Key Benefits...Why Give Through CCF?

Permanence: Endowments placed at CCF are permanent. Your legacy is maintained, and grants are made perpetually, in the name of your fund, to benefit the community.

Flexibility: An individual, family, business, club, or non-profit organization may create a fund at CCF tailored to their specific interests. To sustain grantmaking, funds must have a balance of $10,000 -15,000 (depending upon the type of fund) or more, and may be built over time. Gifts of any size may be added to existing funds.

Simplicity: With a two-page fund agreement, you may create your own philanthropic fund. CCF offers convenient ways to manage all kinds of charitable giving.

Recognition or Anonymity: Funds created in memory or honor of a family member, friend or organization will always award grants in that name. If you prefer anonymity, we will carefully protect your identity.

Tax Benefits: Because of its public charity status, CCF offers the highest level of charitable tax benefits.

Protection from Obsolescence: You are assured that your original intent will continue even in changing circumstances. If the purpose of a fund becomes obsolete, CCF’s Board has the legal authority to redirect the fund to the most closely related use. This “variance power” is a distinguishing advantage of community foundations.

Grantmaking: CCF addresses key issues in the community through its grants and uses established procedures and criteria to guide the grantmaking process for each fund – processes that may include competitive grant application cycles, technical assistance to grantees, and research of non-profit organizations for donors. Grants are routinely provided to nonprofit organizations classified as 501(c)(3) by the IRS.

Community Improvement: CCF has 32 years of experience working in partnerships with citizens, organizations and governments throughout the region to achieve community goals, find shared opportunities, and maximize grantmaking effectiveness. CCF is expertly qualified to help you match your interests with the community’s needs and opportunities.

Financial Management: Under the guidance of professional investment evaluators and a committee of knowledgeable Board members and staff, CCF funds are pooled and invested in a portfolio that produces income while providing principal security and long-term asset growth. (Performance information is available upon request.)

CCF determines appropriate annual grantmaking levels - currently 4% of the fund balances. Dollars for grantmaking are not restricted to income earned. This is known as the Total Return Concept.

Geographic Flexibility: CCF has particular expertise in serving the coastal South Carolina region, and most CCF donors focus their giving here.

However, establishers of “donor-advised” funds at CCF may recommend grants to non-profit organizations outside this area, provided that CCF can confirm the charitable status of the grantees.

Inclusiveness: CCF believes that diversity means the active inclusion of the entire community as welcome participants in all its activities. CCF strives to practice and encourage diversity, equity and inclusiveness as the cornerstones of all that it does.

Governance: A 25-member volunteer Board of community leaders from throughout the region leads CCF. Directors serve three-year terms.

For MOre information, contact CCF staff at 843-723-3635.