Some clients may come to you with the belief that a private foundation offers their only option for long-term involvement with assets they set aside for charitable purposes. In reality, a charitable Fund at a community foundation offers numerous advantages to these clients, provides real ways for them to stay engaged in giving and avoids many of the hassles and expenses of private foundation management.

Private foundations are also subject to certain rules regarding the percentage of assets they must grant each year, as well as extensive disclosure of information on the IRS Form 990. With a charitable Fund at the Community Foundation, your client will have more options for flexibility in their giving, as all Funds at the Community Foundation, including grantmaking activities and Fund balances, are reported in the aggregate on a consolidated IRS Form 990. This ensures that your client’s giving information is kept private.

We welcome the opportunity to talk with you and any clients who would like to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each approach. We want to help you find the solution that works best for your client.

There are many ways we can support your work with clients including information packets and confidential meetings. Our staff often speaks to groups about charitable giving options, community needs and issues, our grantmaking priorities and impact, planned giving, and charitable giving benefits.

If you would like more information, please contact us.

We make it easy! We can set up your client with a charitable Fund in less than a day! Contact one of our experienced staff members, and we will help you determine which charitable Fund type is right for your client.

Assets managed by the Community Foundation may be either held in cash and cash equivalents or invested in the investment pool. The investment pool contains a diversified mix of assets with a focus on steady growth over time, with consideration for the preservation of capital for our permanently endowed Funds.

To structure the investment of the Community Foundation's invested assets, the CFCV's Finance & Investment Committee relies on policy advice and performance measurements from Prime, Buchholz & Associates, Inc., a New Hampshire-based independent investment consultant.

Most of our charitable Funds are charged a nominal administrative fee of 1%. The Community Foundation’s administrative fee schedule is designed to defray the administrative and program costs to the Community Foundation for managing each Fund. For more information, view our fee policy document.

At the Community Foundation, we encourage leaving a legacy of philanthropy for the next generation. We will help your client engage their families in their charitable giving. We are proud to have many families of philanthropists who continue to have a positive impact on the community year after year and generation after generation through their charitable Funds at the Community Foundation.

It is not necessary to contact the Community Foundation; however, we are available if needed to help with recommended language.

Yes! The language below is provided as a general guide to aid your attorney and financial advisors in the preparation of your estate plan. Please do not hesitate to contact

General Bequest

I give and bequeath [describe gift] to the Community Foundation of the Chattahoochee Valley, Inc., for its general charitable purposes.

Restricted Bequest – Field of Interest

I give and bequeath [describe gift] to the Community Foundation of the Chattahoochee Valley, Inc. (“Community Foundation”), to be held by it in a separate fund which shall be known as [name of fund]. The annual spendable portion of the fund shall be used for the following purposes: [state purposes], with specific grantees and gift amounts to be determined by the Board of Directors of the Community Foundation or an appropriate committee thereof.

The Community Foundation is to hold and administer the fund in accordance with its governing instruments and written policies, including the standard fees and expenses normally charged for the administration of funds of this type. This fund is to be of indefinite duration, but I recognize that the Community Foundation may, if it becomes difficult or impractical to carry out the above-stated purposes or if the value of this fund falls below the minimum amount required by the Community Foundation for its Field of Interest funds, terminate this fund and transfer the assets to its Discretionary Grants Fund.

Restricted Bequest – Designated Charity

I give and bequeath [describe gift] to the Community Foundation of the Chattahoochee Valley, Inc. (“Community Foundation”), to be held by it in a separate fund which shall be known as [name of fund]. The annual spendable portion of the fund shall be used for the benefit of [name of charitable organization(s)]. If this organization ceases to exist as a qualified charitable organization, I authorize the Board of Directors of the Community Foundation to select another organization(s) to benefit from the fund which is similar in purpose to the originally specified organization or to use the fund for such purposes as were being carried out by the organization(s) above-named.

The Community Foundation is to hold and administer the fund in accordance with its governing instruments and written policies, including the standard fees and expenses normally charged for the administration of funds of this type. This fund is to be of indefinite duration, but I recognize that the Community Foundation may, if it becomes difficult or impractical to carry out the above-stated purposes or if the value of this fund falls below the minimum amount required by the Community Foundation for its Designated funds, terminate this fund and transfer the assets to its Discretionary Grants Fund.