Establish a Charitable Fund

Through Community Foundation of North Louisiana’s customized philanthropic services, there are many ways to contribute and accomplish your charitable goals. You can create a Fund tailored to your specific interests, select a broad charitable purpose to benefit from your Fund, advise CFNLA as to which charitable organizations should receive grants, among other options.

Donor Advised Funds (DAFs) allow donors to consolidate all annual charitable giving so the donor receives only one tax receipt while supporting multiple charitable organizations.

• DAFs may be opened in one day with a minimum contribution of $5,000;
• DAFs allow donors to make a charitable donation in one year while recommending grants to the charitable organizations of their choice at a later date;
• Donors may contribute cash, securities, real estate and other appreciated assets;
• DAFs may be either Endowed, Unendowed or some combination of both depending on the Donor’s preference;
• A Donor creating a fund with a minimum contribution of $250,000.00 may recommend a financial advisor for the fund (pursuant to certain conditions); and
• Unlike a private foundation, a DAF does not have an annual payout requirement.

Contact Kristi Gustavson to open a Donor Advised Fund at the Foundation: gustavson@cfnla.org or 318-221-0582.

Agency Endowment Funds provide a simple and efficient way for a nonprofit agency to have an endowment fund.

Community Foundation helps nonprofit organizations develop and manage endowment funds by providing four major elements:

• A pool of assets into which many donors can contribute;
• Management of the fund, including investment services and monitoring, all accounting and financial reporting, annual audit, acknowledgement to donors, and annual cash distributions;
• Economy of scale realized by investment in a larger pool of assets; and
• Protection of the principal of the endowment against the impact of inflation and preservation of assets to achieve long-term purpose.

Unrestricted Funds allow CFNLA the flexibility to address the community’s most pressing needs. 

Each year, through the Competitive Grant process, a group of program experts determine where these funds can have the largest impact. Unrestricted funds are also utilized for special initiatives that address significant challenges and opportunities.

A Field of Interest Fund allows you to target your gift to address needs in an area of the community that is most important to you.

You identify an area of charitable interest – arts, education, environment, youth, aging, homelessness, etc. – and CFNLA evaluates organizations that do the best work in the interest area and then make grants to the organization(s) through our Competitive Grants process. You may also use this type of fund to support various interests within a specific geographic area.

A Designated Fund is created to support to a specific nonprofit organization.

• Establishing a designated fund provides annual, sustainable support to the charity of your choice.
• You and other community members may make tax-deductible contributions to your fund at any time.
• This type of fund can be endowed or non-endowed.
• When you choose to endow your designated fund, you can be assured that your fund will continue to invest in the success of the organization you care so much about after your lifetime. Each year, CFNLA will distribute a grant to the organization equal to 4% of the average market value of your fund.
• A designated fund can be established with a minimum of $5,000 and with a variety of asset types.