Start a New Donor Advised Fund

Please complete the New Donor Advised Fund Application on the left to start your Fund. Note, before the Fund can be established you must print, sign and return two copies of the agreement to: Marilyn Zack, Vice President of Development, 185 Oakes Street, Grand Rapids, MI 49503. 

The minimum initial gift or pledge to establish a Donor Advised Fund is $25,000.  Cash can be delivered with this application or by online donation (fees apply). Please contact any member of the Foundation’s development team at 616.454.1751 for instructions for the transfer of other assets.

Three ways to give.

To best meet your needs, we offer three different Donor Advised Funds.

Legacy Fund

The Legacy Fund is established with a gift of $25,000 or more. This Fund is permanently endowed and each year a percentage of the Fund's market value is used for grants that you recommend.

Springboard Fund

The Springboard Fund is established with a $25,000 minimum that can be built over five years or established with a single gift. This Fund is not endowed, meaning once it is fully established, donors may recommend grants up to the Fund balance. This Fund is a great way for people to test out a Donor Advised Fund to see if it is a good fit for them.

Dynamic Fund

The Dynamic Fund is established with a gift of at least $250,000. Of this amount, $50,000 is permanently endowed, with the remaining balance available for immediate grantmaking. This type of Fund is permanent, but is designed for the donor who wishes to make more grants than the Legacy Fund.

Investment Management

Donors with these types of Funds at the Community Foundation have three investment options. A member of our development team will explain these in greater detail if you'd like more information.

1. Gift Preservation Pool is designed for minimal investment risk and invested in a money market fund. This pool is designed for those who do not want to take either equity or long-term investment rate risk.
2. Balanced Plus Pool is designed to produce the highest long-term investment returns. This pool is invested 86 percent in equity type investments and 14 percent in fixed income.
3. Balanced Pool is designed for long-term investing. This pool is invested 60 percent in Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund and 40 percent in PIMCO Total Return Fund with no exposure to alternative investments.

Advisor Recommendations

Please use the forms on the left to recommend a grant from your Donor Advised Fund.  

Important note: The email authorization form must be complete before email grant recommendations can be processed for your Fund.

If you have any questions or concerns about making a grant recommendation from your Donor Advised Fund, please contact Lisa Brown at 616.454.1751.