Donor Services/Types of Funds

Donor Services is an extension of our commitment to all donors and we know that this partnership is the key to the successful building of "social capital" and positive, long-term change in the community of High Point. We consider it an honor and a privilege to work with each of you to achieve your philanthropic vision and make High Point a healthy and prosperous community today and forever...

Unrestricted Funds
Field of Interest Funds
Special Interest Endowment Funds
Donor Advised Funds
Supporting Organizations
Scholarships
Organization Endowments
Gift Annuities

****HPCF financial statements (audit, 990, 990-T) available per request from the Foundation office.


Description - The High Point Community Fund is a permanent endowment whose income underwrites discretionary grants made to any nonprofit organization in the Greater High Point area. The assets in this fund now are made up primaril of the original contributions to the Foundation's unrestricted endowment. This fund was redesignated as targeted for High Point when it became apparent that the Foundation's activities would certainly embrace Guilford County, and, over time, perhaps extend even further.

Selling Points - Donors who wish to provide the maximum flexibility for the Foundation in meeting community needs can choose this permanent, unrestricted endowment. In addition to the Foundation's regular grant making program, this is an endowment from which the Foundation could choose, in an emergency, to commit some principle to address a community crisis such as a natural disaster. Gifts to this fund recognize that no donor today can foresee the ways in which issues can best be addressed 20, 50, or 100 years from now.

Requirements to Create a Fund - A named endowment can be created within this endowment for a gift of at least $25,000. The named gift is listed in the annual report each year. Moreover, gifts of this size provide donors the opportunity to prepare a fund donor card which would, in their own words, describe themselves, their commitment to the community, and their reason for helping to build this unique asset in our community.

Who Might be Interested

• People who wish to respond to the needs and to the growth of their community in perpetuity.
• People who wish to help the Foundation fulfill its mission in the most flexible way possible.
• People who have no specific areas of concern or whose gift would not be of a large enough size to create a separate field of interest fund in their particular area of concern.

Description - These are funds from which the Foundation's Board is free to make grants within the defined field of interest. Grants are made from the fund in accordance with payout policy (although in special circumstances such as a community emergency, the Board may choose to grant from principal).

Existing Field of Interest Funds include:

The Tilley Fund - Supports Christian ministries in High Point.
Cory McInnis Compassion in Education Fund - Provides funds to underwrite education projects in the High Point city schools.

Selling Points for Field of Interest Fund - A donor with a particular interest can be sure that his or her gift will support only that issue. A person establishing such a fund may name the whole Field of Interest Fund. Contributions of $25,000 or more may have a "named fund" within the larger field of interest fund, which is listed each year in the annual report.

Requirements to Create a Fund - Because this is an endowment from which separate grants will be made, it must generate sufficient income to warrant and sustain such a granting program. Therefore, this type of fund should be established with an individual gift of, or collective intent to raise, at least $250,000.

Who Might Be Interested

• An individual, family or group with a specific concern.
• A group wishing to target a specific issue in the community.
• People wishing to establish a memorial to an individual for their interest in or accomplishments in a given area of concern.

Description - A Special Interest Endowment Fund is a permanent fund. The fund is created by a donor who wishes to enable the Community Foundation to make a grant annually to a named organization. The annual payout is paid each Fall to one or more named nonprofit organization(s) for a specific purpose. The assets of the fund never can be invaded. The recipient of the income from these funds can never be changed. (If the named organization becomes defunct, the assets would be shifted according to the donor's intentions and the Community Foundation's variance powers.)

Selling Points - A Special Interest Fund can help ensure that a named organization will continually support a certain type of endeavor, regardless of what changes may occur in the organization's leadership. Also, the assets of the fund are outside of the control of the organization so that the donor may be sure that those assets never will be tampered with in any way.

Requirements to Create a Fund - A Special Interest Fund may be created with a gift of $5000 or more.

Who Might Be Interested

• Individuals with a keen interest in supporting a specific institution or a specific activity within that institution.
• An individual who would like his or her annual gift to be made in his or her name and recognized in our Annual Report as well.

Description - A Donor Advised Fund enables a donor to offer his or her advice to the Foundation's Board as to when, where, and for what purpose a grant should be made to a bona fide, not-for-profit organization anywhere in the world. Note: The Foundation develops relationships with Fund Holders which enable them to make grants which compliment or augment the Foundation's Discretionary grant making. The Community Foundation's reason for making grants outside its immediate area is to promote philanthropy and to increase participation in giving.

Type A: A Permanent Donor Advised Fund allows the donor to recommend grants from the income only (per payout policy). The principal is transferred to the Unrestricted Endowment of the High Point Community Foundation at the instruction of the donor and advisors or at the time of their death.

Type B: A Pass through Donor Advised Fund allows the donor and advisors to recommend grants from both the income and the principal of the fund. The corpus of the fund may be exhausted through grant making if the donor wishes.

Selling Points - A spouse or children may help advise the fund. All transactions, in and out, can be handled with complete anonymity. Additional contributions may be made at any time. Grants may be made on 4 weeks notice. Any qualified nonprofit organization anywhere can benefit from these grants.

Requirements to Create a Fund - The fund may be established for as little as $5000. A one page agreement listing: name of fund, name of advisors, the primary contact, and amount being given to create the fund.

Who Might Be Interested

• Individuals wishing to take a tax deduction at time of high or extraordinary income and decide later how he or she wishes to distribute it.
• Person receiving inheritance, needing an immediate tax deduction, wanting to distribute once they have thought about it or as needs arise.
• Person who wishes to involve family in a collective charitable giving process where they can all decide together what grants should be advised to the Foundation.
• Person or persons handling another's affairs (such as an elderly parent) who know what grants they want to recommend at what time each year and wish the foundation to attend to the details.

Description - A Supporting Organization is a corporation, a majority of whose Board is named by the Community Foundation, thereby providing that Supporting Organization with the status of public charity. Because the Foundation Board exercises its ultimate authority over the organization by naming a majority of their Board, grants made by the Board of the Supporting Organization need not be approved by the Foundation Board, although they must be in keeping with the mission of this Foundation.

Selling Points - The Foundation may assist in reviewing grant requests when research is desired. The Foundation offers a reduced administrative fee if the Foundation receives at least half of the final distribution from the supporting organization.

Requirements to Create a Fund - A minimum gift of $1 million is required to create a Supporting Organization. The Donor names directors of his or her own choice to the Board. The Community Foundation names a majority of the directors. The Foundation provides financial administration to the organization on the basis of a standard fee plus direct costs.

Who Might Be Interested

• An individual or family who would like more distinct visibility in their grant making and more autonomy in their grants decisions may prefer this type of fund.

These funds are complex and should be interpreted to the donor by counsel or staff.


Description - Scholarship programs come in many forms with many intents. Because such scholarships can be very labor intensive, they should only be created in consultation with the Foundation. The Foundation may be limited in its flexibility in accepting scholarship programs to administer depending on its administrative capacity. The Community Foundation is currently involved in a single type of scholarship plan in which the Foundation reviews the propriety of process used by an outside (usually self perpetuated) group prior to the Foundation awarding the scholarship.

Selling Points - Scholarship funds are major programs at three of the top five community foundations in North Carolina. They are typically major programs in most well established community foundations. A community foundation can bring critical review of applications to bear on a given fund without becoming engaged in the politics of the institution to which that individual may be going.

Requirements to Create a Fund - At this time the Foundation does not have a General Scholarship Fund. Therefore, a minimum of $25,000 is required to establish a separately administered scholarship program at the Foundation. A fund may be established if there is a clear intent and a clear plan to build the Fund to the minimum balance over a short period of time. This allowance is made in recognition that having an established fund at the Foundation might facilitate raising more funds to establish a scholarship.


Description - The Organization Endowment Program is a flexible instrument which provides Foundation management for the endowments of not-for-profit organizations. It allows those organizations access to the principal in their endowments under certain, very specific circumstances. One or several endowments may be established within the Program by an organization to address different needs.

Selling Point - Having a third party manage an organization's endowment can provide assurances to donors that promises will be kept regarding the use of the income from that endowment over time. Also, the Foundation has professional management which might not be available to nonprofit organizations with endowments whose principal would either not attract professional management or would not be large enough to be cost effective.

Requirements to Create a Fund - An Organization Endowment may be established at the Foundation with a commitment of $5,000. This low threshold was created to encourage small nonprofit organizations to begin building an endowment and to help them with marketing that effort.

Who Might Be Interested as Prospects

• Nonprofit organizations looking to maximize the performance of their endowments and looking to build endowments over time.

Note: Organizational Endowment Funds are a service to the community. Therefore, the corresponding fees are lower than other Foundation fees. However, the elements of these agreements are set the same for all not-for-profit organizations. Therefore, they are not negotiable.


Community foundations may offer gift annuities. The board has previously authorized our entering these agreements if the obligation is reinsured.

hpcf   hpu   faq