Starting a Fund with SCF

Learn more about what types of charitable funds, SCF offers, and how to start one of your own!

Sudbury Community Foundation is dedicated to empowering individuals who wish to create a lasting and meaningful impact on their community through philanthropy. SCF's grantmaking and investment strategies allows us to provide specific and impactful philanthropic impacts. By joining forces with us at SCF, you can be part of a collective effort to create a brighter future and make a difference in YOUR community!

Begin your philanthropic journey by establishing a named fund with a generous contribution today or even with a smaller amount of capital spread over three years. This will serve as a foundation for future gifts or a bequest, providing you with the flexibility to contribute more in the future!

If you'd like to know more information, check out some of the information below to learn more about our funds at SCF and how to start one!

Interested in opening your own fund? Send an email over to Sally Dunton here and let's get started!

More Information on SCF's Funds

Steps to Start a Fund

We encourage donors to review the following steps prior to establishing a Fund with the Prince George Community Foundation.

These steps can help you solidify your philanthropic goals:

1. Define YOUR philanthropic goals or financial objectives.

  • How will your gift impact the community?
  • What degree of administrative support do you require?
  • Will you choose public recognition or anonymity?
  • Will other family members or employees be involved?

2. Select what type of fund you think fits best with your goals and objectives.

  • Will your fund be endowed, non-endowed, or a combination?
  • How involved will you be in recommending which charitable organizations receive grants?

3. Decide how much you'd like to contribute

  • What will your donations be for this year and future years?
  • Will you set aside funds in your will or trust as a planned gift?
  • Will you invite others to donate to the fund you begin?
  • Will you need to set up pledge payments?

4. Name and determine which assets will be used to create your fund.

  • Will you name the fund after a specific person, a family name, a cause or something else?
  • What issues or causes do you find most compelling or meaningful?
  • What will you give to the Sudbury Community Foundation to begin the fund?
A variety of assets can be used to make charitable gifts, including: Cash, securities, real and Personal Property, life insurance.

5. Sign the fund agreement and start giving back to YOUR community!

Upon receiving your gift, the Sudbury Community Foundation will open your fund. The principle donation is invested with our pool of funds for investment purposes and for economies of scale, income and appreciation are returned to the fund for its charitable use. After investment, the Foundation will send you a receipt for your donation. The Foundation assumes all responsibility for government reporting, grant paperwork, auditing and accounting for the established fund.

Once a fund is established, you may add to the fund at any time in any dollar amount. In fact, any donor may add to the fund at any time. If a donor advised fund has been established, you may recommend distributions from their fund to charities, locally or throughout Canada!

Types of Funds

Setting up a Fund with the Sudbury Community Foundation is easy, take a look below to see what Funds we offer!

Designated Funds

Designated Funds offer a remarkable opportunity to support a particular charity or multiple charities that hold personal significance for you. In this scenario, the Greater Sudbury Community Foundation will allocate grants from your fund to the specific charity or charities that you designate.

Discretionary Community Funds

This is an undesignated gift that enables the Foundation to respond to the most pressing needs of the day. Because we can’t predict what will happen in the future, a community fund can make a real difference where it is needed most. A community fund helps the widest possible range of community needs: children, seniors, environment, arts, culture, education, health, social services, and more.

Donor-Advised Funds

Donor-Advised Funds empower individuals, families, or corporate entities in Greater Sudbury to collaborate with the Foundation in choosing the causes they want to support each year. Your recommendations undergo approval by the Foundation’s board of directors, after which the Foundation manages the distribution of grants. This mechanism ensures your active involvement in the grant-making process while also facilitating corporate strategic giving. Donor-Advised Funds offer the flexibility of a private foundation but without the associated costs and administrative burdens.

Field of Interest Funds

You can identify a particular area of interest that you care about and the Foundation will make grants to charities and the projects that fall within this grouping. Your gift will continue to be flexible enough to meet emerging needs in your specified field of interest.

Flow-Through Funds

A flow-through fund is a gift from a donor that is given in its entirety to a particular charity or charities through the Foundation. It may be a gift that the donor wishes to be anonymous, or one that he or she wishes to be given out at a future date. Or, it may be one that a current fund holder wants to give out in addition to the earnings from their named fund. Flow-through funds from existing fund holders are done as a courtesy to fund holders. Others interested in this service are welcome to contact the Foundation for its fee structure.

Perpetuating Funds

Friends of the Foundation may wish to establish or add to an operating fund to assist the Foundation to meet its administrative obligations and help it to continue its important work in our community.

Private Foundation Transfers

Community foundations are often recipients of private or family foundations. This is a highly cost effective and efficient way to manage a private foundation. The Foundation has the donor administration, investment, governance and grant making experise, as well as knowledge of the community. A family or organization can continue to be involved in grant making without the burden of managing a complete organizational structure.

Bursary Funds

You can create a scholarship or bursary fund to support deserving students in particular fields of endeavour or attending specific institutions. You select eligibility criteria that express your particular values and vision. You can be part of the selection committee reviewing applications.

Why I Give

Join Raymond Bisaillon and countless other generous Greater Sudburians! 

"I set up the Compassionate Community Fund to provide support to the 'Earth Angels' who give so much of themselves with very little expectation of recognition or reward. 

They are the true heroes in our community."

More about Sudbury Community Foundation

Find more ways to get involved, explore our funds and grants or give a gift today!

Donate

Donate to an existing fund that supports a cause that you are passionate about and become a catalyst for change!

Community Grants

Learn how SCF supports local charitable organizations, including granting priorities, criteria and application dates.

Start a Fund

See what types of funds we have to offer at the Sudbury Community Foundation and how to become a fundholder.