By Jeff Baldus

Austin Area Foundation director

We encourage philanthropy, but how you achieve your charitable giving goals depends on what touches your heart and how you think about money.

Do you want your gift to be used immediately or over the long term? Do you want to support a specific organization, a general interest, a community project?

Let us help you design the fund that meets your charitable goals:

•Discretionary Funds: Earnings from these funds provide permanent support for grants, programs, and projects allowing us to respond to area needs and opportunities in arts and culture, community betterment, education, health and human services.

•Field of Interest Funds: A donor chooses a specific area of interest but allows the Community Foundation to select recipients of fund distributions.

•Memorial Funds: Discretionary in nature and allows individuals to be remembered and at the same time, help the community.

•Donor Advised Funds: Each fund’s donor advisor can suggest possible grant recipients within the parameters of the fund’s agreement.

•Designated Funds: Earnings from these funds support the nonprofit organization(s) specified.

•Acorn Fund (Seedling Fund): Establishing an Acorn Fund with the Community Foundation is a great way to grow a lasting legacy that will benefit the community you care about for years to come.

The Community Foundation is a publicly supported 501(c)(3) organization. Contributions are tax-deductible.

In accepting a contribution to any fund, the Community Foundation commits to the donor that the contribution will be protected for the charitable purpose originally intended. The variance power, as described in the Community Foundation’s governing documents, assures donors that if the charitable purpose of their contribution becomes impractical, impossible or unlawful, the distributions will be directed to similar purposes.

For more information about giving opportunities, please contact Jeff Baldus, 507-434-7494 or jeff@austinareafoundation.org.