Benefits of Using the Community Foundation

The Community Foundation is a tax-exempt public charity that enables people like you to establish charitable funds.  By utilizing our services, you can receive many benefits that make your philanthropic giving more effective and easier.  Some of the benefits are:

We Know Our Community
The Community Foundation is led by a local volunteer board of directors from a variety of backgrounds and with a variety of perspectives that guides the work and lends valuable insight.  Staff members work daily to engage community organizations and to understand the current needs of the community and organizations.

We Help You Achieve Superior Tax Benefits
As a tax-exempt public charity, your contributions are eligible for the highest available tax deductions.  In most cases, these tax benefits outweigh using your assets to establish your own private foundation.  Donors enjoy maximum tax advantages for income, capital gains, gift, and estate tax purposes.

We Make Set-Up and Administration Easy
Establishing a fund can be completed in less time than it takes to open
a bank account.  The Community Foundation takes care of all
administrative and grantmaking activities, eliminating the need for you
to establish a separate institution, formulate policies, file innumerable
forms and perform due diligence on potential grant recipients.  One
contribution can address a number of different needs and benefit any
number of charitable organizations in our community.

We are Cost-Effective
Because we are able to pool funds and financial and personnel resources
 for over 400 funds, the Community Foundation has the infrastructure to
save individuals, families, and organizations precious time, money, and
other resources.

We Are Flexible

• You can create a fund now, establish it in your will, or create it through a trust arrangement that benefits your family as well as a charity. 
• Almost any kind of asset can be used to start your fund.  Please see Ways to Give for more information. 
• You can determine what types of charitable purposes that you want your fund to support.  You can make grant recommendations to the Foundation for specific charitable causes that interest you and your family. 
• You can decide when to recommend disbursements from your fund, whether it is once a year, or once a month.  You can recommend when you would like future disbursements to be made.

We Share Your Interests
The Community Foundation can connect you with issues in the community that you care about the most.  We can introduce you to new and on-going initiatives in areas of interest that you determine.  Your charitable interests and priorities are important to us because committed, caring citizens are vital to our community's well-being.

We Care About the Future
Our commitment is to you and to the future of our community.  By establishing a permanent endowment fund, you have the ideal opportunity to create a legacy for yourself and Northeast Wisconsin.  You can specify how your fund will benefit the community in perpetuity.

Public Accountability
The Community Foundation makes a full accounting to the community through our annual report, which includes financial statements certified by independent auditors.