifts that may be too complicated for many organizations to handle, such as stock, real estate, life insurance, or IRAs. We can assist your donors and their professional advisors in integrating planned gifts into their estate plans to benefit your organization. And, the Foundation can provide resources to market your planned giving program for gifts to your endowment.