Open a charitable fund
Partner with the Community Foundation of Greater Memphis to give more intentionally, grow your impact, and support the causes you care about—today and for generations to come.
Why give through the Community Foundation
Founded in 1969, the Community Foundation of Greater Memphis brings more than a half-century of experience helping people give with purpose. We work alongside individuals and families to make philanthropy easier, more meaningful, and more effective.
Our team lives and works in this community. We understand local needs, nonprofit organizations, and the opportunities to create lasting change. While you may recommend grants to any qualified nonprofit across the country, we are proud that the majority of our grants support organizations right here in the Mid-South.
We are known for reliable service, thoughtful guidance, and long-term stewardship. Whether you are focused on supporting a specific cause, involving your family in giving, or building a charitable legacy, we help you design a strategy that reflects your values and goals.
When you open a charitable fund at the Community Foundation, you gain a trusted local partner who helps you turn generosity into lasting impact—making it easy to give, grow, and support what matters most to you.
As a permanent community institution, the Community Foundation ensures that what matters to you—a place, a cause, a nonprofit—can be supported not just today, but well into the future.
Benefits of opening a fund
A charitable fund offers flexibility, tax advantages, and personalized support—without the administrative burden.
Contributions to the Community Foundation, a public charity, qualify for maximum deductibility for income, gift, and estate tax purposes, with fewer IRS restrictions than private foundations.
Receive your tax deduction when you make a gift, then recommend grants at your convenience—the next day or years down the road.
Through disciplined, long-term investment management, your fund may grow tax-free, allowing you to do even more good over time.
We handle all recordkeeping, due diligence, grant processing, and reporting, so you can focus on the impact you want to make.
Name your fund in a way that reflects your charitable vision—or choose to remain anonymous. You can also make individual grants anonymously at any time.
Track your fund activity, review performance, and recommend grants anytime through our secure online donor portal.
Community Voices
Besides the immediate tax benefits, a donor-advised fund is an effective way to grow and distribute our charitable gifts. Instead of writing a check here and there, we can be more intentional in what we agree to support. “
Four pillars of the donor experience
By choosing the Community Foundation as your charitable partner, fund holders can expect the following experience.
- Dedicated philanthropic advisor, with whom donors can contact directly and meet at any time
- Prompt response to all inquiries and correspondence
- Access to DonorView, your online donor portal
- Customized and streamlined service, so all donors need to focus on is the impact you wish to make—now or in the future.
- Access to communications highlighting philanthropic stories, resources, and tools
- Invitations to educational events and seminars
- Invitations to donor-exclusive events and nonprofit field visits
- Opportunities to learn more about topics and organizations on the front lines of community change
- Deep staff knowledge about organizations meeting the needs of Memphis & the Mid-South
- Access to LIVEGIVEmidsouth, the Foundation’s free online community information system
- Thorough due diligence on all recommended grants
- Recognition or anonymity on any grant recommendation
- Timely communication about gifts made to the Community Foundation
- Quarterly fund statements
- Access to nine professionally managed investment pools, with quarterly investment return statements to ensure preservation and enhancement of the real value of funds
- Annual market outlook and fund performance briefing featuring Prime Buchholz, the Community Foundation’s investment consultant
Getting started is simple
Opening and maintaining a charitable fund at the Community Foundation is straightforward. Most funds are established with a minimum contribution of $10,000, which can include cash, publicly traded stock, or other complex assets.
Our Philanthropic Services team will guide you through each step, help you explore your giving goals, and answer any questions along the way. As your partner, we are here to make giving feel approachable, flexible, and aligned with what matters most to you.
Scholarship funds
If you are interested in establishing an educational legacy by creating a scholarship fund, click below to see our quick guide and FAQ for scholarship fund donors.
How a charitable fund works
Gifts to your fund in the form of cash, stocks, or other assets are invested and grow tax-free. You decide when and where to grant those funds to the causes that matter most to you.
Here to help
Caroline Kuebler, CAP®, IPA
Managing Director of Philanthropic Services
Creating a new fund, referring friends and family, and philanthropic education
Ways donors use their funds
Support causes you love
Recommend grants to nonprofits addressing the issues you care about most—from education and health to the arts, environment, and community well-being.
Plan your giving with confidence
Work with our philanthropic advising team to create a thoughtful, values-aligned giving plan. We help you make strategic, intentional decisions that evolve with you.
Build a lasting legacy
Use your fund as part of your estate or legacy plan to ensure your charitable priorities are supported for generations to come.