Nonprofit Agency Funds

Stay on Mission While Growing Your Reserves

Funds for nonprofits at Community Foundation Santa Cruz County eliminate the administrative burden of managing an investment portfolio, increase your ability to handle large and complex gifts, and can either be endowed—with the fund held in perpetuity in order to generate earnings, or flexible—with both the principal and the earnings available for use at any time by the nonprofit.

Agency Endowment

Plan for the future with an endowed fund. If your nonprofit organization is committed to providing service for generations to come, you can benefit from an endowed fund’s steady stream of annual income. Invested for the long-term, earnings support your missions forever.

Agency Flex Funds

Ideal for operating or capital reserves, an Agency Flexible Fund is a non-endowed fund at Community Foundation Santa Cruz County, established by the board of directors of a nonprofit organization to support its work, either current or long-term. As a non-endowed fund, both the principal and the earnings to the fund are available for use by the nonprofit as needed. The Foundation pools the fund with other Foundation assets for investment purposes.

Benefits of Funds at the Foundation

With an endowed fund, your donors can be sure that the fund’s principal will not be spent, can grow over time, and will provide a source of lasting support.

Your supporters can leave a gift through their wills and trusts through Community Foundation Santa Cruz County to benefit your organization forever and create a personal legacy. We can facilitate even the most complex planned gifts, including gifts of appreciated stock or real estate. Your donors will be secure in the knowledge that their donation will be held by a large, stable organization.

When your organization has an agency endowed fund, your donors can establish a charitable gift annuity for as little as $10,000.

With a flexible fund, you can access any amount of the fund balance, at any time, with board approval. Full access allows you to accumulate funds for your capital campaign, or simply use it as a way of receiving better returns on your cash reserve.

We handle investment management and administrative responsibilities for both endowed and flexible funds so that you can concentrate on fulfilling your mission.

How it Works

Your organization can start a fund with a minimum amount of $25,000. Your board and leadership works with our staff to determine the type of fund you need and how much you want to place in it. The resulting fund bears your organization’s name, making it easy for your supporters to give to you. Your organization or individuals can add to the fund at any time.

We handle all the administrative details – including investment management. You have online access to fund activity and statements.

The fund is placed in our investment pool, providing the benefits of a diverse investment portfolio and low investment fees that typically come only with very large funds.

Endowments and Fundraising

Developing an endowment is very different from fundraising for annual operating support. An endowment effort can be presented to your current donors as an additional way to support your organization. It shows your foresight as an organization that is planning for its financial future. Strategically-minded organizations earmark all planned gifts, such as bequests, for their endowment.

Community Foundation Santa Cruz County’s reputation as a permanent community resource reassures donors who may wish to contribute to your agency’s endowment. We can help you accept gifts that may be too complicated for many organizations to handle, such as stock, real estate, life insurance, or IRAs. We can assist your donors and their professional advisors in integrating planned gifts into their estate plans to benefit your organization. And, the Foundation can provide resources to market your planned giving program for gifts to your endowment.

Community Foundation Partner Agencies:

AGENCY FLEX FUNDHOLDERS:

Agri-Culture (3)
Aptos Sports Foundation (2)
Arts Council Santa Cruz County
Boys & Girls Club of Santa Cruz County
Camp Unalayee Association
Ceiba Public Schools Foundation
Coastal Community Preschool Inc.
Communities Organized for Relational Power in Action - COPA
Court Appointed Special Advocates of Santa Cruz County – CASA (3)
Farm Discovery at Live Earth
Felton Library Friends
Friends of the Capitola Library (Capitola Library Friends)
Friends of the Santa Cruz County Parks (County Park Friends)
Friends of the Santa Cruz Public Libraries (3)
Friends of the Watsonville Public Libraries
Grey Bears
Happy Valley Elementary School
Health Improvement Partnership of Santa Cruz County (HIPSCC)
Hospice of Santa Cruz County (2)
Indexical
Jacob's Heart Children's Cancer Support Services
Live Oak Education Foundation
Main Beach Volleyball Club
Monarch Services (3)
Mountains 2 Sea
NAMI Santa Cruz County
Pacific School Foundation
Pajaro Valley Prevention and Student Assistance
Pajaro Valley Quilt Association
Pajaro Valley Youth Soccer Club
Santa Cruz Chorale
Santa Cruz Community Ventures
Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Stewardship
Santa Cruz Shakespeare
The 418 Project
Vajrapani Institute for Wisdom Culture (2)
Valley Women's Club (6)
Watsonville Community Hospital Foundation
Watsonville High School Foundation (2)
Wharf to Wharf Race
William James Association

AGENCY ENDOWMENT FUNDHOLDERS:

Agricultural History Project
Agri-Culture (12)
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Santa Cruz County
Bonny Doon Community School Foundation
Community Bridges
Congregational Church of Soquel
Court Appointed Special Advocates of Santa Cruz County - CASA
Elkhorn Slough Foundation (2)
Family Service Agency of the Central Coast (2)
For Kids Foundation - Monterey Bay
Friends of the Watsonville Public Libraries
Happy Valley Elementary School
Imagine Supported Living Services
Kuumbwa Jazz Center
Land Trust of Santa Cruz County
Loma Prieta Joint Union School District
Monarch Services
Museum of Art and History at the McPherson Center
O'Neill Sea Odyssey
Pajaro Valley Arts - PVA
Pajaro Valley Historical Association (2)
Pajaro Valley Quilt Association
San Lorenzo Valley Historical Society
San Lorenzo Valley Water District
Santa Cruz Chorale
Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds Foundation
Santa Cruz Sailing Foundation
Santa Cruz Shakespeare
Santa Cruz SPCA
Save Our Shores
Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz County
Temple Beth El Jewish Community Center
United Way of Santa Cruz County
Watsonville Public Libraries
Watsonville Wetlands Watch (2)

AGENCY BENEFICIARIES OF DESIGNATED ENDOWMENT FUNDS:

Actors' Theatre
American Cancer Society - Silicon Valley/Central Coast Region
American Red Cross of the Central Coast
Cabrillo College Foundation
Community Bridges (3)
Court Appointed Special Advocates of Santa Cruz County - CASA
Family Service Agency of the Central Coast
Friends of Santa Cruz County Parks
Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks (3)
Friends of the Santa Cruz Public Libraries (2)
Girl Scouts of California's Central Coast
Habitat for Humanity Monterey Bay
Hospice of Santa Cruz County
Jacob's Heart Children's Cancer Support Services
Land Trust of Santa Cruz County (3)
Moreland Notre Dame School
Museum of Art and History at the McPherson Center
New Music Works
O'Neill Sea Odyssey
Pajaro Valley Historical Association (2)
Pajaro Valley Loaves and Fishes
Pajaro Valley Shelter Services (2)
Salvation Army Santa Cruz
Salvation Army Watsonville
Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter
Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds Foundation
Santa Cruz County Symphony
Santa Cruz Shakespeare
Santa Cruz SPCA
Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz County
Sutter Care at Home - Santa Cruz (Home Health)/Visiting Nurse Association of Santa Cruz County
Temple Beth El Jewish Community Center
The People’s Land Fund Watsonville
Twin Lakes Church
UCSC Arboretum
Ventana Wilderness Alliance
Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz County
Watsonville High School Foundation
YWCA of Watsonville

Interested in establishing a fund to support your nonprofit? Our Donor Services Director, Hilary Bryant, would love to discuss options with you.

Written by

Hilary Bryant