Start a Fund

Our Johnson County Community Foundation (JCCF) understands there are many reasons to give.

Sometimes donors want to honor a loved one or a person who made a significant difference in their lives. In other cases, donors want to ensure a great cause is supported for many years to come. They want to leave a legacy. JCCF is here to help.

Each fund is established with a simple agreement between the donor and JCCF.

JCCF accepts investment responsibility by offering grantmaking expertise, professional management, and fiduciary and legal accountability. Donors can rest assured knowing professionals are tending to the assets they shared.

Whatever motivates your decision making, JCCF understands there are many reasons to give and is ready to help you accomplish your goals.

In memory or honor


How to Set Up a Fund

  • Call JCCF and set an appointment with President & CEO Kim Kasting or Director of Special Projects Gail Richards.
  • Outline what you hope to accomplish by establishing your fund.
  • Learn about fund types and which have minimum contributions.
  • Name your fund and specify its purpose(s).
  • Contribute to your fund.
  • Feel good about giving back to the community while reaping the tax advantages.

Foundation Fund Advantages

There are many advantages to setting up a fund with JCCF. First, it is less costly and less time consuming than establishing a private foundation.

Just as important, JCCF accepts responsibility in many areas:

  • We offer donors a flexibility they can’t find through other nonprofit organizations.
  • We handle reporting and legal requirements.
  • We provide administrative and investment services at an extremely low fee.
  • We work to attain the most favorable investment return.

Your fund can operate during your lifetime or for years to come through our Legacy Society.

FUND TYPES

Our Johnson County Community Foundation (JCCF) assets are held in multiple funds and each is established with a simple JCCF agreement.

Endowment Funds benefit from the economy of scale provided by our professional investment management. While endowments are pooled for investment purposes, they are accounted for separately. The fund's principle amount remains intact and, through thoughtful investment, the fund grows from the interest generated. Only your fund's interest income is awarded annually.

You can also establish a Nonpermanent Fund which allows you to pay out the entire fund or a portion. These funds are not subject to investment pool gains and losses. This is best when you have a specific project in mind or want to consolidate your annual giving program. (For example, donors can make one gift to the Foundation with granting recommendations. There is one transaction with simplified accounting, which means more community funding.)

Endress+Hauser scholarship
Donors to the Endress+Hauser Launching Scholars Scholarship Fund, Don Cummings and Brandyn Ferguson, with the first award recipient Katelyn Bemis.

Named Funds Offer Flexibility

JCCF offers six types of named funds with a permanent (endowed) or nonpermanent structure. In addition, some allow for donor input and some do not, enabling you to choose your involvement level.
Discretionary Fund

A Discretionary Fund is typically established to provide support for general, unspecified charitable purposes at the discretion of the Community Foundation, without advice or recommendations from the Donor or any persons designated by the Donor.

Designated Fund

A Designated Fund is typically established to provide support for a specified public charity (local art museum, symphony or hospital), without future advice or recommendations from the Donor or any persons designated by the Donor.

Donor Advised Fund

A Donor Advised Fund is typically established at the request of a Donor to the Community Foundation to provide support for charitable and similar exempt expenditures or recipients recommended by the Donor or persons designated by the Donor to advise the Community Foundation. The recommendations must be advisory only, and the Community Foundation must be free to reject any or all recommendations.

Discretionary Scholarship Fund

A Discretionary Scholarship Fund is typically established to provide educational scholarships to individuals, without advice or recommendations from the Donor or persons designated by the Donor.

Advised Scholarship Fund

An Advised Scholarship Fund is typically established to provide educational scholarships to individuals, where the Donor or persons designated by the Donor are to be involved in the selection of scholarship recipients. Under the Pension Act, the Donor (or his/her designee) may only participate in such selection as a member of a larger advisory committee, and legal requirements must be met. The scholarship advisory committee’s recommendations must be advisory only, and the Community Foundation must be free to reject any recommendations.

Advised Charitable Organization Fund

An Advised Charitable Organization Fund is typically established at the request of a charitable organization (the “Charitable Organization”) to provide support for the Charitable Organization’s exempt purposes, as recommended by the Charitable Organization. The Charitable Organization’s recommendations must be advisory only, and the Community Foundation must be free to reject any recommendations.

While the six fund types above can be established as endowed/permanent or nonpermanent, there is one more fund type – the Community Project Fund – that must be nonpermanent.
Community Project Fund

A Community Project Fund is typically established at the request of a community group working to address a key cause. The community group may or may not be a nonprofit organization and JCCF may or may not act as the fiscal agent for the project. A Community Project Fund carries numerous requirements. If you are interested in this fund type, please contact JCCF at 317-738-2213.

JCCF workshop


WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT GIVING OPTIONS?
Contact JCCF today.

Email: Kim Kasting, President & CEO | Email: Stephanie Marten, VP of Development  | Call: 317-738-2213

A special thanks to our Platinum Community Partners!

Logo for BairdLogo for Cornett Roofing SystemsLogo for Compass Pointe CPAsLogo for AIM Media – Daily Journal SouthLogo for Endress+HauserLogo for Johnson County Farm BureauLogo for Raymond James