When you create a fund with us, we hope you will realize it is much more than a new tool for your charitable giving. Donors find that it triggers for them new ways of thinking about philanthropy, including what groups and issues they support, how they involve their family, how they learn about their community and how they might become more deliberate in their giving.

Before you begin, consider…

We offer assistance in helping you to define and fulfill your charitable goals and suggest the following steps as you think about your giving. We are also happy to meet with you to discuss these topics.

• Make a list of the things you value most in life. Is it the arts or a beautiful landscape, or both? What are your interests within a particular field of interest? How have these changed over time?
  Think about organizations and causes that you have supported in the past, through your financial contributions and volunteer activities. What was important about this? What made you feel the best about giving and why did you feel rewarded?
• Ask yourself where you could make the most difference with your
  resources. You may have a list of 20 organizations that you support, but where can you make the most impact?
  Decide how much you have to give. Are there other ways that you could give beyond financial resources? We can explore the different types of assets that you could give.
• Decide when it will be best for you to give. We help you determine if this is a good time for you to invest some of your money for future giving; you can still give money away today as well.
• Choose what you want to support. If you are unsure about this, we can help. We discuss how your gifts could be pooled with other donors to fund projects that might otherwise go unsupported. We also suggest ways to support your field(s) of interest with your time and expertise.
• Speak with us about how to give. You have many options. You might also explore legacy planning that will make gifts to the community after your lifetime.

We encourage you to think about your philanthropy in stages. As you and your giving evolve, here are ways we can support your journey.

As you get started we can help you…

• Create a personal mission statement and grant-making plan.
• Learn about pressing community needs.
• Focus on grant-making opportunities that match your interests.
• Understand the difference between grants for general operating support and targeting specific programs.

After you have been giving awhile, we help you…

• Determine how much you want to give each year.
• Meet other donors with similar interests.
• Arrange site visits to nonprofit organizations.
• Appreciate the added value of making multi-year grants.
• Review and analyze the impact of your charitable giving.

As you look ahead, we help you…

• Understand how your donor-advised fund and your estate plan can work together to achieve your charitable goals.
• Use your philanthropic planning to create a giving legacy for your family.
• Involve your children in charitable activities, including naming them as successor advisers.
• Address any questions about your fund and its grant-making possibilities.

Privacy Policy: The Community Foundation of Huntsville/Madison County will not sell or trade a donor’s personal information to any other entity without the written permission of the donor. We do not share our lists with other entities.

For more information ask your financial advisor or contact our staff.