Getting Started

You can Support What’s Important to You: How to Give

We’re here to help you achieve your philanthropic goals. Our work is as broad as the interests of the donors who have entrusted their philanthropy to us.  We’re happy to discuss what  you want to achieve so we can help you get there.

How does it work?
First you decide what you want to achieve:
•    Using your philanthropy to solve an important problem.
•    Giving back to the community by creating an endowment to meet its future needs.
•    Ensuring that a favorite cause or organization will receive support far into the future.
•    Finding a way to involve your children and grandchildren in philanthropy.
•    Remembering a loved one through a scholarship or annual grant.

Then you decide how and when you want to give.
You can donate cash, appreciated securities,  or real property for current gifts.  Future gifts can also take the form of Charitable Remainder Trusts, gifts from retirement accounts or life insurance, and gifts through your will or trust documents.  Because we are a public charity, we can offer the most favorable tax treatment possible for your gift.

Next, set up a fund.
Give us a call.  Our professional staff will guide you to select and structure a fund that best meets your goals.  We’re also available to meet with you along with your estate attorney, financial planer, or CPA.  You have the privilege of naming your fund and can name it after your family (The Smith Family Fund), your passion (the Tahoe Arts Fund), or even after your favorite pet (Rover’s Good Dog Fund).  This New Fund Worksheet can help you think about how you might structure your giving and help us develop a fund agreement for you.

If you choose, we can help you develop a meaningful, personal plan tailored to your interests. 

Perhaps you want to recommend the grant recipients from the fund or designate the charities that will benefit. You may instead, let the Foundation’s Board of Directors guide grantmaking since they are experts in the changing needs of our community over time. Whatever your goals, whatever the level of involvement you seek, we have the flexibility and expertise to design a program that fits your circumstances. 

Truckee Tahoe Community Foundation exercises strict fiduciary responsibility over all its assets and provides prudent stewardship of donor funds. Because gifts to a community foundation are pooled for investment purposes, you also enjoy the advantage of a diverse portfolio mix that minimizes risk and enhances the likelihood of a maximum return to charity as your gift grows over time.

And then, help us grow philanthropy by sharing your knowledge
TTCF is not just a collection of charitable funds.  We are a collection of experience, wisdom, and hope of hundreds of donors.  Very often, what we learn from you informs our work across all of the Tahoe region.

An Alternative to a Private Foundation and For-Profit Charitable Gift Funds
A Fund at TTCF allows you to give to specific organization, make gifts over time, recognize you and your family, and grow you charitable dollars through investment – without the administrative burden and expense of a private foundation.

A Fund at the Community Foundation is so much more than simple a place for transactional grantmaking.  The Community Foundation provides in-depth community knowledge of issues facing the region because our board and staff live and work in the region.  And, all fees paid for fund management help the Foundation continue to meet its mission of growing philanthropy for the Truckee Tahoe region.

Click here to see a comparison chart.

Click here for the New Funds worksheet.