Spotting opportunity: Moving from a commercial fund to Stark Community Foundation

Although a Donor Advised Fund (DAF) can be established through a national financial institution, Stark Community Foundation offers its DAF holders much broader services, more personal attention and deeper connections to the nonprofits whose work is essential to effecting positive community change.

If you are an attorney, accountant or financial advisor, we would welcome the opportunity to talk to you about the ease and benefits of moving your client's DAF to Stark Community Foundation.

Stark Community Foundation offers DAF holders the same tax and administrative benefits as a commercial gift fund, including:

• Online access to view balances, grants and gifts through our easy-to-use Donor Portal
• Simple process for requesting grants to favorite charities
• Streamlined tax reporting, even when the fund is used to support dozens of individual charities throughout the year
• All back-office administration, tax receipts, recordkeeping and other requirements for the fund's 501(c)(3) status
• Favorable tax-deductibility of gifts to the fund

Unlike standard commercial gift funds, though, Stark Community Foundation offers high-level, customized services to its DAF holders, including:

• Concierge-level service by knowledgeable staff to structure estate gifts to charities and accept gifts of appreciated stock or complex assets such as real estate or closely-held stock
• In-house experts who have a finger on the pulse of community needs, the strengths of specific nonprofits and how to structure grantmaking for the highest possible impact
• Opportunities to collaborate with other donors who care about similar issues and community conversations to tap into local and national subject matter experts
• Family philanthropy strategies that help develop and personalize a charitable giving plan that aligns with family passions and desired results
• Corporate giving services to help businesses of all sizes discover how they can effectively and efficiently grow their charitable impact in the communities in which they do business
• Staff members who live in the community they serve and often personally know the leaders and staff of nonprofits and regularly hear about their needs first-hand

Through our Center for Partners in Philanthropy, Stark Community Foundation offers a variety of services and best-in-class resources tailored to help your clients fulfill their philanthropic mission and be more strategic in their giving while exposing them to the current needs of our community through events, resources and connections. To learn more about how Stark Community Foundation can help you assist your charitable clients, contact Bridgette Neisel, vice president of advancement, at bneisel@starkcf.org or 330-454-7992.