Gifts of any amount to an existing Foundation fund are always welcomed and valued. Or, donors may wish to establish their own fund.
A minimum gift of $500 will enable you to open a new fund. Once your fund reaches $10,000, it can be established as an endowment to serve the community in your name forever.
Following are a variety of ways you can contribute to the Foundation.
Cash
A gift of cash is the simplest and most convenient way of giving to the Foundation. Cash can be given in the form of currency, checks, or money orders. Checks or money orders may be made payable to the Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley or to the fund designated to receive the gift. For your convenience, you may wish to print out our contribution form.
Credit Cards
For your convenience, you can donate online using your credit card.
Please download our contribution form and mail to:
Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley
PO Box 4786
Aurora, IL 60507-4786
Securities
Gifts of appreciated securities provide considerable advantages to donors. When securities have been held for the required period of time, a donor can deduct the full fair market value of the gift and avoid a capital gains tax on the appreciated amount of the securities. For your convenience, you may wish to print out a stock & bond electronic transfer form to provide to your brokerage firm.
Matching Gifts
Your employer and/or your spouse’s employer may double or even triple the value of your gift. Please send your company’s matching gift form to maximize this benefit for the community.
Bequests
Many donors have created funds within the Foundation through a bequest. Bequests to the Foundation are not subject to estate or inheritance taxes, thus ensuring the maximum benefit to your charitable fund.
Life Insurance
Gifts of life insurance allow donors to make sizeable gifts at relatively low cost. By assigning ownership of a life insurance policy to the Foundation, you receive an immediate tax deduction and eliminate the proceeds of the policy from your estate. All premium payments made by you thereafter will also be tax deductible, subject to Internal Revenue Service limitations.
Charitable Remainder Trusts
Charitable Remainder Trusts enable donors to transfer assets to a trustee to be held on behalf of specified beneficiaries during the trust’s lifetime. You receive an immediate federal tax deduction for the year the trust is established, subject to Internal Revenue Service limitations. Distributions of income from the trust will be made to you and/or to other beneficiaries for the life of the trust. When the trust terminates, the proceeds will be used to create a charitable fund in your name or in any other name as designated in the original trust agreement.
Charitable Lead Trusts
A Charitable Lead Trust is the reverse of a Charitable Remainder Trust. This type of trust allows for payments to your charitable fund within the Foundation for a specified number of years. Upon termination of the trust, the principal is paid to you or any other non-charitable beneficiary you select. This vehicle is especially useful for property that has the potential to significantly appreciate.
Charitable Gift Annuities
The Foundation administers a Charitable Gift Annuity program that provides lifetime payments to donors participating in the program. Upon termination of the annuity, the remainder is placed in an existing charitable fund within the Community Foundation, as designated by the donor. The remainder also may be used to create a new charitable fund in the name of the donor or the donor’s family.
Transfer Of Charitable Trusts
The Foundation provides for the efficient and cost-effective management of charitable trusts. Such arrangements enable a maximum flow of charitable dollars to the community.
Private Foundation Transfers
Maintaining a private foundation can be burdensome and costly. By transferring the assets of a private foundation to the Community Foundation, you can benefit from tax and administrative benefits while retaining the original purpose and identification of your foundation. View a list of advantages to creating a component fund within the Community Foundation.
Corporate Giving
Corporations can ease the administrative work required to manage their charitable giving program by creating a fund within the Foundation. All paperwork, acknowledgments, filing of government forms, and audits are handled by the Foundation. Corporations continue to receive recognition of their philanthropic generosity, unless anonymity is requested.
Other
Contributions of Real Estate, Tangible Personal Property, Closely Held Stock, Patents and Copyrights, Surplus Business Inventory, etc. are other ways of creating a fund within the Foundation.
