Establishing a Fund

Establish a Fund

The Community Foundation for Southern Arizona offers a variety of fund types to meet your philanthropic desires and financial goals. Read the descriptions below to determine which type of fund you are interested in starting. Feel free to email or call us at (520) 770-0800 x107 to discuss your options.

What do you want to do?

Give broadly to support your community? Create a family tradition of giving? Choose which organizations to grant to each year? Help a particular nonprofit in southern Arizona? Support a specific issue or community challenge? Help youth reach their goals through higher education? CFSA has a fund opportunity to help you meet any of these objectives.

Unrestricted Community Funds

You can use your gift to meet the ever-changing needs in the greater Tucson community, including future needs that often cannot be anticipated at the time your gift is made. Through an Unrestricted Community Fund, you give CFSA the entire responsibility to select the most appropriate organizations to receive grants around the most pressing community issues. CFSA evaluates all aspects of community well being, from arts and culture, to economic development, education, environment, health and human services, neighborhood revitalization and more. During – and long after – your lifetime, your gift will ensure the best quality of life for the community you care about so deeply. The minimum gift to start an Unrestricted Community Fund is $10,000.

Field of Interest Funds

Target your gift to address a specific issue or challenge that you are passionate about. The arts. AIDS. Aging. At-risk youth. You identify your personal interest area when making your gift; our board awards grants to community agencies and programs that are making a difference in the area you select. The minimum gift to start a Field-of-Interest Fund is $10,000.

Designated Funds

Direct your gift to a specific nonprofit agency. Help provide ongoing funding for a senior center, museum, your church, or virtually any nonprofit charitable organization. You identify the recipient you wish to benefit through your gift and we manage the annual distribution of funds. The minimum gift to start a Designated Fund is $10,000.

Donor Advised Funds

Have ongoing involvement in the use of your gift. You work with our staff to identify ways to use dollars from your donor advised fund to address the issues you care about most. You actively participate in the process by suggesting grants recipients. Your recommendations are submitted to our board for approval and we distribute grant dollars on your behalf. A donor advised fund is a great alternative to starting a private foundation. You have a personal connection and the flexibility in your charitable giving without all of the administrative duties of a private foundation. The minimum gift to start a Donor Advised Fund is $10,000.

Agency Endowments

Nonprofits can start an agency endowment at CFSA to support their operations for perpetuity. An agency endowment is a simple alternative to managing your own endowment. You will benefit from the foundation’s large and diversified investment portfolio, our expertise with complex planned giving vehicles, and personalized customer service for you and your agency’s donors. Need more information? We would be happy to make a presentation to your leadership about opening an agency endowment. The minimum gift to start an Agency Endowment is $10,000.

Scholarship Funds

Provide tuition assistance to the next generation of leaders through a scholarship fund at CFSA. Your scholarship fund can support as many students as you designate. You can specify the scholarship criteria and we ensure that your intended purpose is respected each year. Administering scholarship funds takes a great deal of time and compliance with legal requirements. CFSA distributes and collects applications, convenes an impartial panel to determine recipients, monitors students’ compliance with scholarship requirements and distributes funding to Financial Aid offices across the country. The minimum gift to start a Scholarship Fund is $10,000.

Memorial Funds

Carry on the legacy of a loved one by starting a fund in their name. All of the fund types offered at CFSA can be made in honor of a family member or loved one and will forever make a difference in their name. Memorial funds are typically established as unrestricted community funds or scholarship funds. Donations can be made to these types of funds at any time.

Deferred Funds

Plan for how you will leave your legacy by starting a deferred fund. Work with the Center for Planned Giving to develop a fund that will start accruing interest and providing tax advantages now, but will not be distributed to charity until after your lifetime.

FAQ Quick Links

>>Establishing a Fund FAQs

Confirmed in compliance with the National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations

Powered by Stellar Technology Solutions, LLC.