For Fundholders
Donor advisors may make recommendations for grants from their fund through our website (see “
Manage Your Account”). Printed forms are available for download or if preferred, from the office at (360) 378-1001.
All grant requests are reviewed by the Foundation grants committee on a monthly basis. The first step is to receive approval for “Fund Development” (see steps in question below). Once funding becomes available the grants committee will approve the actual award. If the requested amount is over $5,000, that review must be passed to the full Foundation Board for approval. The Board meets quarterly.
Grant checks are usually issued within 7 days of approval (see previous question on approval). Expedited service can be arranged and will entail an extra one-time fee due to the additional out-of-cycle administrative overhead.
A wide variety of assets can be gifted to the Foundation. In general, any asset that can be converted to cash (a Foundation policy requirement) can be gifted. The simplest are: cash, credit card, stocks & bonds. Refer to
Transfer Assets for further information. Please call the office at (360) 378-1001 for instructions.
Stocks and bond gifts should be transferred as specified in the instructions on the “
Transfer Assets” page. It is important to call the office at (360) 378-1001 to notify the Foundation before executing an electronic transfer.
No. Since the donor would be receiving a benefit using tax advantaged gifts, the IRS prohibits this use.
Yes. One of the common uses of a donor advised fund is to protect anonymity. Confidentiality is paramount to the work of the Foundation.
The SJICF website permits donors to login and see their last quarterly statement. Internal fund balances are kept monthly and can be accessed by phoning the office at (360) 378-1001. It may take a day or two to respond to such a request.
Administrative fees are applied monthly on the current fund balance based upon the annualized rate.
Donations are usually processed within 72 hours depending on the form of asset gifted.
Account statements are issued on a quarterly basis, usually within two weeks of the end of the previous quarter.
For Grant Applicants
All grant requests are reviewed by the Foundation grants committee on a monthly basis. The first step is to receive approval for “Fund Development”. Once funding becomes available the grants committee will approve the actual award. If the requested amount is over $5,000, that review must be passed to the full Foundation Board for approval. The Board meets quarterly.
Yes. You can download the
Grant Application Form directly from the website, or from the office at (360) 378-1001.
Grants applications may be submitted at any time after the required pre-grant application 1-on-1 meeting with Foundation grant representatives and online registration. Please call the office at (360) 378-1001 to request a “pre-grant application 1-on-1 meeting”.
We have found that an early meeting significantly helps both the applicant and the Foundation come to a common understanding of the parameters underlying a grant request and funding possibilities. An overwhelming number of positive reports have been received regarding the value of these meetings which often creatively open up new directions and funding possibilities for an organization.
In summary and in approximate sequence:
- On-line (and up-to date) registration of your organization
- Pre-application 1-on-1 meeting(s)
- Submission of application
- Initial review by Grants Committee
- Possible follow-up Q & A
- Approval for “fund development” or denial
- Internal review of funding options by our Fund Development Committee
- Possible award from existing internal discretionary funds (rare)
- Active fund development using many tools such as personal meetings with donor, our website, newsletters etc...
- Monthly contact with you for updates on project planning, partner funding, changes in conditions etc...
- Award(s) (full or partial) and Contract agreement
- Project reports to be filed as specified in the award contract
The in-person, pre-grant application review will consider some of the following:
- Leadership. Does your project offer an opportunity to develop community leadership or expand civic involvement?
- Purpose. Does your project reflect the purpose of the grant program for which you are applying?
- Impact. To what extent might your project make a lasting and significant difference in the quality of life for San Juan Islanders?
- Strategy. Does your project address current or emerging community needs or opportunities?
- Capacity. Does your organization have the resources and leadership to ensure project success?
- Leverage. Can you show that additional funds, partners etc… are (or have been) involved?
- Inclusiveness. Are any underserved segments of the community reached by your proposal? Is diversity promoted? How are the stakeholders for this project included?
- Sustainability. Is the project designed to become self-sustaining and when? Projects requiring unending philanthropy are discouraged. Exceptions apply.
- Goals. Can you explain what ‘success’ will look like and how will it be measured?
- Design. Is your project designed in a clear, thoughtful, reasonable manner?
And, is there a sound business plan to support your goals?
Grant Applications are downloadable and are submitted in writing. Applications may be submitted at anytime following the required online registration and pre-grant application 1:1 meeting with Foundation representatives. We suggest you also refer to the
Application Checklist as a useful guide.
In summary and in approximate sequence:
- Online (and up-to-date) registration of your organization
- Pre-grant application 1-on-1 meeting(s) with Foundation representatives;
- Submission of application in writing;
- Initial review by Grants Committee;
- Possible follow-up Q & A and revisions;
- Approval for “fund development” or denial;
- Review of funding options by the Foundation’s Fund Development Committee
- Possible award from existing internal discretionary funds (rare);
- Active fund development using many tools such as meetings with donors our website (by mutual agreement), newsletters etc...;
- Monthly contact for updates on project planning, partner funding, changes in conditions etc.;
- Award(s) (full or partial) and Contract agreement;
- Project reports as specified in the award contract.
Once a grant application has been “Approved for Fund Development” the Foundation’s Fund Development committee starts its work to research sources of funds for the project. These may include existing Foundation discretionary funds, Donor Advised Funds and/or public fundraising through our website (“Giving Center”) and/or our newsletter. The process is very hands-on since almost all funding for a project comes from “new sources” and involves a significant effort of time and energy. The minimum time before first partial funding is typically 3 months but often can extend over years for large projects. The timeline will be discussed in the follow up meetings with the Grants Committee.
After years of reviewing and awarding grants the Foundation has determined that including other granting agencies in the project funding process adds significant benefits, including better project review, broader community awareness and advocacy and ultimately more money and support for your projects. There are exceptions but partner funding will be a critical component of each 1-on-1 pre-grant application meeting including careful identification of the resources that will be allocated by the applying organization itself.
You may apply for full or partial funding of the project.
Yes, but those requests should be consistent with the general intent of the grant request.
For example, an organization could apply for funding for office equipment, training seminars, and capital improvements if they are all related to the same project. However, if your organization is requesting money for several projects that are unrelated to each other, then we request submission of separate grant applications for each project.
The Foundation has determined that in many cases, donors and projects are best served when the project is designed from the beginning to become self-sustaining financially over a few years. Notable exceptions are often those providing basic social services to financially challenged clients. The concept of self-sustainability will be covered in depth in the pre-grant application 1-on-1 meeting.
The Foundation only gives grants to tax-exempt organizations which include 501(c)(3)s, local non-profit branches of 501(c)(1)s, government agencies, non-profit schools and religious organizations (but only for non-religious purposes) as specified by the IRS code.
Donor Advised fundholders may request a distribution to go anywhere in the world as long as it meets the IRS charitable organization criteria. Foundation grants, by policy, are targeted to the local community and would usually only be given to an outside nonprofit for work that affected the local community. The ultimate authority on grants lies with the Foundation Board.
Yes if the school is a nonprofit. Scholarships (for the benefit of a named individual) are only awarded to the school or college for further distribution.
Yes, but only for non-religious and unrestricted public service projects.
Yes, in fact it is required.
Yes. Contact the office at (360) 378-1001.
Grants vary tremendously with the project. Amounts need to be justified using a financial and business planning approach and will be carefully scrutinized. To date, the range has been $500 to $10 Million.
There is no restriction but the Foundation would expect multiple requests for funding to each fit into a well articulated long-range plan.
Every organization that receives a grant is required to report on the results and use of the funds by submitting a
Grant Reporting Form within one year of receipt. Additionally, it is important to acknowledge receipt of the grant award in writing. A letter to the editor is a welcomed next step. Letters should be sent directly to the newspaper(s) and you can send the Community Foundation a copy of your letter. Public awareness benefits everyone. Your acknowledgment and thank you letter will be shared with your program donor when applicable.
Follow up and financial reporting is one of the ways we distinguish the Foundation from other organizations and is of primary importance. Organizations not in compliance will not be eligible for further funding support unless their reporting is up to date.
The Foundation requires that any organization using its name submit a draft for review before release. The Foundation logo is not available for use. Please call (360) 378-1001 for further details.
Standard, industry accepted methods are used to ensure website security. Online donations are made through PayPal which uses its standard measures to ensure account information security. While the Foundation will continue to adhere to industry standards for online access, we cannot ultimately guarantee total security. We are prepared to make special off-line arrangements with any donor who is uncomfortable with online access.
For Nonprofit Organizations
The Foundation only gives grants to tax-exempt organizations which include 501(c)(3)s, local non-profit branches of 501(c)(1)s, government agencies, non-profit schools and religious organizations (but only for non-religious purposes) as specified by the IRS code. Applicants must hold, and maintain in good standing, their 501(c)(3) non-profit organization designation by complying with IRS regulations and in particular filing the appropriate annual IRS financial reporting forms. Organizations that have applied for non-profit status, but have not yet received confirmation, may still apply for a grant with the understanding that usually grants cannot be distributed until 501(c)(3) status is active.
Yes. Any organization that wishes to submit a grant application must be registered online with the Foundation. Call (360) 378-1001 to get started, or send us an email at
info@sjicf.org.
The process to register your organization profile is initiated by a phone call to the office at (360) 378-1001 to obtain a nonprofit login account and to set up a 15 minute appointment to walk through the data entering process.
Registrations MUST be updated at least annually by your organization. A reminder email will be sent in January of each year.
The following information is necessary to complete the required electronic profile:
- The organization's name (as filed with the IRS) and the common name, (if different);
- Various contact information including a list of Board members and current staff;
- The organization mission and description;
- The date of the most recently filed IRS Form 990 and which 990 form was filed;
- Last years 990 form;
- The IRS Letter of Determination of non profit 501c(3) or 501c(1) status.
Click here if you would like to view a profile form.A portion of the profile (as indicated on the form) is made available to the public through the Foundation website and a portion is confidential to your organization and the Community Foundation. Please call the office at (360) 378-1001 for further details on the use of profile information.
The “private portion” of your nonprofit profile may only be viewed by you and the Foundation under password protection. The Foundation uses industry standard methods to secure information.
You can update your organization’s profile online as needed. And we request that every registered organization review its profile on an annual basis. A reminder email will be sent in January of each year.
Not automatically. When appropriate, this option will be discussed with the organization and projects will only be posted with mutual agreement.
When a grant request is approved for fund development and is selected to appear on the Foundation website (under “
Giving Center’), an account will set up internally in the Foundation to receive online donations from the public as well as grant distribution requests from Foundation fund holders. All monies collected initially become the property of the Foundation and, for grants under $5000, are distributed to the grantee organization by vote of the Foundation Grants Committee. Grants over $5000 are voted on by the Foundation Board of Directors. Donations are aggregated for distribution and checks are issued after Foundation grant approval. The Grants Committee meets monthly and the Board meets quarterly.
- Projects that benefit individuals directly.
- Religious organizations (where the funds would be used to further the organization’s religious purpose).
- Political organizations.
- Any group that discriminates as to race, creed, ethnic group, or gender.
- Travel, conferences or any form of direct financial assistance to individuals.
- Association dues.
- Budget shortfalls or debt retirement.
- Fund raising event costs.
For Professional Advisors
Available for download, are a variety of reports and brochures covering the Community Foundation’s work and finances. We suggest starting with an introduction to our website, read our
Annual Reports and
Newsletters and then make a joint appointment for you, your client and a member of the Foundation Executive Team at (360) 378-1001.
For personalized control our
Donor Advised Funds are the vehicle of choice. For broad giving our
Healthy Community Fund is the most popular. These funds are carefully managed to support the most critical causes in our community.
The Community Foundation offers unparalleled knowledge of community issues and nonprofits and our philanthropic expertise can help your client make the most of every dollar donated. Our broad range of financial vehicles, asset types and fund types make it easy to make a contribution or to set up a fund. In some cases, these options also provide tax advantages.
Yes, most certainly. We encourage ongoing conversations to discuss how we may be of service to you and your clients. With an all-volunteer board, consultations are always free of charge.
A
Donor Advised Fund provides all of the control and flexibility that most donors require along with vastly decreased administrative overhead and costs. Setting up a fund through the Community Foundation often can provide enhanced tax benefits as well. Please see “
Simple Alternative to Private Foundations”.
Yes. It is common for family foundations to convert to a community foundation donor advised fund in order to reduce costs and administrative overhead while taking advantage of the community foundation’s grantmaking expertise. Please call the Community Foundation’s Executive Team at (360) 378-1001 for an appointment.
The Foundation provides a variety of planning and execution services that may help you and your client optimize an estate plan for maximum impact in the community. Please visit the
Estate & Legacy Planning page.
Yes. The Foundation would be pleased to serve as the trustee to your trust that includes the Foundation as the beneficiary.
For Prospective Fundholders
A wide variety of fund types are available which are suited to many donors:
- Donor Advised Funds - The leading type giving the donor the most control of the eventual disposition of funds.
- Designated Funds – Specified distributions over time to specific oranizations
- Scholarship Funds – Can be customized to your selection criteria but must be made widely available to prevent any conflict of interest.
- Legacy Funds – Which execute your final wishes using specific desires that you establish
- Community Funds – Which broadly help our community. These can be be targeted to specific areas-of-interest.
Many funds already exist at the Foundation that might already fit your needs. You can also make a gift to an established Fund and receive the same tax advantages and recognition that starting your own fund would provide.
New funds can be processed immediately but need to be approved by the
Board of Directors. The Board meets quarterly and often there is an electronic vote of the Board in the middle of the quarter.
Donor Advised Funds provide the most control for a donor who may make recommendations to the Foundation for a grant. Other funds are designed to give the Board of the Foundation greater discretion in allocating funds to where they are needed most. A call to the Foundation executive team will provide the most detailed advice on what fund types will best suit your needs.
The usual minimum is $10,000. If this is not possible please call the Foundation for a consultation with the Executive Team.
You may contribute a wide variety of assets to your fund. Cash (checks or EFTs), stocks and bonds (usually through electronic transfer) are the usual assets that we receive. Please notify the Foundation to expect a gift using the on-line form found under “
Manage Your Account” and following the directions specified under “
Transfer Assets”. For other assets, such as real estate, real property, IRA Rollovers, Life Insurance benefits and Testamentary Gifts please call the Foundation at (360) 378-1001 for a consultation with our Executive Team.
Endowed funds place a restriction on the use of the principle and within certain restrictions allow only payouts of the earnings. Since earnings vary, the annual payout is dictated by the Foundation’s spending policy which is set and reviewed annually to try to ensure preservation of the principle of endowed funds.
No, in fact most are not. Many Funds are set up with unrestricted use of both earnings and principle. The choice is made by the donor at the time the fund is created.
The Foundation pools its fund assets for investment. Assets are held by a fiduciary agent and are invested according to a Board approved investment policy. An outside investment manager handles the day to day portfolio under criteria set by the Board. The investment policy emphasizes a conservative approach for preservation of capital using a balance of standard equities and bonds. High risk investments are avoided.
All funds are pooled for investment and therefore, individual fund investment options are not available.
No.
Fees include two components: An investment management fee which is passed through from the Foundation’s professional fund advisors (a fraction of 1%) and an administrative fee to cover the Foundation’s work in managing your fund. Administrative fees are specified in the current “SJICF Fund Administrative Fee Schedule” which is available upon request. Please call (360) 378-1001.
A spending policy applies only to endowed funds and specifies the annual payout rate that is predicted to ensure preservation of principle. The policy is reviewed annually and is set in conjunction with the policy determined by The Seattle Foundation. The spending policy is available upon request: call 378-1001. Non-endowed funds may request allocations that include both principle and earnings.
Yes. If you are aged 70½ or older you may make an IRA rollover gift to a Foundation fund (not a Donor Advised Fund) of up to $100,000 tax free. Please call the office for assistance at (360) 378-1001.
Yes. Anyone can contribute to your Donor Advised Fund and receive a tax deduction. We request you consult with your tax professional to confirm your particular situation.
General
A community foundation is a tax-exempt public charity that serves broad charitable purposes in a community defined geographically. Community foundations serve to connect donors with charitable projects by providing indepth competitive review of those projects to maximize the impact of donor gifts.
Community Foundations also serve as umbrella organizations by working with all of the specific nonprofits in a community by providing grants, organizational development assistance and administrative and project development help. Community foundations continuously monitor the broad critical needs of a community and often undertake direct initiatives to answer those needs.
Community foundations work by creating and managing a wide variety of
Foundation Funds that can provide significant tax advantages to donors and offer a planned, researched and organized approach to a lifetime of giving. The funds managed by a community foundation consist of a collection of funds from many different donors rather than from a single donor, as is usually the case with a private foundation.
Community foundations work with all volunteer boards supplemented by staff. With extremely low administrative overhead, our community foundation maximizes the amount of funds that get directly to the project budget.
There are more than 700 community foundations across the United States, with combined assets of about $35 billion.
The Foundation pools its funds based upon duration. The primary SJICF Foundation Fund is invested for a long term return. Foundation funds are held with a fiduciary agent (currently Union Bank) and invested according to a Board approved investment policy. The Foundation Finance Committee regularly reviews performance and develops investment policies that are ultimately passed by the Board.
Standard, industry accepted methods are used to ensure website security. Online donations are made through PayPal which uses its standard measures to ensure account information security. While the Foundation will continue to adhere to industry standards for online access, we cannot ultimately guarantee total security. We are prepared to make special off-line arrangements with any donor who is uncomfortable with online access.
A fee applies to online credit card donations. The Foundation uses PayPal. There is also a small Foundation administrative fee on all donations. Contributions received by mail do not incur the credit card fee. Please contact the office at (360) 378-1001 for the current fee schedule.
Scholarships
A variety of scholarship funds have been established at the Foundation.
- Inskeep Scholarship Fund – Providing assistance to local high school graduates to attend college or university who demonstrate significant need and an ability to succeed.
- John Volk Memorial Scholarship Fund – For individuals who demonstrate a dedication to community service and wish to pursue a career in aviation or aviation related public services.
- SJICF Career Training Fund – Providing assistance to individuals and programs that provide training for career paths.
Please review the selection criteria for the scholarship program to which you plan to apply. There criteria are available by phoning the Foundation office at (360) 378-1001.
Certain scholarship programs are targeted to career paths and you are encouraged to call us at (360) 378-1001 and to apply.
Anytime. Applications for college programs are usually reviewed in the spring. Other applications are considered throughout the year.
The availability of scholarships is advertised locally and applications can be obtained at the high schools, online at the San Juan Island Community Foundation web site,
www.sjicf.org, calling us at (360) 378-1001, or by dropping by the San Juan Island Community Foundation Office, 640 Mullis, Suite 104, Friday Harbor, WA.
Recipients are selected based upon a fully completed application that is submitted by the specified deadline. Interviews will be arranged and additional information may be requested before the review committee makes its decision. The number of applicants always exceeds the number of available awards and so are very competitive.
The date of notification depends on the type of scholarship. Please call the office at (360) 378-1001 for information about your specific application dates.
Awards are always paid to the educational institution on behalf of the named recipient. No awards will be made directly to students or their families.
Any unused portion will be returned to the Foundation and is not payable to the student or to their families.
