A named fund at the Bucks County Foundation
enables you to channel your philanthropy in multiple directions
from one source. Any individual, family business, private
foundation, or organization can
create a fund at BCF by making a contribution of cash, stocks,
bonds, real estate, or mutual funds.
Types of Funds
1. Unrestricted/Discretionary
Funds are established by donors who wish to address the
current and changing needs of the community by allowing
the Distribution Committee of the Foundation to direct the
funds through a competitive grant process.
2. Area of Interest
Funds are those for which the donor has defined the general
areas for
support (the arts, environment, education, etc), toward
which the Distribution Committee will direct funding.
3. Donor Advised
Funds allow the donors to advise the Distribution Committee
how their contributions will be distributed. Their charitable
priorities may change from year to year.
4. Donor Designated
Funds are created by donors who have identified specific
organizations or programs to receive grants annually.
5. Temporary/Pass-through
Funds are those which are established with the expectation
that the entire body of the fund will be used within a specific
period of time.
6. Agency Endowment Funds are
established by non-profit organizations to provide for their
financial future. Generally only the income is disbursed
annually, however, in emergency situations the agency may
choose to use part or all of the principal if approved by
a majority vote of their Board.
Planned Giving
Planned gifts are those deferred to a future date and may
require the assistance of professional advisors. Donors
may make planned gifts to the Bucks County Foundation through
bequests, trusts, life insurance policies, and charitable
gift annuities. The most common form of a planned gift is
a simple bequest, made when the donor includes the Bucks
County Foundation in his or her will. The donor may bequeath
a gift in any amount to the Foundation in general or to
establish a fund of the Foundation.
