Many people are not aware of the extent to which America’s charitable organizations help improve quality of life in our communities. From social services to the arts, virtually every aspect of our lives is touched by the work of nonprofits. Indeed, the gifts Americans give to charity every year total more than $557 billion and provide critical support for nearly 1.5 million organizations that are helping communities thrive.
Research shows that trust continues to be an important factor in charitable giving. Unfortunately, high levels of trust sometimes can be hard to achieve; 73% of donors surveyed said they felt that it is very important to trust a charity before giving, but only 19% say they highly trust charities.
So what should you do if you know you want to support a particular organization but you’ve not quite yet gained a level of trust to go “all in?” Or what if you want to support an overall area of community need but you’re not sure which organizations are best aligned with the results you want your charitable gifts to achieve? Or what if you’re fairly certain you know the specific organizations that are addressing your areas of interest right now, but you’re concerned that this “fit” might change over time as needs shift and charities evolve?
The Winona Community Foundation can help in situations like these and many others like them.
–You can always lean on the Foundation for insights into which charities are best suited to achieve your goals for impact at any given time. We stay up to date on local charities, their programs, and staff. We can provide information and insights to help you make informed decisions.
–If you’re committed to supporting a specific charity but you’d rather not give the money outright, you could consider setting up a designated fund at the Winona Community Foundation to make distributions to the charity according to parameters you set. Because the charity receives the money in increments every year, charitable dollars remaining in the fund are protected from the charity’s creditors if the charity were to fall on hard times.
–If you’d like us to help out even more, you might consider establishing a field-of-interest fund so our staff can use their expertise in vetting charities that are best suited from year to year to achieve your goals for community impact.
–To ensure the mission of the Foundation itself stays strong and that dollars will flow to support critical community needs for generations, you can contribute to the Foundation’s unrestricted fund. You can add to the unrestricted fund during your lifetime, such as through gifts of appreciated stock, and you can also include a gift to the fund in your estate plan through your will or an IRA beneficiary designation.
The Winona Community Foundation is unique in its structure as a perpetual institution governed by an independent board of directors. Our mission is to be a catalyst for igniting generosity and building the vibrant and enduring place we call home. We’re honored to work alongside you and your family as you build trust with the charitable organizations that are making a difference for everyone who lives and works in the community we love.
