Giving through the Community Foundation to the causes you care about is rewarding for a number of reasons. Your gift creates lasting change in the community and offers generous tax incentives, making it easier for you to give more for less. The Thunder Bay Community Foundation has a number of funds available for donors to consider. Please take some time to explore the useful information below to discover the most appropriate giving option for you. Gifts may be made to these funds by any interested contributor thereby allowing even modest contributions to be combined with others’ gifts for maximum charitable benefit.
Start a Fund
Creating a fund (otherwise known as an endowment) is a great way to give back to your community, create a lasting legacy for you and your family and/or honour a loved one. The Thunder Bay Community Foundation gives individual donors, family foundations, businesses and charitable organizations a number of ways to support our community’s well-being. We specialize in building endowment funds, where the capital is not spent and the fund’s earnings support the ever-changing needs of Thunder Bay. We believe that by strengthening the gifts, assets and capacity of individuals and groups, we strengthen our community. We have a number of funds available for our donors to consider.
Types of Funds
A Fund’s Type dictates how it can be used. Each has its own advantage and is dependent on the wishes of the donor or organization. A Fund with the Thunder Bay Community Foundation can either be Endowed or Non-Endowed.
Endowed Fund
An Endowed Fund is a fund where disbursements can only be made from earnings.
Non-Endowed Fund
A Non-Endowed Fund is a fund where disbursements can be made from earnings, surplus and principal.
Classification of Funds
Field of Interest Funds
The donor identifies their area of interest when establishing their Fund. The Thunder Bay Community Foundation makes the decisions about which organizations to support taking the area of interests into consideration.
Donor Advised Funds
Donor Advised Funds give donors the chance to participate in the grant-making process. Working closely with the Foundation’s staff and Board of Directors, donors (and their loved ones as desired) may identify and recommend specific charitable organizations they want to see benefit from their fund. The Donor Advised Fund is considered the easy and cost effective alternative to creating a Private Family Foundation. This fund appeals to existing foundations as they may transfer their assets to the Thunder Bay Community Foundation to achieve higher returns and reduce administrative costs while still remaining involved in allocating grants. Once opened, other donors may contribute to the fund. A Donor Advised Fund can be either endowed (only the interested is disbursed) or non-endowed (the entirety of the fund can be disbursed).
Pictured: Shirley and Jim Symington with Albert Aiello of Boys and Girls Clubs of Thunder Bay.
Scholarships and Bursaries
A Scholarship or Bursary Fund can either be Field of Interest Fund or Donor Advised Fund. Scholarships and bursaries assists promising students, including those challenged by education costs, to pursue education and/or training. A Scholarship and/or Bursary Fund can be either endowed (only the interested is disbursed) or non-endowed (the entirety of the fund can be disbursed).
Pictured: Deborah Kraft, daughter of MO Nelson with the 2018 Shirley H. and Meredith O. Nelson Scholarship recipient Emily Kamphof of Westgate CVI.
Donor Designated Funds
Donor Designated Funds allow donors to name one of more charitable organizations to benefit from the income generated by the fund as listed in the agreement. This allows donors to choose their favorite charities and provide a lasting gift. A Donor Designated Fund can be either endowed (only the interested is disbursed) or non-endowed (the entirety of the fund can be disbursed).
Community Fund
The Thunder Bay Community Foundation’s Community Fund is an non-endowed fund made up of gifts of all sizes from individuals, corporations and foundations. Donors create and/or donate to these funds to broaden the legacy of their gifts, allowing the Foundation to respond with the greatest flexibility to our community’s needs and changing priorities. The Thunder Bay Community Foundation Community Fund provides grants that support existing programs and services and also new and innovative programs or other charitable works in the District of Thunder Bay. Each year the Foundation awards grants to charitable organizations for projects in areas including, but not limited to: arts, heritage, youth, recreation, capital projects, alleviating human suffering, health and welfare and community innovation.
Agency Endowment Fund
Agencies (or donors on behalf of agencies) can establish an Agency Endowment Fund, which allows the charity to receive interest earned on the fund annually. Donors can designate the charity in their Will and funds will go into this endowment in perpetuity.
Legacy Gift
A legacy gift is a bequest in your Will. Any of the above funds can be established as a part of your estate plan. Existing funds may also be named.
Ways to Give
Online
Using CanadaHelps, online donations can be made through various payment methods on our website. You can make a one-time gift or even setup a recurring donation to your favourite fund!
Cash
Gifts of cash (cheques, money order, e-Transfer, etc.) are a very straightforward way of making a gift to the Thunder Bay Community Foundation. This is an attractive form of gift for the donor who has cash in the form of a cheque readily available and wants to make an immediate donation. The Foundation is able to invest the donation immediately to generate funds to support charities.
Make cheques payable to:
Thunder Bay Community Foundation
312-101 North Syndicate Avenue
Thunder Bay, Ontario P7C 3V4
memo: purpose of the donation/fund name
Other Ways to Give:
- Appreciated Securities
- Insurance Policies
- Charitable Bequest
- Charitable Remainder Trust
- Other Assets
What Happens to my Donations?
When we receive your donation, it is deposited to our investment account with Mawer. If the donation is cash/cheque, it is sent directly to our account with Mawer. If the donation is a stock transfer, the stocks are sent to our custodial account with Fidelity who then converts the stocks to cash and that cash is invested into our portfolio with Mawer.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do the funds disburse annually to the community?
Annually, funds disburse on average 5% of their market value (depending on interest earned). The remainder is added to the fund for growth.
How much does the Foundation charge annually to administer the fund?
Annually, the Foundation charges between 2% and 5% to administer the fund. Donors are given an annual statement.
Where are the administration funds spent annually?
Administration funds are used for marketing, office expenses and human resources. Please see our Financial Statements.
How much will my fund grow every year?
If your fund is pooled, it will grow using the following formula:
Interest Earned*
+ Donations for the Year
– Disbursement to the Community (Grants, Scholarships and Bursaries)
– Operating Expenses
= Fund Growth
*The amount of interest earned is based on the funds’ weight in the overall portfolio held by the Foundation.