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Become a Donor

What do you care about the most? Do you want to champion the arts or help the homeless? Protect our environment? Support access to affordable housing? At The Community Foundation, we work with donors — individuals, families, businesses, organizations — to create and grow charitable funds to improve lives and communities in Western North Carolina.

When Bernie Arghiere is not exploring the cosmos, hiking or teaching astronomy in our region, he's giving back to his community. He uses a donor advised fund to facilitate his charitable giving.

Whether you want to simplify your giving, focus on certain causes, provide scholarships or plan your legacy, The Community Foundation is here to help. We offer many different options for giving and work with you and your professional advisors to tailor strategies to your situation.

More than 1,120 funds make up The Community Foundation. Each has a unique purpose reflecting the wishes of the donor. A new fund can be established with a simple agreement, usually in one meeting. There is no fee to open a fund. Ongoing administrative fees vary slightly based on the type of fund and its assets (a fee schedule is available upon request).

Open a Fund

You can create a fund with almost any type of asset including:

Cash

This is the simplest, most convenient way to start a fund or add to an existing one. Your gift of $10,000 or more can start a fund. Gifts of any size may be added to an existing fund.

Appreciated Property

Real estate, appreciated securities and closely held stock are all suitable gifts and may be deductible as a charitable contribution. Capital gains taxes can be avoided in most cases, and deductions can be taken immediately and carried forward for up to five years.

IRA Assets

If you'd like to give your IRA assets to specific organizations through The Community Foundation, please contact us.

Retirement Accounts

If you hold a qualified retirement plan, you can name the Foundation as a beneficiary.

Life Insurance

Designate The Community Foundation as the owner and irrevocable beneficiary of a life insurance policy, and you can enjoy an immediate tax deduction as well as deductions on future premiums.

Private Foundation

When you transfer the assets of a private foundation to create a donor advised fund at The Community Foundation, you free yourself from administrative tasks and have a team of experts to assist you in your strategic philanthropic goals. Your foundation can retain its name, purpose and grantmaking discretion. We take care of the administrative functions, reporting and financial management — all for lower fees than most private foundations. Learn more.

Gifts of Real Estate

You can turn your home, vacation home, business property or land into a charitable gift through the Western North Carolina Real Estate Foundation, a CFWNC affiliate.

When you give real property that you have owned for more than one year, your gift qualifies for an income tax charitable deduction equal to the property’s full fair market value. You also avoid tax on long-term capital gain. Proceeds from the property’s sale can create or be added to a CFWNC charitable fund.

Real estate can also create a gift that provides income to you or a loved one. Or, use a “retained life estate” arrangement that allows you to continue living in your home or using your vacation home, then have the property become a part of your charitable legacy after you no longer need it.

Gifts of real estate require due diligence prior to the contribution, usually including a site visit to the property, a qualified appraisal, a preliminary title report and an environmental assessment. We make the process as easy as possible.

Learn More.

Your charitable giving can be accomplished through a fund at CFWNC, whether you want to support specific organizations or a broad range of interests. Grants can be made to any nonprofit in the name of your fund or anonymously.

Ways to Give

There are many different ways you can give to The Community Foundation.

If you want to make a tax-deductible gift to an existing fund, donate on-line.
If you already have a donor advised fund at The Community Foundation, log in to DonorCentral to recommend a grant. If you already have a donor advised fund but do not have a DonorCentral account, contact Spencer Butler.
You may also send a check to CFWNC, 4 Vanderbilt Park Drive, Suite 300, Asheville, NC 28803. Please note to which fund the donation is directed.
If you would like to contribute stock or make a wire transfer, Jennifer Sadler can help.