General fund information
What is a Donor-Advised Fund?
Essentially, it is a charitable investment fund. We contribute money, collect donations, and all of that money is invested until we decide to distribute a grant to a nonprofit.
What is the Columbus Foundation?
The Columbus Foundation is the nonprofit that manages our Donor Advised Fund. They handle the investing and accounting of the fund. When we are ready to distribute a grant, they send the check directly to the nonprofit. All donations to our fund through the Columbus Foundation are tax deductible.
Are you a non-profit?
No. However, all of your donations to our fund are tax deductible.
How the fund operates
How do you decide who receives a grant?
Our advisors research potential non-profits and pitch the various projects to the advisors. The advisors then vote on who should receive the grant.
How many grants do you give a year?
Currently, we give two grants per year.
If I donate to your fund, where does the money go?
The money sits in our investment account and grows over time. The donations never sit in our account for more than a year, and 100% of our donations are given out within the calendar year during our grant cycle.
Can my nonprofit apply for a grant?
At this time, we don't have a formal grant application process, but we love hearing from nonprofits and learning more about the needs of our community members.
Are there any nonprofits you do NOT support?
We do not support politicians or religious organizations.
Learn more about our fund through our Q&A session on Instagram by clicking here.