Donors

Designated Funds

Perhaps through volunteering, a personal connection, or a desire to make a difference, you have a passion for specific nonprofit programs and initiatives. No matter what your interest, a Designated Fund ensures ongoing, reliable support for those organizations.

Create Your Fund

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Before she passed away, Patty opened a Designated Fund to support projects past her lifetime.

Support Your Favorite Causes, Automatically

You designate one or more of your favorite charitable organizations to receive annual support and leave the rest to us, Our prudent investment strategies ensure the causes you’ve named receive an all-important income stream long into the future. Here’s how it works.

Give

Open your Designated Fund by making a charitable contribution of cash, appreciated securities, or other assets and naming the specific nonprofit(s) you wish to support.

Your contribution is tax-deductible and creates a reliable, long-term source of support for the organizations you care about most. A Designated Fund is an ideal way to give consistently — now and in the future — while simplifying your philanthropy.

Grow

Your fund is professionally invested and grows tax-free, allowing your support for chosen nonprofits to increase over time.

Your fund is invested according to your wishes, and we provide regular fund statements, and manage the administration on your behalf. You can add to your Designated Fund at any time, including through planned or estate gifts.

Grant

Put your philanthropy into action through automatic, annual grants to the nonprofit(s) you’ve designated.

We work directly with recipient organizations to ensure grants are distributed efficiently, responsibly, and in compliance with IRS regulations. As an added benefit, your fund’s support fees are reinvested locally — strengthening nonprofit capacity and multiplying your impact across the Sacramento region.

Your Designated Fund comes with services, expertise, and support to achieve your philanthropic goals:

✅ Personalized Service: We help maximize your grantmaking impact, keep you updated on your fund, and assist with donations, including planned gifts.

✅ Efficiency: Support causes seamlessly without the administrative burden of a private foundation or in-house philanthropy staff.

✅ Legacy: Create lasting support for organizations into perpetuity, if you wish — and if a cause you name ceases to exist, we’ll find an organization with similar objects.

✅ Investment Expertise: Your Designated Fund is invested by professionals according to your wishes for growth and sustainability.

✅ Double Your Impact: Re-invest support fees back into the Sacramento region.

✅ Build Community: Connect with like-minded philanthropists at exclusive events.

Partner with a local team dedicated to carrying out your philanthropic aspirations. With over 40 years of experience as the capital region’s trusted philanthropic resource, we’re here to help you shape your impact.

“The Sacramento Region Community Foundation continues to be the place to turn when looking to direct funds with significant impact.”

Dennis Mangers, Community Member

Ready to learn more? We’re happy to work with you and your advisors to tailor a Designated Fund that suits your giving goals. Schedule a meeting to get started and contact us at any time with questions.

What are the benefits of Designated Funds?

There are many benefits to opening a Designated Fund at the Sacramento Region Community Foundation. Among them:

Personal service: We work with you to increase the impact of your grantmaking for the causes you designate, will keep you informed about your fund and the Foundation, and assist you in adding to your fund now or through your estate.

Efficiency: We help you support your favorite organizations regularly — and in perpetuity, if you wish — while avoiding the administrative hassles of giving, such as keeping tax receipts and sending grant checks.

Investment expertise: Your contributions to your Designated Fund are stewarded by our expert investment committee and professional managers to ensure the longevity and growth of your fund.

Ensured legacy: You may name successor advisors for your fund and you can also define how your fund will be used after your lifetime – allowing your charitable fund to be a lasting legacy.

What is the minimum contribution needed?

The minimum contribution to set up a Designated Fund is $10,000. Your fund can be endowed with a minimum of $50,000, ensuring it generates meaningful awards to support the causes you care about most — forever. We accept a variety of assets and have in-house expertise to process complex gifts, in collaboration with you and your financial advisors, ensuring you achieve the greatest tax advantages. Your fund can also receive planned gifts. See Ways to Give.

What are my investment options?

You can invest your charitable fund in our professionally managed investment pools, designed to fit your time horizon and giving goals. See Investment Portfolios.

What is the fee for administering a fund?

Our competitive support fees offset the cost of fund administration and are also reinvested in the Sacramento region through our grantmaking and programs — attending to critical regional issues, improving local lives, and multiplying the impact of your giving. Our support fees vary based on fund type and, in some cases, on the size of the fund. See our fee schedule.

What kinds of administration services do you provide?

With our commitment to delivering world-class philanthropy, we offer a variety of support services to donors. We handle all “back office” support for your fund(s). You will have access to our online donor portal, where our team will update your fund with information on contributions, grants, investment earnings, and more. In addition, our team does due diligence to ensure any nonprofit you want to support is an IRS-certified 501(c)(3) organization in good standing. Our Philanthropy Team is available during office hours to respond to your questions and needs.

Can others contribute to the fund?

Yes. Anyone can make a charitable contribution to your Designated Fund through the transfer of a variety of assets, including cash, appreciated securities, real estate and more.

May I support a cause outside of the Sacramento region?

Yes. Organizations you designated for support must be certified 501(c)(3) charitable organizations. Our staff does the due diligence to ensure all nonprofit recipients are in good standing and actively certified as a 501(c)(3).