We offer a variety of fund types to choose from, depending on your philanthropic interests and the level of involvement you want in the annual granting decisions. Any of these funds can be established in your name, or in the name of your family, your organization, or anyone you wish to honour. The minimum amount for a fund to become operational is $5,000, except for a Student Financial Assistance Fund where the minimum is $25,000.

Fund types include:

• Charitable Organization Endowment Fund – As a registered charity, your fund provides a sustainable source of revenue back to your organization through annual grants. Your focus is on building the endowment through donations and we take care of the rest.

• Community Fund (unrestricted) – Grants from your fund are determined by our grants committee to support the most pressing needs of our community, including future needs that often can’t be anticipated at the time a fund is established.

• Designated Fund – You choose the charities you want your fund to support upfront, and annual grants are made to them, forever.

• Donor Advised Fund – Operating similar to a private foundation (but without having to do any of the administrative work!), you choose annually which charities you want to support, and you can also lean on our expertise to help with your granting decisions along the way.

• Donor Advised Fund – Invested for Impact – Similar to a traditional Donor Advised Fund (see above), except your fund is part of a separate investment pool, which is invested 100% for social and/or environmental impact and used to make impact investments.

• Field of Interest Fund – You identify community issues you care the most about, such as children & youth, affordable housing, arts & culture, or the environment, and we make grants on your behalf. You can also update your areas of interest as they evolve.

• Student Financial Assistance Fund – You direct grants from your fund to support students directly in their educational pursuits. We can help you determine eligibility criteria to meet your desired outcomes.

While most funds are established as permanent endowments, it is possible to establish a non-endowed fund, such as a spend-down fund where the capital is still invested in our investment pool but with the intention to grant it all out over a period of time until the fund is fully depleted. This option would benefit those donors who want to disburse only during their lifetimes.

Unsure if setting up a fund is for you, but still interested in giving? Donate immediately to an existing fund, including our Community Fund.