• Donors wishing to make investments in their communities that will last virtually forever create endowment funds.
• The original gift (the capital) is not spent; it remains intact.
• These funds are pooled together and permanently invested with the assistance of a volunteer Investment Committee and the Board of Directors. A comprehensive Investment Policy guides the process and the professional money managers we engage work within those guidelines.
• The permanence of the funds is the true Power of Endowment. Within a very short time, the total accumulated contributions to the community exceed the amount of the original gift.
  
  

How does endowment support charitable activities?

• Each year, the Foundation distributes 4.5% of the fund value (the “net income”) to charities and causes important to the donor. This comes from the investment income, rather than from the original gift.
• Administration costs are kept below 1%.
• Any additional investment income is returned to the fund.
• This policy is designed to increase the fund balance over time; take into account increases in the cost of living; and build a cushion for the occasional poor investment year. Over time, this ensures uninterrupted, meaningful support to the community.
  
  

What is a fund agreement?

Every donor to the Foundation is unique. All our donors have a desire to make a difference to the quality of life in our community. From arts and culture to health, education, the environment, social and community services, donors look at our community from a variety of views.

Individually tailored fund agreements allow donors to clarify their intentions for their named funds. Working with the Foundation, donors specify how they want the net income from the fund disbursed for charitable causes along with any other details relevant to the individual fund.