Kristen Mihaljevic, CGPP, CAP®
Director of Development
984-370-6939
How to Start a Fund with the North Carolina Community Foundation
With local roots and trusted philanthropic expertise, our team helps you make a real impact.
Every fund begins with a personal story – your reason for giving.
At NCCF, we want to honor your vision. That’s why we work alongside you to build a tailored plan, serving as a dedicated partner for you or as a trusted resource for your professional advisor.
What can you expect when creating your charitable fund?
From our very first conversation, we start by listening and connecting you to what you care most about. Our team of North Carolina experts makes it easy. We guide you step-by-step or work alongside your professional advisor as a resource.
We discuss the local communities, nonprofits and causes you care about, what kind of change you want to create and the legacy you want to leave.
For example, we talk through questions like:
- What places or causes have made the biggest impact on your life?
- What causes, communities or organizations hold a special place in your heart?
- What kind of change do you imagine for the places you love?
- How will your loved ones carry your giving forward? How would you like your family or future generations to be involved?
- How do you want your generosity to be remembered and felt?
We use our expertise in charitable giving and deep community knowledge to explore all the rewarding giving options available at NCCF.
Together, we consider questions like:
- Do you want the flexibility to support different nonprofits and causes over time?
- Are you looking to focus your giving on a specific region or a cause – like the arts, affordable housing or the environment?
- Do you have a favorite nonprofit you want to support forever?
- Do you want to support local students as they pursue their education dreams?
There are many options for what giving can look like, and we want to set up the perfect plan for you.
- We discuss your giving timeline and whether you want to give during your lifetime or through your estate. Our team helps you choose between making an immediate impact today or leaving a legacy through your will or estate plan – or both.
- We talk about the right assets for your gift. From cash and appreciated stock to IRA distributions or non-cash options like real estate, we identify the most tax-efficient assets for your gift.
- We explore the best fund structure for your goals. Together, we determine whether a flexible fund or an endowed fund – which is a permanent source of community support – best fits your vision.
- Working with you and your advisor, we share tax-smart approaches that fit your financial goals. We also share transparent fund minimums, so you have all the clarity you need every step of the way.
Clear fund minimums to guide your planning
- You can open a flexible donor advised fund with a minimum balance of $10,000.
- You can establish a charitable endowment fund with a minimum balance of $25,000.
- You can open a scholarship fund with a minimum balance of either $25,000 or $40,000, depending on your goals.
Ready to make an impact? Let’s talk.
