Meet the varied donors of CCF

When prompted to think of a traditional donor-advised fund user, a set of common characteristics likely comes to mind. At the Christian Community Foundation, the truth is that there is not one image of a donor. Rather, our donors are unique and varied, and join our organization at different stages of life for different reasons. Yet, we all share a common belief that generosity and giving is a calling from God. 

To help paint a picture of the family of givers that compose CCF, we created donor profiles. You may see yourself in one of these stories below, or you may see yourself in each of them. Our goal is not to categorize our donors, but to show that no matter your life stage, income level or background, you can be a giver through CCF. 

Meet Bill and Anna – empty nesters who are not quite ready to retire. 

With two children off the payroll and stable careers, Bill and Anna have started thinking about how they’ll make an impact through philanthropy into retirement. They want to continue to live comfortably and continue making donations to the nonprofits they love, but recognize that their income will be reduced once they stop working. With a goal of retiring in 10 years, Bill and Anna open a donor-advised fund through CCF and start investing funds that they can use to continue their giving well into retirement. 

Meet Rebecca – a burgeoning young philanthropist. 

As a single professional at the start of her career, Rebecca is especially fiscally responsible. She knows that sticking to a budget is the best way to maintain her lifestyle and meet her savings goals. She has a heart for education, and has several nonprofits she wants to support, but she knows that if she doesn’t plan ahead those donations may not happen. Rebecca opens a donor-advised fund through CCF and donates a portion of her year-end bonus each year to request grants for organizations she loves throughout the following year. By making this an annual practice, she creates a rhythm that will guide her giving as she progresses professionally.

Meet Jordan and Shelby – new parents seeking to set an example. 

With three young children at home, Jordan and Shelby are doing all they can to set strong examples for their family. They recognize that generosity is modeled behavior and want to lead by example. Jordan and Shelby care deeply about the arts, and volunteer regularly with their children at a local art camp. To strengthen their connection to the organization, Jordan and Shelby set up NexGen donor-advised funds for their children. They contribute small amounts to the funds each year, so when the children are old enough to learn about budgeting and making donations, they have money to invest in the organization and make an impact. 

Meet Alex – a new donor by opportunity. 

After unexpectedly inheriting property from his grandparents, Alex had a windfall of assets that he needed to arrange financially. After speaking with his trusted financial advisor, he decided to open a donor-advised fund through CCF. His fund softened the tax burden he was facing in the year he received his inheritance, but didn’t require him to give all of the money earmarked for philanthropy away at once. Instead, he can make a plan to impact the organization he loves while his funds grow tax-free through CCF. Creating a donor-advised fund was a helpful element in Alex’s investment portfolio, and will help him ultimately give more money away in the future. 

Meet Clark and Melinda – discreet donors. 

Humility is important to Clark and Melinda. Their income well exceeds their expenses, and they choose to invest a large portion of their expendable income in local nonprofits. Because they make sizable financial contributions each year, it’s important to them that they remain anonymous to limit the number of direct asks they receive throughout the year. Through their donor-advised fund, they are able to easily request grants, and CCF processes and fulfills them anonymously. Not only do Clark and Melinda get to remain discreet, but they also don’t have to manage any of the giving processes.