Donor-Advised Funds at St. Croix Foundation
As a place-based community foundation, you might have noticed we don’t have a listing of 50+ donor-advised funds. That’s on purpose. You’ve probably heard of some of the advantages of Donor-Advised Funds but are you aware of the disadvantages? Donor-Advised Funds can be difficult to sustain in communities with small donor pools, and as a conduit of funds, we ensure that funds and resources are moving through our community to quickly meet needs. We encourage partners who are interested in creating donor-advised funds to talk with us first. There are so many high-impact ways to give.
That being said, if you have identified a specific cause and gap you feel passionate about, please call us!
Types of Funds
- Donor Advised Funds – Stay involved in your giving without all the paperwork
- Designated Organization Funds – Direct donor gifts to a specific charity
- Scholarship Funds -Help students pay for part or all of their education at a specific educational institution or in a particular curriculum
- Organization Endowment Funds – Ensure the perpetuity of a charitable organization with a special endowment fund that is expertly managed
Ways to Give
- Direct Donations include cash and assets such as real estate; the Foundation also accepts unique gifts like paintings, vehicles, and other assets from individuals or corporations.
- Private Foundation Transfers make it easy for donors to move dollars from a private foundation to the St. Croix Foundation for management and maximum impact in the Virgin Islands Community.
- Bequests include a portion of an estate.
- Appreciated Securities such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds, IRAs, and 401(k)s allow donors to eliminate capital gains taxes and still receive the full tax deduction for the asset’s fair market value.
- Life Insurance enables donors, through a relatively small annual cost (the premium), to donate a sizeable gift without impairing or diluting the control of a family business or other investments. Assets earmarked for family members can be kept intact.
- Charitable Trusts can be established or transferred to the Foundation, enabling donors to contribute to community while also paying beneficiaries either for life, as in the case of a Remainder Trust, or at a specified time, as in a Lead Trust.