Donors | Fund for Southern Communities

Contribute now! You can contribute to FSC with a check, credit card or with a pledge, by filling out the donation form and sending it to our office. If you have any questions, please call 404-371-8404.

donor involvement | how to contribute | types of funds
about donor advised funds | advantages of FSC donor advised funds

A Unique Partnership For Change
The Fund for Southern Communities is a unique partnership that unites donors and community leaders who work for social change within a given town or community. Rather than just treating the symptoms of oppression and injustice, the Fund for Southern Communities seeks to find long-term solutions. The Fund is unique in that it awards grants to community organizations that are working to address the systems and structures that cause these problems.

Often, this means funding organizations and projects overlooked by traditional charities and private foundations because these projects are too new, too small, or too controversial. FSC's willingness to take risks in making these grants is based on its belief that communities working on their own behalf are powerful forces for change. With the support and guidance of a financial institution such as FSC, our grantees are better able to accomplish their goals. This philosophy has served FSC and its constituents well since our beginnings in 1981. back to top

Making a Contribution to
The Fund For Southern Communities
FSC gratefully accepts donations from individuals and foundations. We accept gifts of stock, planned gifts, estate bequests and other forms of non-cash assets. Donations are used to fund FSC's general grant making. The types of programs and organizations funded by FSC include grants for community and constituency organizing; environmental justice; gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered issues; health care; anti-racism; women; disability rights; workers; and youth.

To become an active partner in social change, FSC offers the following gift-giving options:

Anyone giving a gift of $60 or more a year becomes a supporting member and receives the FSC newsletter and grant reports.
Anyone giving at least $120 a year— either by a single gift or in monthly payments— becomes a full voting member, receiving the FSC newsletter, grant reports, invitations to special events, and may vote on members of the Board of Directors. back to top

You can contribute to FSC with a check, credit card or with a pledge, by filling out the donation form and sending it to our office. If you have any questions, please call 404-371-8404

In addition to "general support" FSC raises funding for the following targeted grantmaking programs:

Organizational Development Fund: This fund offers grantees funding for organizational training, leadership development, long-range planning, or networking opportunities.

The Southern Outlook Fund: This fund
supports organizations working for lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender rights, and against homophobia and discrimination based on sexual orientation.

The Grassroots Fund: This fund ensures a strong, continuing base of financial support to seed innovative organizing work in the in the nine county region of the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill Triangle in North Carolina. www.grassrootsfundnc.org

The Modjeska Simkins Memorial Fund: This fund, created to honor life-long South Carolina civil rights activist Modjeska Simkins, makes grants to organizations in South Carolina working on issues related to youth, racial justice and civil rights.

Racial Justice Fund: Providing support to communities and organizations dealing with issues of racial discrimination.

Emergency Fund: This fund makes available small grants for situations consistent with FSC grantmaking priorities that are extremely timely, could not have been planned for by the recipient, and cannot fit into the regular grant cycle.

Donor Advised Funds
Every year, people turn to the Fund for Southern Communities in order to fulfill their individual charitable wishes. The mission of FSC is to "unite organizations and donors working to create just and sustainable communities that are free of oppression and that embrace and celebrate all people." Our service area includes the states of Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina, though donor advised grants are sometimes contributed outside of this region. Giving through FSC means that you establish a giving program for yourself, your family, or your business that offers the following advantages.

Permanence: A donor can create an endowed fund with the knowledge that it will be managed in perpetuity and that the gift will always serve a useful purpose. Potential grantees are investigated and grants are monitored by staff and the FSC Grants Committee.

Recognition: By establishing a named, permanent fund within the FSC organization, a donor has an opportunity to honor a loved-one, friend or issue area. Donors may remain anonymous if they so desire.

Flexibility: A donor can specify the particular charitable field-of-interest to which distribution from his or her fund is to be made, designate that grants are to be made only to a specific geographic area, or advise FSC as to which charitable organizations should receive grants.

Efficient Financial Management: Generally, the assets of an endowed donor advised fund are commingled with other FSC property for investment management. Each endowed fund enjoys the benefits of being a part of a large, diversified professionally managed portfolio at a lower cost than if it were invested separately. The FSC Investment Committee oversees FSC investment managers to assure that investment decisions are prudent, produce a reasonable rate of return, and adhere to FSC's "socially responsible" investment policies.

Tax Benefits: Donors to FSC are eligible to receive the maximum income tax advantages of giving to a public charity. The extent of such tax advantages will depend on the particular circumstances of the donor. No reporting of grants from the account is required of the donor. back to top

TYPES OF FUNDS YOU CAN CREATE
Donor Advised Fund
Allows donors to create a fund to fulfill their individual philanthropic wishes, and to make recommendations for specific organizations to receive grants, consistent with the charitable mission of FSC. Donors can recommend grants to groups/organizations or FSC staff will work with donors to help identify potential groups/organizations to match the donor's interests. Recommended grants will be approved by the FSC Board of Directors only if the recommendations are deemed consistent with the mission of FSC. Funds are invested consistently with FSC's Socially Responsible Investment Policies.

Types of Gifts Accepted To Establish A Fund FSC can accept different kinds of assets as gifts to establish a donor advised fund such as cash, publicly traded stock, privately held stock, real estate, insurance policies, the bequest of retirement funds, the proceeds from a private foundation, through a bequest of the donor's estate, or through a charitable remainder trust.

Fund for Southern Communities Investment Policies
The principal objective of FSC's investment policy is to achieve a favorable return consistent with acceptable risk while using the investments to promote positive social change. We invest in companies that conduct their business in a manner consistent with those objectives as set forth in the Fund's investment policy. Socially responsible investment can and will achieve the desired return to support our grant making, programs, administration and development. back to top

FSC Donor Advised Fund or Private Foundation? Issues to Consider:

FSC Donor Advised Fund	Private Foundation
Donors establish an individually named fund within the nonprofit structure of FSC.	Donor must establish a separate nonprofit corporation and apply for federal tax exemption.
Donors can make recommendations on the grant making activities of their fund. FSC staff does the administrative work.	Donor operates own grant program and manages contact with the grant seeking community.
FSC files one federal and state tax report for all of its funds.	Donor is responsible for investments, accounting, and state and federal tax reporting.
No IRS requirement that any amount be paid out annually in grants.	IRS requires an annual grant pay-out of 5% of assets.

There are clearly advantages to establishing a Donor Advised Fund at FSC. If you would like to discuss establishing a fund at FSC, please contact the office. back to top

©1996-2001 Fund for Southern Communities
315 West Ponce De Leon Ave, Suite 1061· Decatur, GA 30030
404-371-8404 · Fax: 404-371-8496
email: fsc@fundforsouth.org