What is a Community Foundation?

A community foundation is a vehicle for people of all means to make a lasting difference in their community.  Doniphan County Community Foundation (DCCF) is such a vehicle.  Its central purpose is to serve the needs and philanthropic aim of donors who wish to improve Doniphan County, now and in the future.  DCCF provides donors with flexible, efficient, and tax-effective ways to ensure their charitable giving achieves the greatest possible impact.

• A community foundation does not usually conduct programs of its own.  Instead, it supports new or existing programs of local nonprofit organizations. 
• Donors can donate to any DCCF fund any time. However, they may want to think about supporting their favorite funds on Give Where You Live Day, December 5-7, 2025.  The annual Give Where You Live Day event promises “that donations grow with a percentage of Match Money provided by local businesses and individuals!”  
• Each Doniphan County non-profit is in control of its own fund.  The DCCF Board, composed of individuals from across Doniphan County, acts as a liaison with Greater Manhattan Community Foundation (GMCF).  While GMCF manages the investment of all funds, each local non-profit controls its own account and can choose to save or spend its money as it stipulated in its application to be a member of DCCF.
• A community foundation is a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c) (3) of the internal Revenue Code.  All contributions are tax-deductible to the maximum amount allowable for gifts to a public charity. 
• Community foundations are classified as public charities under the tax code. Some donors can claim larger tax deductions on gifts to community foundations than gifts to their own private foundations.  GMCF staff are happy to help donors see possible options.
• The concept of community foundations is as ingenious as it is simple: it is a means to build community resources dedicated for charitable purposes, potentially, over time, creating endowment funds for program sustainability.
• Because endowment funds are never spent, they are permanently invested to produce income.  The income earned is then used to help meet the community’s charitable needs.  So, gifts to a community foundation continue to benefit a community forever.
• Donors may set up individual funds in their name or the name of a loved one and have as little or as much control as they wish in determining which charities benefit from the fund. Or a donor may choose to contribute to various existing funds to serve specific purposes.

Please check out DCCF at doniphancountycf.com or at givewhereyouliveday.com.  Lots of good work is happening in Doniphan County because donors are supporting local causes.

A community fund like DCCF represents a wide variety of ideas and interests of individual donors who have united in a common purpose—improving our community both now and in the future.  Whatever the charitable intentions, there are ways to achieve them through gifts to a community foundation.