Frequently Asked Questions:
General
What does the Community Foundation do?
What is the Community Foundation's Charitable Registration number?
Who runs it?
Does the Community Foundation receive government funding?
Who gives?
What do they give?
Where does the money go?
Why use the Community Foundation?
On making a donation …
What kinds of funds can be established?
How much must I contribute to establish a fund?
What is an endowment fund?
What is the rate of return on investments?
Why establish a donor advised fund instead of a private foundation?
How much does it cost?
When is the Community Foundation's
fundraising campaign?
Which charitable causes or organizations does the Community Foundation support?
On applying for a grant …
When are the deadlines to apply for a grant?
Are proposals accepted at any time?
What happens to my request after I send it in?
How long before a decision is made?
If I am confident that my project will be approved, can I get started on the project?
Can I apply under more than one Grants program category?
Can I meet with someone before submitting an application?
Does the Community Foundation provide support for core operations or projects?
Does the Community Foundation provide funding for more than one year at a time?
What is the average amount of a grant?
Can an individual (artist, researcher, community worker, etc.) receive a grant from the Community Foundation?
How much detail should I include in the budget I enclose with my application?
Do I need to have other sources of funding for my request?
Can we submit our request in French?
Can I submit my application by e-mail or by fax?
What does the Community Foundation do?
- Provides a means whereby the community's charitable assets and decision making can be applied locally;
- Pools the charitable gifts of many donors into a permanent, income-earning endowment that benefits the people of Ottawa primarily and fulfills the philanthropic objectives of individual donors;
- Makes grants from the earnings of these funds to support a broad variety of initiatives from health, education and social services to arts, culture and the environment;
- Offers neutral advice and support to all kinds of individuals and organizations trying to make philanthropic decisions;
- Provides leadership by bringing people together from all sectors, to identify and address issues as well as to leverage opportunities in the region.
What is the Community Foundation's Charitable Registration number?
The Community Foundation's Charitable Registration number is 11922 7981 RR 0001.
Who runs it?
The Community Foundation is independent, autonomous and accountable
to the community as a whole. As a way of ensuring that the Community
Foundation will be well managed today and into the future, the
governing body is appointed by an outside Nominating
Committee made up of the incumbents in positions
of responsibility and influence.
This Committee is responsible for selecting the best possible
people to fill vacancies as they arise on the Board
of Governors. The members of the Board are chosen for
their integrity, expertise and ability to serve the Community
Foundation without compensation. These Board appointments are
limited to three years, renewable once. The Board, in turn, hires
and oversees the CEO who is responsible for the day to day running
of the Community Foundation, including the hiring of other staff.
Does the Community Foundation receive government funding?
No. All of the funds under the Community Foundation's care have been established and have grown thanks to donations, both large and small.
Who gives?
Individuals, families, clubs, corporations and other charities contribute. The Community Foundation makes participation possible by people of modest means as well as the wealthy.
Individuals and families often establish an advised fund within
the Community Foundation instead of establishing their own foundation.
This adds to administrative efficiency and reduces expenses. More...
Some corporations rely on the expertise of the Community Foundation to administer their corporate donations programs.
Many charities, including other foundations, place their endowment funds with the Community Foundation in order to ensure their future financial viability, preserve their endowments in perpetuity and benefit from ongoing professional endowment management expertise.
What do they give?
The Community Foundation accepts nearly every kind
of asset. Most non-cash gifts are liquidated immediately
and the proceeds transferred to the investment portfolio.
Where does the money go?
The Community Foundation itself is not the object of donor's philanthropy,
but is the vehicle by which donors can fulfill their charitable
objectives. Through its grantmaking
programs, the Community Foundation is committed to
seeding, nurturing, supporting and strengthening the community.
Grants are made to not-for-profit organizations recognized by
the Canada Revenue Agency as registered charities.
Grants are made in support of social services (including projects for the visually impaired, children, youth, seniors), health, arts, education, animal welfare and the environment, primarily within the Ottawa region. The annual earnings of many of the funds under the Community Foundation's care are disbursed according to advice from the donors of those funds.
Why use the Community Foundation?
- The Community Foundation's investments are permanently endowed. Therefore they are always growing and the earnings will be available forever;
- The Community Foundation itself is not the object of anyone's philanthropy but provides the vehicle to fulfill their charitable objectives;
- The Community Foundation is very flexible and provides many services to help donor realize their charitable objectives. Donors can have as much or as little involvement as they want in how the money is disbursed;
- The Community Foundation can assist people who want to enjoy the tax saving advantages of charitable contributions in a particular year but are not certain which charities they would like to support. They can establish a fund quickly, obtain a tax receipt for the contributed amount and then decide later where to focus their giving from the fund.
What kinds of funds can be established?
Donations to the Community Foundation are generally used to establish
one or more of several kinds
of funds, any of which can bear the name of an individual,
family, corporation or charitable cause; or the fund can be anonymous.
How much must I contribute to establish a fund?
With one exception, a named fund can be established for as little as $5,000. The exception is scholarship funds, which must be a minimum of $10,000. In either case, the money can be contributed over time, through annual contributions or added to with a deferred gift such as life insurance or a bequest.
What is an endowment fund?
The definition of a fund is an invested sum, whose income is devoted to a specific object. An endowment is defined as the act of bestowing a permanent provision for support. Together, the term endowment fund means an invested sum of money which is permanently invested and whose income is devoted to a specific cause.
What is the rate of return on investments?
The rate of return on investments for 2006 was 12.41%. The following
table provides the rates for each year since the Community Foundation
started in 1987.
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Why
establish a donor
advised fund instead of a private foundation?
Starting up a private foundation requires the donor to create
a new organization, establish a board of trustees, obtain registered
charitable status from Canada Revenue Agency and keep reporting
regularly. A fund at a Community Foundation is far easier and
faster to establish and entails no start-up costs. Click
here to compare the two options. Maintaining a donor
advised fund at the Community Foundation is usually more cost
effective than running a private foundation, and the problem of
intergenerational succession is resolved. In addition, Community
Foundation donors are free of the responsibility for monitoring
grants made and for fulfilling national and provincial reporting
requirements. The Community Foundation staff handles all those
administrative tasks. More
...
How much does it cost?
The Community Foundation assigns an administration fee
of 1.5% for all endowed funds of $5 million or less. The fee is
reduced for larger funds. Scholarship funds are the only exception,
with an administration fee of 2% (as of January 1, 2004).
When is the Community Foundation's fundraising campaign?
The Community Foundation doesn't fundraise in any usual
sense. The main source for donations, and thus the major focus
is through planned giving and gifts
of assets.
Which charitable causes or organizations does the Community Foundation support?
As a neutral broker, the Community Foundation can support any organization or cause that a donor names
as long as it has charitable status with the Canada Revenue Agency. If they prefer, donors can specify a broad field of interest or make no specifications at all as to where the earnings from their funds should be directed. In this case, the Grants Committee decides, based on the applications received, where the money can have the greatest and most positive impact.
The Board of Governors of the Foundation is responsible for the approval of all grants given out regardless of point of initiation - grant application or donor-advised.
When are the deadlines to apply for a grant?
The deadlines for the Community Foundation's grants programs
are as follows:
Community Grants and Strategic Impact Grants - February 1st
Community Grants - September 15th
Deadlines for other grant programs administered by the Community Foundation are as follows:
The Ottawa Citizen Literacy Foundation - October 1st
To be considered in each
grant cycle, complete applications must be received at our office
no later than 5 p.m. on the deadline date.
Are proposals accepted at any time?
Proposals received at other times during the year are held and reviewed at the next grant deadline.
What happens to my request after I send it in?
You will receive an acknowledgement of your request within one month. Community Foundation staff review each application to determine whether the proposal meets the basic guidelines and granting criteria. If your project does not meet the criteria, or if additional information is required, you will be notified immediately. All grants are reviewed by a Grants Committee who makes recommendations to the Board of Governors, which makes the final decision. In the case of Strategic Impact Grants, once they are recommended for funding by the Board, they are presented to donors and will only be funded if a donor accepts to fund the project. Following the expression of interest from the donor, you will be asked to submit a full proposal. Therefore, you should expect the decision-making process to take longer.
How long before a decision is made?
Decision-making may take up to three months after the application deadline. Strategic Impact Grants can take even longer (see above response)
If I am confident that my project will be approved, can I get started on the project?
The Community Foundation is not always able to fund all the requests it receives from applicants. You are not advised to start a project for which you do not have confirmation of funding.
Can I apply under more than one Grants program category?
Project applications fitting the criteria and priorities should be made under the Community Grants category. The Strategic Impact Grant category is for more strategic projects which may be larger, more complex and require multi-year funding. You may apply for one grant under each category and if successful, you should report on it before applying for another.
Can I meet with someone before submitting an application?
The Community Foundation operates with a relatively small
staff and is therefore not able to meet with all applicants. If
you have questions, please contact
our Grantmaking staff. If more information is required
in order to process your submitted application, you will be contacted
and if necessary, a meeting may be arranged at that time.
Does the Community Foundation provide support for core operations or projects?
The Community Grants program funds projects only, whereas the Strategic Impact Grants program may provide funding for core operations.
Does the Community Foundation provide funding for more than one year at a time?
Sometimes the same project is funded more than once under the Community Grants program, after which your organization would need to seek funding elsewhere. Under the Strategic Impact Grants program, multi-year funding is more likely to be considered and approved.
What is the average amount of a grant?
The average Community Grant is $5,000. There is no predetermined range of grant amounts for the Strategic Impact Grant.
Grants from the Ottawa Citizen Literacy Foundation vary in size.
Can an individual (artist, researcher, community worker, etc.) receive a grant from the Community Foundation?
No. The Community Foundation can only issue grants to registered Canadian charities.
How much detail should I include in the budget I enclose with my application?
The budget must cover all major categories (personnel, travel, office, etc.) but need not go into too much detail. The Community Foundation may request additional information if required. Remember that the total amount of revenues should be equal to the total amount of expenditures.
Do I need to have other sources of funding for my request?
The Community Foundation prefers not to be the sole funder. From time to time, the Community Foundation will provide full funding for a project but only when it is evident that there are no other avenues for funding and the project is seen to be a high priority.
Can we submit our request in French?
The Community Foundation is pleased to receive requests
in both official languages. Pour des renseignements en français,
cliquez
ici.
Can I submit my application by e-mail or by fax?
No, we ask that you please mail your application to the
Community Foundation. See the section on how to Apply
for a Grant for further details.
