Donor Advised Funds
A donor advised fund at the Community Foundation for Mississippi gives you a simple way to organize and grow your charitable giving over time.
From investing in the arts to caring for animals, a designated fund allows you to create long-term impact for the organizations that have shaped your life.
Think of a donor advised fund as your personal charitable giving account. You make a tax-deductible contribution to the fund, your charitable dollars are professionally managed and invested, and you recommend grants to eligible nonprofit organizations whenever you’re ready. Donor advised funds can support local organizations, national nonprofits, educational institutions, faith-based groups, and other charitable causes.
Many people use donor advised funds to simplify their giving, involve family members in philanthropy, or create a long-term approach to supporting the causes they care about most.
How a Donor Advised Fund Works
ESTABLISH YOUR FUND
Create your donor advised fund at CFM with a gift of cash, appreciated stock, real estate, or other eligible charitable assets. Your contribution may also provide immediate charitable tax benefits.
INVEST FOR FUTURE GIVING
Your fund is professionally managed and invested by CFM.
RECOMMEND GRANTS OVER TIME
You recommend grants from your fund to eligible nonprofit organizations whenever you choose, whether responding to immediate needs, supporting favorite organizations annually, or building a longer-term giving strategy.
CFM PROCESSES AND DISTRIBUTES GRANTS
CFM reviews and processes the grants you recommend and distributes funds to eligible nonprofit organizations in your name, your family’s name, or anonymously if you choose.
WATCH: A Commitment to Mississippi
In this video, Susan and Macy Hart reflect on why local philanthropy matters to them, what it means to invest in Mississippi communities, and how partnering with CFM has helped simplify and strengthen their charitable giving over time.
FUND SPOTLIGHT
Susan and Macy Hart
For Susan and Macy Hart, philanthropy has always been closely tied to community.
Both raised in Mississippi, the Harts chose to partner with the Community Foundation for Mississippi because of its deep understanding of local needs and nonprofits across the state.
Through their donor advised fund, the Harts support a range of causes while maintaining a flexible, long-term approach to giving. The fund allows them to focus on the organizations and needs they care about most while relying on CFM to help manage the administrative side of charitable giving and connect them with opportunities to make an impact.
Over the years, the Harts have also remained actively involved in CFM’s broader mission and community work, recognizing the important role philanthropy can play when people invest together in Mississippi’s future.
“We live here. We’re committed to Mississippi. We wanted to be part of the change.”
Start a Donor Advised Fund
Create a flexible charitable giving account that grows with your goals and helps support the causes and communities you care about most.