How is the Chatham Kent Community Foundation different from other Public Charities?
Breadth
CKCF supports all aspects of the community—health, education, arts and culture, environment, social service, recreation and heritage.
Flexibility
CKCF responds to changing community needs.
Permanence
Gift becomes part of an endowment fund that will give back to the community in perpetuity.
Chatham Kent Community Foundation Fund Policy
The Chatham Kent Community Foundation has five types of funds. The Community Fund is a general type of fund that leaves control over the granting of investment income at the discretion of the Foundation Board. The remaining four types of funds differ from the Community Fund essentially in the way they direct how the investment income is granted.
1. Community Fund
- Consists of donations, large, small, from a variety of sources-individuals, corporations and foundations.
- Donations to this fund give the Foundation the greatest flexibility to respond to current community needs through provision of grants to registered charities.
- Minimum donations to establish a Named Fund within the Community Fund is a cumulative total of $5,000.
2. Field of Interest Fund
- Similar to Community Fund except donors will identify an area of interest to target their support (ex. Environmental Legacy Fund, Endowment for Children and Youth in Recreation, etc.)
- Donor empowers Foundation's Grant Committee to select projects to support
- Minimum donation to establish a Field of Interest Fund is cumulative total of $10,000
- A Named Fund can be established within the Field of Interest Fund with a cumulative total of $5,000
3. Designated Funds
- Donors have the opportunity to specify which particular charity or charities they would like to support in perpetuity
- If specified charity ceases to exist and the donor has not named a beneficiary, and the donor is unavailable to advise the Foundation, the Foundation will redirect the funds to a Named Fund within the Community Fund.
- A Designated Fund can be established with a cumulative total donation of $10,000
4. Donor Advised Funds
- Enable a donor to have ongoing participation in the selection of charities that will benefit from their gift. They are involved in the grant-making process, however , the Foundation, as trustee, retains responsibility for final decisions.
- Provision should be made in Donor Advised Fund Agreement to provide direction to the Foundation in the event of death of the donor(s) or designated advisor(s).
- Donor Advised Funds can be established with a cumulative total donation of $50,000.
5. Operating Endowment Fund
- Purpose of this fund is to offset the costs of operating the Foundation.
- A Named Fund can be established within the Operating Endowment Fund with a cumulative total donation of $5,000.
General Guidelines
Donors may name funds that they endow. The criteria for Named Funds within each established fund are identified in each fund definition.