Foundation should be part of your planned giving team

The Community Foundation of Collier County understands that estate planning is a balancing act. One must place priorities on estate preservation for your spouse and children, minimizing death taxes as well as income and capital gains tax and defining the legacy that you will leave behind.

Philanthropic goals vary from person to person as much as financial wealth. How does one navigate through this planning process in the most effective way? The answer is by utilizing a team approach with The Community Foundation, your professional advisor(s) and you.

Since 1985, The Community Foundation of Collier County, a 501(c)3 public charity, has helped thousands of clients with their philanthropy. There are many benefits of utilizing the foundation for your charitable activities today and in the future:

• Customer service

We pride ourselves in delivering prompt, personal service to our clients. We communicate in direct, understandable terms. Our staff is always happy to sit down with you (and your professional advisor if you so choose) to discuss your charitable goals and options.

• Stewardship

The Community Foundation is governed by a board of trustees that is legally responsible for monitoring the organization’s financial health, programs and overall performance. Each year the board conducts a comprehensive and independent financial audit. This annual audit and our IRS Form 990 nonprofit tax filing are available to the public.

The board is also the final authority to ensure decisions made follow the donor’s original intent.

• Giving wisely

Our individual donor funds are pooled, which keeps management and administrative costs to a minimum. Because the foundation is a public charity, all donations qualify for the maximum available deduction for charitable contributions.

• Giving forever

With the power of an endowment, your gift to the Community Foundation can give forever. Our investment pools are invested under a formula designed to maintain your funds’ purchasing power over the years so that its annual impact does not diminish over time.

The Community Foundation of Collier County offers many vehicles that will assist you and your professional advisor in achieving your charitable goals. One of the greatest benefits of working with the foundation is that once your estate plan is established, the details of your philanthropic goals and objectives can be easily changed, at anytime and for no cost, by contacting the foundation.

With an Unrestricted Fund, donors may create a separate Endowment Fund or donate to the foundation’s Unrestricted Endowment that will support current and future needs in Collier County.

A Field of Interest Endowment Fund can support specific areas of interest such as human services, healthcare, education or another broad area.

Donor Advised Funds are the most flexible product the foundation offers. You can start a donor fund now or as part of your estate plan. The fund has one or more individuals who are able to recommend grants from their fund to support nonprofit organizations anywhere in the United States. In addition to yourself, your children, relatives or friends can be named to provide grant recommendations from the fund.

The Community Foundation has four Community Initiatives that you can support by establishing a Community Initiative Endowment Fund:

• The Center for Nonprofit Excellence helps nonprofits become more effective businesses and fulfill their nonprofit missions through education, training and strategic planning.

• The Immokalee Initiative promotes collaboration and education for the nonprofits serving this impoverished area of Collier County.

• The Women’s Initiative strives to increase substantially the endowment funds available to help women and girls within the Collier County area.

• The Senior Initiative serves and advances the well being and interests of seniors in Collier County.

Although the Community Foundation does not provide legal and financial advice, we can assist you with the merging of your philanthropic and financial goals by working with you and your professional advisor. We have relationships with many professional advisors in the community and encourage you to ask yours how the foundation can help you achieve your philanthropic goals. 

— William Franz is executive vice president and C OO of the C ommunity Foundation of Collier County. With assets of more than $60 million, the f oundati o n manages more than 400 funds established b y charitable individuals and or ganizations. Investment earnings on these funds ar e used t o address c ommunity needs. S ince 1 985 the fou n dation and its fundholder s have granted more than $40 million back to the Collier County community. For more information, call 649-5000 or visit www.cfcollier.org.