Become a Donor
We Make It Easy to be a Philanthropist!
Decide to Give
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Create a charitable fund now, establish it in your will or create it through a trust arrangement that benefits your family as well as charity. The choice is yours. Assets like cash, publicly traded securities, closely held stock, or real estate and life insurance are all viable assets to create a fund. We can also discuss other options with you, such as bequests and charitable trusts. Tax deductions are earned at the time of your gift while grants awarded from your fund will continue into the future.
Choose a Type of Fund
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We offer a variety of funds that will meet your philanthropic and family goals all while being flexible enough to meet your charitable interests. Stay involved with your giving by advising grants, supporting specific causes, or giving broadly. Involve your family. Remain anonymous. It’s up to you.
Name Your Fund
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Funds are named by the donor. Every grant from the fund will carry this name. If you prefer anonymity you may choose a name that reflects your fund’s charitable purpose or one that ensures your privacy.
Added Benefits to Partnering With Us
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Strategic Impact - Create effective and lasting community improvement.
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Tax Benefits - As a public charity, gifts to the Foundation are deductible to the maximum extent allowed by law.
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Easy-Set Up and Administration - Establishing a fund can be done in less time than it takes to open a bank account. We also take care of all administrative support.
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Personalized Involvement - We're experts in working with donors and their families to assist them in achieving their charitable goals.
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Geographic Flexibility - Our primary focus is the South Plains, however, grants may go to organizations anywhere based on IRS regulations and the charitable status of the grantee.
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Charitable Legacy - When you create a permanent endowment fund it benefits the community for generations to come. Our flexibility also allows you to convert non-endowed funds to endowed funds at your convenience.
Grantmaking
There is no better way to serve your community than to give back to your community. We offer several fund types to match your needs.
Agency Endowment
A nonprofit agency can establish a fund for its long term benefit. The Foundation regularly distributes grants back to the agency for purposes chosen by the agency.
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Minimum to Establish: $5,000
Community Fund
Allow the Foundation to identify needs and opportunities in the community and target your dollars where they can be most effective through competitive grants.
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Minimum to Establish: $5,000
Designated Fund
Specify particular charitable projects or organizations to receive grants from your endowed fund.
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Minimum to Establish: $5,000
Donor-Advised Fund
Recommend organizations or causes you wish to support or our staff can work with you to identify charitable organizations addressing issues of importance to you. You
recommend grants to charities you wish to support. The Foundation ensures the
charitable status of beneficiaries and provides additional grantmaking and
administrative support.
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Minimum to Establish: $5,000
Field-of-Interest Fund
You decide the general purpose of the fund, such as education, arts, aging, children and youth, animal welfare or health, and the Foundation identifies projects that are effectively accomplishing that goal through competitive grants.
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Minimum to Establish: $5,000
Scholarship Fund
Work with the Foundation to create the guidelines for students who can receive
assistance from the fund. For example, these may be based on high school or college attended, merit, need, or field of study.
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Minimum to Establish: $10,000
Fund Structure
Endowment
Endowed funds carry an inherent power to provide for community needs in perpetuity through continued growth. Over time, the amount granted exceeds the original gift which remains intact. The fund balance increases over time through responsible investing.
Management Fee: 1% of the previous 12 quarters average market value.
Non-Endowed
(Limited-Term)
This type of fund is ideal for donors who wish to make all of their grants over a few months or years; i.e., businesses with corporate giving programs and community groups who are raising and granting funds for the completion of a community project. Projected distribution timelines is less than 20 years.
Management Fee: Quarterly administration fee equal to 0.375% of fund value on day 1 of each quarter as well as a fee of 0.5% of each grant awarded. Investment earnings are retained by the Foundation.
Non-Endowed
(Long-Term)
This type of fund is ideal for donors who wish to create impact in their area of interest during their lifetime or within a specific time period of 20 years or more.
Management Fee: 1% of the previous 12 quarters average market value assessed quarterly.
Acorn
An Acorn Fund is a starter fund that grows over time, with a maximum of 5 years to become fully funded. This fund is ideal for people of all means and ages. An Acorn Fund is perfect for family philanthropy, groups, friends, or neighbors to support charitable causes that are meaningful to them. A donor may begin making periodic contributions to their Acorn Fund in lieu of traditional gifts for a holiday, birthday, or anniversary.
The amount to start an Acorn Fund is $1,000. A fund must reach a minimum of $5,000 ($10,000 for a scholarship) within 5 years. If the fund does not reach the minimum the fund balance will be added to the Community Foundation of West Texas Member Fund.
Management Fee: 1% of the previous 12 quarters average market value assessed quarterly.
Fiscal Sponsorship
The Foundation may provide fiscal and project sponsorship for the charitable activities of others when it determines that the accomplishment of those activities furthers the Foundation’s tax-exempt purposes. Beneficiaries of sponsorship services are new charities that have not yet received a determination from the Internal Revenue Service that are described in section 501(c)(3) and community groups planning a specific project that is clearly charitable in nature.
Management Fee: Varies depending on the complexity and size of the project. The minimum administrative fee is 0.375% of fund value on day 1 of each quarter as well as a fee of 0.5% of each project expenditure. The administrative fee will not exceed 10% of deposits. Additional fees may apply for unexpected expenses incurred on behalf of the project. All investment earnings are retained by the Foundation.