The Montrose Community Foundation (MCF) is fortunate to manage charitable funds for our community. It’s a job that we don’t take lightly. We strive to learn about our donors’ interests and philanthropic goals in order to make their giving more effective and impactful. We also offer tax benefits, invested funds, quarterly and monthly reports, and suggestions for relevant projects in need of funding.

Our last fiscal year, ending June 30, 2018, we granted $378,500 to programs and organizations through our donors and funds.

Through donor advised funds (DAF), individuals, families and businesses can donate to the MCF when the timing is good for them. Donors receive immediate tax deductions and then advise the MCF on which organizations or projects should receive the grants. DAFs are the fastest-growing charitable giving vehicle in the U.S. because they are one of the easiest and most tax-advantageous ways to give. Our DAFs gave over $50,000 to programs and organizations like The PIC Place, Habitat for Humanity of the San Juans, Kid’s Aid, HopeWest, Community Options, Trout Unlimited, Girls Scouts, Sherriff’s Posse, Botanical Society, Top of the Pines, EcoAction Partners and the Ute Indian Museum.

Agency funds are when local nonprofit organizations establish an endowment with the MCF. Our agency funds granted $6,300 back to nonprofit organizations to support local art organizations, scholarships for students and grants for teachers and schools.

The MCF Community Endowment Fund (Forever Fund) was established so we could put money back into the community to support programs and services. The MCF accepts donations for the Community Endowment Fund, which currently has over $700,000. The income and earnings from that endowment are given out during our annual MCF Impact grant cycle in the fall. This year, the Grants Review Committee awarded $54,300 to local organizations. The larger the fund grows, the more we can grant back.

The MCF has worked with individuals, families and organizations for almost 30 years to help donors leave their mark on our community. Individuals who choose to include the MCF in their estate plan—by will or designation, or through another deferred gift—receive the tax benefit and make a charitable gift. Bequests are easy to set up and provide donors with a range of giving options. Donors can elect to gift a specific dollar amount, percentage of their estate, or what remains after other bequests are satisfied, such as those to family members. The savings in estate taxes resulting from a gift to the MCF can be significant, since bequests to the foundation earn a full charitable deduction on estate taxes.

For more information about starting a fund with the MCF, call 249-3900.