Our grantmaking is as broad and ambitious as Westchester. Some donors give to make this region better for everyone. Others are especially interested in particular areas including:
We can tailor a giving program just for you—a marriage of the heart and the mind. Create a legacy to meet Westchester’s needs now and in the future or contribute to your favorite charities through a donor-advised fund today. If you are interested in a type of fund that is not listed here, please contact our executive director, Laura Rossi. We offer a range of funds. Here are the four most popular:
UNRESTRICTED FUND
This is the best way to make sure the needs of tomorrow are met. Our Foundation will use your gift to support effective work of nonprofits—forever. Would you like to fund thoughtful, creative approaches to our region’s problems, today and tomorrow? We’re the experts.
FIELD-OF-INTEREST FUND
Are you interested in improving education, helping the elderly, championing human rights, or helping a combination of causes? We make grants to effective nonprofits that take on the issues of your choosing with a field-of-interest fund.
DESIGNATED FUND
Do you want to support specific organizations or programs, keeping in mind that circumstances may change over time? A designated fund with WCF ensures that your gift remains relevant in changing times.
DONOR-ADVISED FUND
With a donor-advised fund, you and anyone you appoint as an advisor can easily recommend organizations to receive grants. It’s simple: You recommend the organizations. We do the due diligence and the paperwork.
(Please note that, by law, we cannot be bound by these recommendations, but we take them very seriously and approve grants to nonprofits that meet charitable and financial standards.)
Consider the options for your private foundation. Your foundation can start a fund at WCF. Or you can dissolve the foundation—and avoid the record-keeping the IRS requires, not to mention possible disagreements among heirs or board members in the future.
With a fund in the Westchester Community Foundation, you can meet your charitable goals with lower costs and fewer hassles than a private foundation.
Administrative Fees
All donor-advised funds, regardless of size, are assessed the same annual administrative fee. It is the greater of:
50 basis points (5/10 of 1%) of the average market value (Example: Average market value of $300,000 = $1,500)
or
2.5% of grants paid (Example: Grants of $15,000 = $375). The fee on an individual grant of $500,000 or more is reduced to 1%.
The fee is based on market value and taken in quarterly installments. If the fee collected by the end of the year is less than 2.5% of grants paid, then the difference will be withdrawn during the first quarter of the following year.
In addition, the interest earned on cash waiting to be distributed in grants is used to defray The Trust’s administrative expenses, helping to keep the fees low. (This cash is identified as the “Grantmaking Account” on the donor statement.)
The minimum annual fee is $100.
We offer investment options for those who want to make a charitable impact today—or for years to come. To steward your charitable legacy, we have assembled a group of highly experienced investors who make up the Investment Committee, which determines the asset allocation and then oversees the investment performance of the managers it selects.
