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Community Foundation of Sarasota County
  • Donors

    Every One Can Make a Difference

    • Create a Charitable Fund
    • Learn How to Give
    • Join the Legacy Society
    • Establish or Participate in a Giving Circle
    • Consult with Your Professional Advisor
    • Find Inspiration through Donor Stories
    • Support Our Community
    • Donate Through Your Private Foundation
    • Research Nonprofits and Volunteer Opportunities
    • Donor Central Login
    • Understand Community Needs & Data
  • Advisors

    Our Services for Professional Advisors

    • Charitable Giving Options
    • Financial Advisor Program
    • Distinguished Speaker Series
    • Resources and Tools
  • Nonprofits

    Our Support for Nonprofits

    • Grant Opportunities
    • The Giving Partner
    • Giving Challenge
    • Workshops and Trainings
    • Agency Funds
    • Resource Materials
    • Nonprofit News
    • Research Community Needs & Data
  • Students

    Scholarship Opportunities

    • Scholarships for Students Under 24 Years of Age
    • Scholarships for Students 24 Years of Age or Older
    • Tools and Resources for Scholarship Planning
    • Become a Scholarship Committee Volunteer
  • Community Knowledge and Impact

    Community Knowledge and Impact Overview:

    Our Philosophy
    Community Tools and Reports
    Community Indicators Dashboard
    The Giving Partner

    Areas of Impact:


    Community Care


    • Emergency Needs &
      Disaster Relief
    • Providing Stability
    • Health & Hunger
    • Animals
    • Environment
    • Placemaking

    Empowerment and Success


    • Literacy Support
    • Student Enrichment
    • Scholarship Opportunities
    • Career Development &
      Advancement
    • Lifelong Connections

    Belonging and Culture


    • Strengthening Families
    • Bridging Generations
    • Uniting Community
    • Cultural Development &
      The Arts
    • Building Support & Capacity

    Our Initiatives:

    • 2Gen (two-generational) Approach
    • “EdExploreSRQ” Student Learning
    • Education and Career Scholarships
    • Season of Sharing Donation Campaign
    • Strauss Literacy Initiative
    • Student Emergency Fund
    • Suncoast Disaster Recovery Fund
    • The Giving Challenge
    • Campaign for Grade-Level Reading
     
  • Media & Stories

    The Latest:

    • Stories of Impact
    • Our Blog
    • Press Releases
    • Social Media

    Resources:

    • E-Newsletters Signup
    • Press Kit
    • Publications

    Media Galleries:

    • Video Library
    • Photo Gallery
    • Podcast Library
  • About Us

    About:

    • Mission and Values
    • History of Community Impact
    • Our Strategic Framework
    • Celebrating 45 Years
    • Accreditations
    • Fast Facts

    Leadership:

    • Our Board of Directors
    • Our Staff

    Financial Stewardship:

    • Audited Financials & Tax Returns

    Contact:

    • Ways to Reach Us

    Careers:

    • Overview and Openings
    • Our Benefits and Culture

    Events:

    • Upcoming Events
    • Request a Speaker

    Foundation Partners:

    • Manatee Community Foundation

DONATE NOW

Create a Charitable Fund

Each one of us has the potential to impact a person, a cause, a community. Be the one to make a difference.

  • Creating a Fund
  • Types of Funds
  • Other Philanthropic Vehicles & Supporting Organizations
  • Donor Privacy

Donor by donor, the Community Foundation of Sarasota County helps connect people with causes and local organizations that align with their key values. You can be the one to make a difference by creating a charitable fund either establishing it in your will or creating it through a trust arrangement that benefits your family, as well as your favorite organizations.

Creating a Charitable Fund offers many distinct advantages:

  • Flexibility — We provide a wide spectrum of charitable options that match your interests and priorities. Education, the arts, health and human services, animal welfare and the environment are all within your charitable reach and beyond, supporting not only your local area, but also any charity within the United States.
  • Recognition — Funds established in the name of donors or loved ones forge permanent connections with the community. Alternatively, donors may request anonymity and be assured that their wishes will be respected.
  • Permanence — We oversee donors’ funds for one-time giving, over a specified time period, or in perpetuity, making sure that they are used exactly as intended. 
  • Cost-Effectiveness — By pooling numerous funds, donors benefit from economies-of-scale for lower investment and administration fees.
  • Tax Benefits — The foundation is a public charity under federal tax law; gifts made during a donor’s lifetime may result in important tax advantages. Bequests may be deductible for federal estate tax purposes.
  • Professional Management — In addition to an experienced staff, the foundation’s assets are invested by some of the nation’s most outstanding financial management firms. Investments are overseen by a separate volunteer committee, chosen for their experience in financial management.

Our in-house corporate counsel is also able to advise donors when considering other philanthropic vehicles such as charitable remainder trusts, gift annuities, and charitable lead trusts that offer guaranteed income, maximized retirement plan benefits and support for your favorite causes or organizations.


Types of Funds

To meet your specific philanthropic goals, the foundation offers an array of funds:

  • Designated Fund — Provides support to one or more specific nonprofit organizations designated by you, the donor. You can support named charities with a one-time gift, over a period of years, or in perpetuity.
  • Donor Advised Fund — Personal charitable account into which donors make tax-deductible contributions. You advise where to direct grants – to any 501(c)(3) public charity in the country. Curious how Donor Advised Funds work? Watch the below short video by Betsy Pennewill, JD, General Counsel at the Community Foundation, to learn more.

Create a Donor Advised Fund

  • Field of Interest Fund — Allows you to support broad areas of interest, such as education, the arts, the environment, or youth services. The foundation’s professional staff evaluates and awards grants to nonprofits making the greatest impact in the targeted area.
  • Future Fund — Creates legacy charitable giving plans that are defined in perpetuity, in a one-time gift, or over a period of years.
  • Scholarship Fund — Helps deserving students of all ages pursue their academic goals, and can be established by companies, organizations, families, or individuals. You can join other donors with any size of gift to be pooled to aid in scholarships or create your own scholarship.
  • Unrestricted Fund — Offers the greatest flexibility in responding to the community’s changing needs and allows the foundation to address issues as they emerge.

Learn More About Our Investment Options

View Financial Report

Establish Other Philanthropic Vehicles

Charitable remainder trusts, gift annuities, and charitable lead trusts are a few other philanthropic vehicles that offer guaranteed income, maximized retirement plan benefits and support for your favorite causes or organizations.


Supporting Organizations

A Supporting Organization allows donors the same degree of involvement as a donor advised fund but gives greater visibility. A supporting organization may have its own board, letterhead, counsel and investment manager but qualifies for the preferential tax treatment afforded community foundations when appreciated or closely held stock is used to establish it.

  • The purposes of a supporting organization must be compatible with the Community Foundation.
  • The majority of its board (not necessarily its officers) must be appointed by the foundation.
  • The minimum gift needed to establish a supporting organization is in the $1 million range.
  • An existing private foundation can be transferred to the Community Foundation to eliminate many of its burdensome and expensive administrative tasks. The Community Foundation provides professional and cost-effective ways of administering these funds well into the future.

Donor Privacy

The Community Foundation of Sarasota County has a Donor Privacy Policy. 

If you have any questions about either of these policies, please call 941-955-3000 or email donorservices@cfsarasota.org.


Need Assistance?

Jay Young
Vice President, Philanthropy
941-556-7178
jyoung@cfsarasota.org

June 16, 2022

Masala Giving Circle awards $20,000 in grants to support the African American community in Sarasota and Manatee Counties

May 8, 2025

A Tale of Two Sisters

April 29, 2025

Community Foundation of Sarasota County Awards $322,000 to 29 Nonprofits

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Community Foundation of Sarasota County
Contact Us

Physical Address

2635 Fruitville Road
Sarasota, FL 34237

Directions and Map

8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., M – F

Phone: (941) 955-3000

Fax: (941) 952-1951

General Inquiries:
info@cfsarasota.org

Connect with Us

Website Privacy Policy | Site Map

THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF SARASOTA COUNTY, INC. IS A REGISTERED 501(C)(3) NON-PROFIT CORPORATION. A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE 1-800-435-7352 (OR 1-800-352-9832 EN ESPAÑOL) OR GOING ON THE DEPARTMENT’S WEBSITE WWW.FDACS.GOV/CONSUMERSERVICES.  REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. One hundred percent (100%) of the donation is received by the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, registration #CH2471.

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© 2025 Community Foundation of Sarasota County. All rights reserved.

  • Donors

    Every One Can Make a Difference

    • Create a Charitable Fund
    • Learn How to Give
    • Join the Legacy Society
    • Establish or Participate in a Giving Circle
    • Consult with Your Professional Advisor
    • Find Inspiration through Donor Stories
    • Support Our Community
    • Donate Through Your Private Foundation
    • Research Nonprofits and Volunteer Opportunities
    • Donor Central Login
    • Understand Community Needs & Data
  • Advisors

    Our Services for Professional Advisors

    • Charitable Giving Options
    • Financial Advisor Program
    • Distinguished Speaker Series
    • Resources and Tools
  • Nonprofits

    Our Support for Nonprofits

    • Grant Opportunities
    • The Giving Partner
    • Giving Challenge
    • Workshops and Trainings
    • Agency Funds
    • Resource Materials
    • Nonprofit News
    • Research Community Needs & Data
  • Students

    Scholarship Opportunities

    • Scholarships for Students Under 24 Years of Age
    • Scholarships for Students 24 Years of Age or Older
    • Tools and Resources for Scholarship Planning
    • Become a Scholarship Committee Volunteer
  • Community Knowledge and Impact

    Community Knowledge and Impact Overview:

    Our Philosophy
    Community Tools and Reports
    Community Indicators Dashboard
    The Giving Partner

    Areas of Impact:


    Community Care


    • Emergency Needs &
      Disaster Relief
    • Providing Stability
    • Health & Hunger
    • Animals
    • Environment
    • Placemaking

    Empowerment and Success


    • Literacy Support
    • Student Enrichment
    • Scholarship Opportunities
    • Career Development &
      Advancement
    • Lifelong Connections

    Belonging and Culture


    • Strengthening Families
    • Bridging Generations
    • Uniting Community
    • Cultural Development &
      The Arts
    • Building Support & Capacity

    Our Initiatives:

    • 2Gen (two-generational) Approach
    • “EdExploreSRQ” Student Learning
    • Education and Career Scholarships
    • Season of Sharing Donation Campaign
    • Strauss Literacy Initiative
    • Student Emergency Fund
    • Suncoast Disaster Recovery Fund
    • The Giving Challenge
    • Campaign for Grade-Level Reading
     
  • Media & Stories

    The Latest:

    • Stories of Impact
    • Our Blog
    • Press Releases
    • Social Media

    Resources:

    • E-Newsletters Signup
    • Press Kit
    • Publications

    Media Galleries:

    • Video Library
    • Photo Gallery
    • Podcast Library
  • About Us

    About:

    • Mission and Values
    • History of Community Impact
    • Our Strategic Framework
    • Celebrating 45 Years
    • Accreditations
    • Fast Facts

    Leadership:

    • Our Board of Directors
    • Our Staff

    Financial Stewardship:

    • Audited Financials & Tax Returns

    Contact:

    • Ways to Reach Us

    Careers:

    • Overview and Openings
    • Our Benefits and Culture

    Events:

    • Upcoming Events
    • Request a Speaker

    Foundation Partners:

    • Manatee Community Foundation

DONATE NOW

  • Our Blog
  • Stories of Impact
  • Donor Central Login
  • Contact Us
  • Search