Your endowment fund: A primer for your board of directors

If your organization has established an endowment or agency fund with the community foundation, your staff and board of directors are already experiencing the benefits of our relationship. We are here to help you grow critical financial resources to support your important mission well into the future. 

Many nonprofit organizations who work with our team appreciate the opportunity to periodically review with their directors the benefits of working with the community foundation, whether at a board meeting or in a board communication. Here are points you can include in your next endowment update to your directors:

The organization has established a fund at the community foundation because of the community foundation's services to help charities efficiently and effectively set aside and grow endowment reserves and rainy day funds.
The team at the community foundation is adept at navigating the specific accounting standards that are unique to this type of arrangement. The community foundation's depth and breadth of experience allows the organization's staff and board of directors to focus on deepening relationships with donors and carrying out its mission in the community. 
The community foundation team helps nonprofit organizations establish and regularly update investment policies and gift acceptance policies, making it easier for the staff and board to engage in fundraising discussions. The community foundation team is happy to attend a board meeting to review planned giving and endowment-building strategies. 
The community foundation team can help the organization accept and process donors' gifts of highly-appreciated stock, real estate, closely-held stock, and other complex assets, giving fundraising a big boost. 

An endowment or agency fund at the community foundation is a powerful tool to help secure your organization's financial future for generations to come. Thank you for the opportunity to serve as your behind-the-scenes back office. If your organization has not yet established a fund at the community foundation, please reach out. We'd love to explore how the community foundation's tools and services can help you grow donors' support for your mission. For more information on agency endowment funds, contact Brian Reitz, Agency Endowment & Engagement Officer, at breitz@akroncf.org.

This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not intended as legal, accounting, or financial planning advice.